For a long time, a successful career was signified by receiving a shiny gold watch to commemorate your 30 or 40 years of loyal service to a single company. Getting ahead meant dedication, dependability, loyalty, putting your head down, getting your work done and following the rules.

For Baby Boomers, getting ahead took on a much different look. Think about the movies Wall Street or Baby Boom: power suit, power tie, power briefcase… huge shoulder pads. How very 1980s! It was all about influence, wealth and leverage. Everyone was eager to get ahead and more than a few people sacrificed their personal relationships.

Those who came of age in the 1990s embraced the idea of getting ahead by being their own boss. In fact, 87 percent of Gen X said they wanted their own business. This wave of entrepreneurs coupled with this “thing” called the Internet paved the way for Yahoo, Google and AOL. All of a sudden, people were clamoring for office space, patents, domain addresses and IPOs. Young people everywhere wanted to retire as millionaires before turning 40, 30…even 20-years-old!

That brings us to today where the rules are being rewritten yet again, and people are making more career changes in their 20’s than other generations experienced in a lifetime. I actually met someone last week whose son had 20 different jobs before he turned 30! These days, getting ahead involves much more than just slowly creeping up the corporate ladder or clawing your way to the top at any expense. In the age of instant makeovers, YouTube and reality shows, anyone can have a voice, be discovered, land a television show or get paid for doing just about anything people want to see. Success isn’t one-size-fits-all – it’s totally customizable.

I read a blog by Ryan Healy of Employee Evolution, which focuses on Millennials at work, and he said, “I don’t know anyone who will walk in the door of GE on their first day and think, ‘I’m going to do anything and everything I can for this company because they really care about me!’ This is because loyalty is a two-way street. The company must earn your loyalty and you must earn theirs.” He couldn’t be more accurate.

The notion of “getting ahead” will undoubtedly continue to morph but as generations and paradigms collide in the workplace, it’s important to know a little history. Even if you are determined to change all the rules and do things your way, your path will be more smooth and successful if you remember to show respect to the people who have been there and done that for a lot longer. Have your big ideas, shake things up, and place yourself in environments that embrace your ideas and strengths, but also make sure those opportunities and people can mentor you and help you see the world in a way that only experience can teach you. All the while, keep in mind that hard work, loyalty, integrity and passion will never get old.

Dealing with those less-than-supportive friends is an issue that few people talk about when it comes to dedicating your life to a startup. Having great friends around you for support is a must, but unfortunately, sometimes the people we love and expect to support us most can surprise us in adverse ways. Has this ever happened to you?

Look at the people you surround yourself with. Are they people who you respect? Do they motivate, stimulate or teach you? Do they discourage you, slow you down or get jealous about your successes? If they are uncomfortable with your lifestyle, fight you on your choices and influence you to make decisions that you later regret, you need to take a serious step back.

The wrong influences for an entrepreneur don’t necessarily have to be overtly “negative” to be counterproductive. Maybe you have friends who just don’t support what you do by not realizing how important your business is to you. Of course, the first thing you should do is to help them understand. But if that fails, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself on track:

• Remove, avoid or limit negative or counter-productive influences from your life.
• Don’t discuss business with people who don’t care or don’t want to understand.
• Surround yourself with people you admire and who motivate you.
• Read about other entrepreneurs who excite you.
• Accept the fact that you’re different. And be proud of that. You’ve worked very hard to get where you are. Don’t let anything or anyone chip away at your success or pride in it.

Our friends at TheFunded Founder Institute just launched a founder-centric incubator that teaches new and seasoned entrepreneurs the best practices for building a business.

Their 4-month summer program takes founders through practical company building assignments lead by experienced CEOs such as Microsoft and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Sessions include everything from idea definition to incorporation. The program offers a founder-friendly startup environment, mentorship from renowned CEOs, fundraising opportunities, and shared equity upside among all participants in the companies formed.

Check out their site to learn more and apply today!

