Career Tip Work Long Hours - Hallie Crawford

Career Tip Work Long Hours I recently received this from a coaching client, and I wanted to share it with you: Career counselor  Marty Nemko  is the author of How to Do Life: What They Didnt Teach You in School and Whats the Big Idea?  Here are six bits of advice excerpted from a recent article he wrote for U.S. News World Report. Focus on what really  matters. Youre more likely to be happy with your career and job if you focus less on its prestige or coolness and more on finding a career and job that uses your natural strengths and doesnt tax your weaknesses, is appropriately challenging, with a good boss and co-workers, reasonable pay, commute and job security. Use a point-by-point  cover letter. In answering a job ad, the best cover letter explains, point-by-point, how you meet the main job requirements. Stop procrastinating. Procrastination is a career killer. Please remember that the short-term relief of deferring tasks is far exceeded by the long-term pain. Procrastination may have worked in school but, except in low-level jobs, theres much less grade inflation in the workplace. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That too shall pass. If youre smart, avoid  teams. Not withstanding the ubiquitous public extolling of teamwork, the following rule of thumb is generally wiser: Try to work solo if youre brighter and more motivated than most of your co-workers. If youre not, get on teams. Work long hours.That doesnt sound like fun but when youre doing work youre good at and realize that the life-well-led really is mainly about productivity, youll be glad to work long hours, even if it didnt increase your job security or make you more money. Never look back.Boris Nemko, a Holocaust survivor, explained why he rarely talks about the Holocaust: The Nazis took five years from my life. I wont give them one minute more. Never look back. Always take the next step forward. Theres no better advice. Ideal Career Coach P.S.  Are you in the ideal career for you?  Find out if you’re in the right career with our  Ideal Career Quiz.