by Mantel Featherson

www.LaborAcademy.org

02

The world of work is changing

There is an evolution of work occurring that has already impacted millions of people - and before its over it will affect millions more. The economic security that weve come to expect - a stable job with a good salary, benefits, and annual raises is becoming harder and harder to come by. Why? The causes are both numerous and varied - however one key reason is that organizations are learning to do more with less. As a result, their productivity and profits continue to rise while their dependence on workers decreases. So what does that mean? To put it simply, you now have to create your own career stability. Employers will no longer guarantee your long-term economic security. You've got to take full control over your career and adopt a mind-set and approach that will continuously move it forward.
www.LaborAcademy.org

03

This book was written to achieve one goal - help you get on a path that moves your career forward regardless of the economic conditions. The Ten Career Commandments contained in this book are expressly intended to engage, inform, and challenge you to think and act differently. The ideas offered in this book - once put into action will yield significant improvements in both your earnings and your overall career satisfaction - but you need to take the first step. So lets get started!

www.LaborAcademy.org

04

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his labor and his leisure. He hardly knows which is which - he simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing - to him he always doing both. - James Michener
www.LaborAcademy.org

05

Managing your career is no longer just about job hopping every few years. Now you need a comprehensive strategy - one that fully and equally embraces both facets of individual work employment and entrepreneurship. To do that - youll have to fundamentally change how you prepare for, pursue and engage in work. Part of that fundamental change includes becoming agile - that means being adaptable, anticipatory, and responsive. In practical terms - being agile means that youre just as comfortable starting and growing a business as you are building a career with a Fortune 500 company.
www.LaborAcademy.org

06

It used to be that if you wanted to be considered a recognized expert in a specific field of endeavor, you had to - hold a senior position with a well known organization, have written a book with a New York publisher or achieved a significant level of public recognition for your work. Those entities (organizational affiliations, publishers, and the media) used to be the gatekeepers. They decided who would be the individuals fortunate enough to reap the rewards from sharing their ideas. Now, these barriers are rapidly falling away, and you now have the permission to choose yourself. Want to be an author? Don't write a proposal and submit it to a publisher and hope that they call you. Instead, publish and promote your book yourself. Then let the market decide if your idea is worthy of support rather than an arbitrary gatekeeper.
www.LaborAcademy.org

07

Several years ago a major movement emerged towards the adoption of a minimalistic lifestyle. Followers of this movement sought to simplify their world by reducing and/or eliminating their dependence on the non-essential aspects of their lives. This stripping away of the less important aspects of life allows the individual to apply maximum focus to what's left. You must adopt a similar mind-set in how you approach your career - become relentless about doing work that derives the greatest value for yourself and your stakeholders and eliminate everything else.
www.LaborAcademy.org

08

In order to consistently move your career forward you need an idea that energizes you. Start defining that idea by answering the following questions - What do I want the purpose of my work to be? - How do I want my work to impact others? The vision doesnt have to be a grand, world changing idea - but it must be compelling enough to keep you motivated. This idea should also guide your decisions - whenever youre at a crossroads - ask yourself - "Am I being consistent with my idea? How you answer that question will determine the path your career takes.
www.LaborAcademy.org

09

Dont bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.
-William Faulkner
www.LaborAcademy.org

10

Not long ago it was easy to build a successful career based solely on your education and experience. Now you need influence. So whats influence? Its your ability to create advocates for your work. These advocates support you by doing things like buying your products/services, and enthusiastically recommend you to others. One way to think of building your influence is to use the following equation: Audience + Engagement = Influence An audience are those willing to listen to your message. The members of the audience that embrace your message become your advocates. The more members of your audience you can convert to advocates - the greater your influence.
www.LaborAcademy.org

11

"I dont know".is no longer an acceptable excuse for being inactive in your own career development. Technological and business innovation is driving the pace of change in both local and global markets. In order to effectively respond to the evolving demands of employers and markets you have to be educated. However, getting educated doesnt mean that you have to spend several years in a university pursuing a formal degree. Instead - devise a strategy to learn what you need to know through a mix of certifications, books, apprenticeships and tutorials. This method is a less expensive and a faster way of boosting your skills rather than pursuing a college degree.
www.LaborAcademy.org

12

A Product Development Process (PDP) is the method that you use to get your work done and out to your stakeholders. It can be as simple as a short series of steps or as complex as a full blown project plan complete with predecessors and milestones - whatever works best for you. Your PDP must meet two goals 1. Provide you with an efficient, repeatable process 2. Enable you to consistently create high quality product(s) The final product could be a resume, business plan, website, article, mobile app, book, etc. Whatever it is it must be something that will ultimately result in some form of compensation.
www.LaborAcademy.org

13

The rapid rise of highly successful web-driven businesses has shown that there are indeed shortcuts to success. Market values are shifting towards courage, creativity and persistence over age, experience, and loyalty. In other words, you no longer have to "pay your dues" before you get ahead. The successful implementation of ideas is what gets you ahead these days. The first step is just giving yourself permission to succeed - aka - choose yourself (Commandment Two). Once you embrace that notion -you'll begin to search for and see unconventional ways to realize your dreams.
www.LaborAcademy.org

14

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
www.LaborAcademy.org

15

The old saying goes - there is no substitute for hard work - and that's true. However, working smart is just as essential. Working smart means exploiting your knowledge and experience and leveraging the skills of others to create something compelling. Too many of us are working hard at trying to be good at a lot of things. The problem is that "being good" doesn't set you apart from your competition - but "being great" is a true differentiator. In order to become great you have to find and embrace what you excel at doing - and then partner with others to fill in the gaps in skills/knowledge/experience.
www.LaborAcademy.org

16

Sometimes things don't work out the way you expect. When that happens, honestly assess what went wrong. Is it something that can be fixed with a relatively minor tweak? Or will it require a major overhaul? Only you know the answer to that. But don't be afraid to change direction. The common belief is that you should never quit - but there are times when you need to acknowledge failure. That being said, don't quit because what you're trying to do is hard. There is a learning process that comes before you achieve success and that process includes preparation, perseverance, and the desire to make a difference.
www.LaborAcademy.org

The 10 Commandments for Career Success

1. Become Agile 2. Dont Wait to Be Chosen 3. Get and Stay Lean 4. Define Your Big Idea 5. Build Your Influence 6. Learn Continuously 7. Create a Product Development Process 8. Take Shortcuts 9. Work Hard and Smart 10. Dont Quit

17

Do you know someone that benefit from reading this book? If yes - feel free to forward it to them.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/laboracademy Twitter: @laboracademy

The Labor Academy is a career development learning community focused on helping technology professionals excel as employees and entrepreneurs. Designed by LA Media Written by Mantel Featherson