This past year, YSN decided to get a closer look at college students around the globe to better understand the next generation workforce young people launching their careers. In case you haven’t heard, over the next 10 years more than one billion young people will enter the workforce. They may be your kids, your staff, your partners, your peers or even your competition, but however pervasive they may be in your world today, it’s time to ask yourself if you’re ready for these sweeping market and demographic changes. Are you globally savvy or internationally challenged? Are you ready to join the new world order?

The “Global Career Mindset Study” we conducted was the first of its kind, surveying students from 50 countries. The most compelling finding: 55% of students are looking abroad to launch their careers, and only 20% plan to look for work locally. What’s more, they’re skilled, they’re ambitious, they’re hungry for new opportunities to show the world what they can do, and they’re savvy — about politics, geography, world affairs and culture. Plus, they have the business skills the top employers and entrepreneurs are looking for in young talent.

Between the current economic turmoil and the workforce crisis, building a solid business or finding and keeping a great job is going to require a lot more effort. If you want to give yourself every possible advantage, it’s time to expect more from yourself. I firmly believe the smartest thing you can do to be competitive in the global workforce is to become more globally savvy, aware, skilled, refined, and cultured. Stop thinking of your own city or country as your community and start thinking of yourself as a citizen of the world. A few tips:

• Keep up on international news. Read it online or watch international news broadcasts.
• Build and nurture relationships with people from other countries, on and offline.
• Join international membership organizations.
• Attend and participate actively in global conferences and events.
• Travel as much as you can to experience different cultures first hand. In your own country, spend time with immigrant families with a strong sense of their native culture. (Visit with them in their homes if you can)
• Learn different languages. At the very least, learn hoe to exchange pleasantries (hello, how are you, nice to meet you, thank you, goodbye) in a few different languages. Practice and learn more every chance you get.

Lastly, open yourself up to new and different experiences. Embrace the idea of things and people who are unfamiliar and look at your exploration of the world as an adventure that will not only open up your opportunities, but change the quality of your life.

My best advice: Think like an economist, act like an entrepreneur and set your sights globally.

Early in my career, after I’d helped my first few hundred people discover new career paths, businesses and organizations to launch into, I found myself wondering why different industries fascinated me so much. It didn’t matter whether the topic was entertainment, finance, apparel, aerospace, publishing, technology, food service, fitness or stranger stuff like neutraceuticals, biofuels or nanotechnology! Every industry was a totally different world that had different experts, jobs, media, events, publications, education centers, trends, definitions of success, terminology and even dress codes! And every single one was packed with opportunities as limitless as your imagination.

As if all that wasn’t intriguing enough, there were endless ways you could find or invent opportunities in any combination of industries. For example, take animals. With a traditional eye, you’d probably think your career options might include pet stores, veterinary medicine, breading and boarding. But cross a love of animals with all the other ways you could serve them and their owners and you get clothing for pets (apparel), gourmet pet bakeries (food service), organic health supplements (neutraceuticals), magazines and books (publishing), animal tracking devices (technology), and so on. With a little creativity you could have a field day coming up with ways to play in this world.

Then one day, my good friend Bob Cohen from the Harvard Office of Career Services explained to me the difference between “function” and “industry.” Simply put, function is what you do, industry is where you do it. Your industry, he explained, is your playground. It’s the world where you can have the most fun doing what you do best.

I realized right then that one of the biggest things holding people back from loving what they do is not knowing what industries they should (or should I say want to) be in. And the simplest way to figure this out, if it isn’t already obvious, is to get someone to think about what they love doing. If you love playing video games, consider working in the video game industry. If you love music, there’s a whole other industry to play in. What you do in that industry is a question of function. You can be a writer in any industry, right? You can be doctor in any industry. An accountant. A teacher. A marketer. A salesman. The world really is like one big candy store of options and opportunities! You just need to find your industryxthen dive in.

Once you’ve identified your playground, it’s just a matter of getting yourself into the middle of all the action. Join the trade associations, subscribe to the blogs and newsletters, buy the top magazines, attend the conferences and events, follow the hottest experts and stay on top of the trends. For more information on how to Master Your Universe, check out the 10-minute podcast from our NY Times Bestseller, Secrets of the Young & Successful.

