Which Personality Are You?

Climbing the corporate ladder takes hard work and dedication -- degreed or not. One must first determine if they are willing to put in the work necessary to achieve the corporate position and salary they desire. This isn't a matter of book knowledge...it is a matter of determination.

You must set your goals high and aim even higher to succeed in corporate America. The corporate work world is fast, furious and can be vicious. Many sharks scout the waters daily ready to pounce on the unsuspecting cubicle-sitter who does the bare minimum necessary for the job. The sharks will take every opportunity to move up the corporate ladder by devouring whomever should be standing (or swimming) in his path. Don't become a shark -- it isn't necessary.

Those who are content in their positions, accepting whatever raise or bonus is given them, generally will always be right where they are. There is no ambition or drive to improve their circumstances. It could very possibly also be that they enjoy what they do and don't want to move on to higher positions and added responsibilities. Whatever the reason, don't become a cubicle-sitter unless you are not looking to climb the ladder of success.

Those of us who aspire to climb the corporate ladder and achieve six figures and beyond need to be somewhere squarely in the middle of these two personalities. You need to be able to see the opportunities available within your organization. However, you need to act on only those opportunities which are available. I don't promote backstabbing to get to the top. Nor do I promote derogatory actions which bring light to another co-workers bad habits or laziness. These are the actions of the shark. On the flipside, I also don't promote stagnation and complacency, also known as cubicle-sitting.

What I am promoting is determination. You must be determined to be neither a shark or a cubicle-sitter. A shark's reputation will be well known around the office. People will watch out for you rather than be willing to collaborate with you. Why would they want to collaborate with a shark? He'd only eat them alive in the end and take all the credit... As a cubicle-sitter, you will be viewed as lazy and incompetent -- even if you complete all of your tasks on schedule and efficiently. Perception is reality. Someone who perceives she is working harder than you will perceive the cubicle-sitter as shiftless.

One of the principles in Six Figures deals directly with this office phenomenon. It gives full details of sharks and how they operate in the office, what to look out for, and how to protect yourself from them. Six Figures also expounds on the cubicle-sitter, how to avoid becoming one unknowingly, and how to achieve your goals without stepping on them in the process. It then shows you how to be determined -- both in the avoidance of being labeled with either of these two titles, as well as being determined in reaching the goals you've set for yourself.

Be determined...

Unexpected Support

"Fifty-five years ago, 80 percent of American television viewers, young and old, tuned in to see Milton Berle on Tuesday nights. Tens of millions, rich and poor, worked together at Elks Lodges and Rotary Clubs. Millions more, rural and urban, read general interest magazines like Look and Life. In those days, the owner of the local bank lived in the same town as the grocery clerk, and their boys might play on the same basketball team. Only 7 percent of adult Americans had a college degree." {emphasis mine}--David Brooks, Spring 2008 piece on niche political marketing, excerpted from Stephen Windwalkers Beyond the Literary-Industrial Complex: How Authors and Publishers are Using the Amazon Kindle and Other New Technologies, location 285-93 on Kindle (K2).

Just over a half-century ago, less than 10 percent of American adults held a college degree. That would have been in the 1950's, after the Great Depression, when the country was pulling itself up by its bootstraps and finally feeling comfortable enough to relax and begin enjoying life again now that the Depression was over. With those statistics, history shows us that earning a college degree is not necessary to attain status and wealth in corporate America. Facts show the probability that the majority of those who rose to power and riches in corporate America in the '50's where degree-less. If only 7 percent held degrees according to Brooks' statements in his Spring 2008 piece, running the numbers will reveal that it would be impossible for it to be any other way.

In today's society, we live in a world where jobs require employees to multitask and have a vast array of skills and knowledge. Especially in this economy, employers are looking to get the most tasks done with the least amount of employees. It would be impossible to depend solely on college degreed individuals to fill these roles. Life and professional experiences weigh heavily in factoring today's choice of new hire by corporate HR departments country-wide. Having hands-on knowledge and experience is key in today's fast-paced technological society. Employers are very aware that as unfortunate as it may be, a college graduate's book knowledge can sometimes be outdated by the time graduation occurs. The rapidly changing world demands that job seekers stay ahead of the curve in their knowledge and expertise. Whittling away four or more years in college isn't the most productive approach to keeping ahead in the game.

There will never come a consensus on the value of a degree in seeking employment. It does play a role -- it has its place. However, life and professional experiences also are key ingredients to securing a sought after job or promotion. An employer will consider the fact that a candidate has four years experience performing the job for which she is applying. Weighing that against a candidate who has a four year degree in the field but no experience performing the job will often tip the scales in favor of the non-degreed candidate. Think about it -- if you were an employer in a demanding, high production industry and you had a need to fill a key role within the organization, would you be more inclined to hire someone who has done the job for the last several years, or someone who has a lovely framed degree indicating that she has gained the knowledge necessary to do the job? Experience often wins in these situations...