Think of your industry as your playground and this powerful secret of the young & successful will cause a paradigm shift that can instantly turn your career exploration into an adventure.

Before you head out to your New Year’s party or start popping the champagne, make sure you take a little time to contemplate what you hope to accomplish in 2009.  Sure, this year hasn’t ended quite as well as any of us had planned, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t give ourselves every possible advantage moving into this next one.  And, after all, that’s what YSN is here for – to help you find the success you’ve only dreamed of…without waiting a lifetime!

You’ve heard it before – people who set goals for themselves consistently achieve more than those who don’t.  So, let’s be frank, do you have them or don’t you?  Vague thoughts and half-baked answers don’t count.  Writing down our goals is something we all know will make us more successful…but somehow we don’t always get around to it.  Let’s change that right now!

Don’t put it off, start the process now.  If this ends up being all you do — hey, it’s something, which is always better than nothing.  If you want to take this to the next level – consider using our ‘GOOD to MASTER Goal Setting Guide’ below!

GOOD:  List 3-5 Goals
If you could only choose a few things that would make or break your next year, what would they be?  What would you like to accomplish beyond all else?  Make them as detailed as possible.

BETTER:  Now Add Timelines/Deadlines
Attaching deadlines to the things you’d like to accomplish is an even better tactic to achieving what you want in life.  Break your goals into the following increments: 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years. Keep going if you feel inspired!  Include no more than 3-5 goals under each category to keep it manageable.

Jedi Masters: 188 Year Plan
Ever consider your 188 year plan?  Our friend Curtis Estes does!  Seriously!  Curtis is the author of Your Life By Design and one of the top financial advisors in the US who counsels some of the most successful people out there on leaving their legacy.  He claims that the average person can’t remember their great grandparents’ names…let alone what they did with their lives.  That means in 188 years, most people won’t remember any of us…unless we do something about it.  Building a 188 year plan sounds insane at first, but Curtis swears this is the key to building a lasting legacy, and we just love the idea of that!  Try it for yourself.  Or check out Curtis’ to see goal setting from a real master.

Don’t worry if you missed one our emails covering our 10 FAVORITE SUCCESS TIPS … we’re adding them to the blog so that you can get caught up in minutes.

How many times have you found yourself walking through a store, scanning hundreds of items a minute, disregarding most of them but occasionally stopping to touch something or pick it up to get a closer look? Now picture that same store – a supermarket, department store, warehouse or club store – and replace the sea of products with people. You heard me. Imagine every box, can, pair of pants, video, book, and bag of candy replaced with a person just like you. Visualize thousands of them…maybe more…maybe a million in any given store. Now, do that visual walk through again. Would you notice you?

With a billion young people entering the world of work in the next 10 years, let’s be honest, most of us look a heck of a lot alike. While we’re all certainly different and special in our own ways, at first glance we blend into the sea of hundreds, sometimes thousands of others. When you’re looking for a job, a promotion, a great new client, or to be considered for a special opportunity, standing out (in a positive way) is essential. But what do most people see if they come in to take a closer look? How often are you putting your best foot forward in person, or online?

Now that the economy has taken a downturn and great opportunities are getting harder and harder to find, this is the perfect time to build (or refine) your professional brand. Odds are, when someone goes to look for you online or learn more about you, they come up with little if nothing, but all too often they discover juicy little photos, online posts or fun facts that you certainly never intended them to see!

Do yourself a favor and conduct a personal and professional brand audit of yourself. Analyze everything that the outside world can see or find out about you with a simple search online. Consider, from a totally objective perspective, what kind of impression you’re portraying, then clean it up. Then do the same with your physical appearance. Start to be more intentional, purposeful, and proactive about what kind of image you’re projecting. Don’t assume others are going to take the time to “get to know you”. Make it your responsibility to grab and hold their attention. Because just like being one in a sea of products on shelves, you too often have a matter of seconds to impress upon others that you’re worth a closer look.

During the course of my career I was able to compile tips, techniques, and strategies which I feel can serve to advance one’s career and help you to stand out at work. I have to admit it was only through trial and error that I was able to put these things into practice. You make plenty of mistakes but you never give up you always want to try and move forward. It’s only through perseverance and determination that you are able to accomplish those things that seem impossible at times. Here are some attributes that have served me well in my pursuit of success.

Number 1. Know yourself – your strengths, abilities and limitations. Once you know your major characteristics you will be able to pin point the career path you should take and put all of your energy attention and passion into that endeavor. There is nothing worse that giving something your all while you are speeding along on the wrong career path, putting all your talent and ability to work doing things that you can never be the best at.

Number 2. Be a prudent risk taker – Think Big. To stand out at work and get ahead of the times calls for you to take risks. You should take risks only when they have been well thought out and planned. Never go hap hazard into any venture will out giving it some thought and developing a plan of action to get there. You also have to think big. When you develop a plan of action it should encompass the entire organization, or an entire department. It should never be just about you. Think big and try to develop win/win situations whenever possible. Think in terms of impacting the entire organization.

Number 3. Set Goals that Stretch You. You have to get out of your comfort zone. Establish some goals that are attainable with effort. When you have goals that stretch you chances are you’re excited, enthusiastic, passionate, and energetic in the pursuit of those goals. Goals that are easily attained don’t ignite any type of fire within.

Number 4. Keep your horizons and interest broad. Never limit your career perspective and outlook. There are always other possibilities and different roads to travel. Learn new things at every opportunity because you never know when your increased knowledge base is going to enable you to take on greater responsibility in the form of a promotion.

Number 5. Learn from failure and mistakes. It’s okay to fail and have set backs. Every person that has achieved any type of note worthy success will tell you that they have failed not only once but sometimes three or four times. Use your failures as learning experiences that catapult you forward to take on the next challenge. Make amendments and adjustments based on the lessons learned from past failures. Never let failures impede your progress.

Number 6. Remember the first person plural – think in terms of we. Share your best demonstrated practices with your co-workers, teammates, department, and the entire organization if possible. When you help another person meet their goals and objectives it in turn helps you achieve the career advancement you seek. Always look for ways to help others.

Number 7. Keep your sense of humor. Never get characterized as a person who can never have fun or is always serious. You can be perceived as unapproachable and this can limit your career advancement and keep you from getting ahead and standing out.

Number 8. Develop your interpersonal skills – communicate well. It is imperative that you enhance your ability to communicate. Look for ways to improve your presentation skills. If you are able to communicate with every level of employee within an organization, including upper management, this will do more to help you stand out.

Number 9. Work hard – very hard. Be the first one to work and the last one to leave. When you work on a project try to get it done efficiently and effectively. Make working hard a habit. Become known as the person who works harder and smarter than all others within your department.

Number 10. Be committed to the vision. Find ways expand on the company vision or mission. Be exceptionally committed to the cause.

Number 11. Share the responsibility and the credit. Look for ways to recognize your peers, and upper management. Be quick to praise others for their accomplishments.

Number 12. Keep your word. Develop a reputation for integrity and honesty. Do what you say you will do. Others will begin to trust you and look to you for answers and you will become known as a person with a good reputation.

Put these things into action consistently and you will begin to stand out at work in the sight of all involved.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson

Read more from Mel at his weblog: Moneycashfinance.com

Remember the last time you cringed when you heard the way someone described who you are or what you do? Maybe you’ve found yourself sweating over how to describe yourself or your latest project. How about those business cards of yours, that bio, your website or that promotional reel you created? Those giving you any stress? All of these issues are part of a process called Branding, and it has a lot more to do with you and your success than you might think.

Companies focus on branding when marketing new products or businesses to consumers because they know that public perception can make or break their success.  In your career, it’s helpful to consider yourself as a product that you have to sell or promote to clients, employers, admissions boards and colleagues. What’s your personal branding? What do you want other people to think of when you pop into their minds?

The way you are perceived by others is directly proportional to your success. Here are a few tips for developing a solid personal brand:

1. Think about the things you want to promote about yourself, not the stuff you want to hide.
2. Create a branding statement: Who am I? What am I proud of? What am I good at? How am I unique or different?
3. Leave a lasting impression on everyone you come in contact with – even the ones you don’t see. Pay attention to grammar and tone in your e-mails and phone calls. (One of our favorite tips for very important calls or phone interviews: Look in a mirror when you are speaking and smile. Your smile can translate into a positive impression to the person on the other end!)
4. In person, make sure to smile, look the other person in the eye and give a confident handshake. Pay attention to the way you dress.
5. Speak loudly, confidently and with certainty.

Have you ever heard the term, “Children enter school as question marks and leave as periods?” It refers to the process of molding young minds to an extreme – until they stop questioning and start accepting what they’re told. It doesn’t end in school either. Sometimes the pressure to become just like everyone else comes at us from all directions: from our friends, our families, colleagues, and even trusted advisors and mentors.

So, how do you know when to take the road less traveled? Here are a few tips to consider before you make your bolder moves:

1. Weigh the pros and cons of your decisions. Know what you’re getting into before you start out to avoid being sideswiped by the unknown.

2. Hedge your bets. Don’t put all your energy or resources in one place, so you’re not devastated if that one thing falls through.

3. Avoid risking more than you’re willing to lose or walk away from.

4. Have back up plans. What if Plan A fails? Plan B? Plan C?

5. Have an exit strategy in mind, in case you have to abort your plan midstream.

6. Make sure your digressions don’t have the potential to hurt other people or cause serious problems that are hard to fix.

7. Learn from the experiences of others. Understand what risks other successful people have taken that have paid off, and what risks didn’t work out so well. Ask yourself “Why?” in each case.

8. Make sure the risk is worth the reward.

9. Once you make a well-informed decision to take your own path, don’t waste time second-guessing your choice. Put your energy into your new project or plan and work like crazy to make it happen.

The most important thing when taking your own unique path is to make sure that you’ve made your decisions carefully and strategically. Big risks can certainly bring tremendous rewards when they work out. Just give yourself and your loved ones the peace of mind knowing that you’ve done your homework before you give it your all.

Have you ever ‘Googled’ yourself and found something online that you wished would just go away? Or maybe you are being haunted by a less than favorable photo, comment or story that someone posted on a website? It can be tough work cleaning up your act online but now there’s someone coming to your rescue: ReputationDefender.

For a monthly fee of as low as $9.95 per month, the people at ReputationDefender will dig up all the derogatory, slanderous or libelous information about you on the Internet and create an online report that is separated into several categories, including social networking sites, news groups, reviews and blogs. If you see something you don’t like, for an extra fee ReputationDefender will do the dirty work for you to have it removed. It’s as simple as that!

ReputationDefender debuted in fall 2006 and was created by a 28-year-old Harvard Law School graduate. It might be useful to people applying to jobs or schools, concerned parents, public figures, business owners or anyone else who is concerned about his/her online reputation. The site expedited the removal of information for a musician who was accused on MySpace of being a thief and is helping remove content for a business owner who was the victim of an online smear campaign (the business owner won an $11.3 million defamation lawsuit against the author of the original postings).

Here are two secret weapons that will make your international dealings much smoother, especially where time and money are concerned!

Timeanddate.com
Have you ever tried to coordinate a conference call with people in two or more time zones, or made a call only to realize that you were reaching out to say “bonjour” in the middle of the night? This very simple but incredibly useful site has helped us time and time again to successfully coordinate calls and meetings with people in multiple countries and time zones. Sometimes it’s hard enough keeping Pacific Standard Time (PST) straight with Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). But what if daylight savings is in effect? And what’s the difference between UTC or GMT time?

TimeandDate.com shows you where any major city is by pointing it out for you on a map. It also tells you in real time, the time of day and day of the week (don’t forget the international date line!) and provides international dialing codes and more.

FXConverter
Even if you officially swore off number crunching after that ego-crippling statistics class in college, The Foreign Exchange Currency Converter makes the complicated world of international currency as simple as dollars and cents, pounds and pence.

This multi-lingual converter couldn’t be easier to use, either. With a few clicks you can instantly figure out how much a U.S. ten spot is worth in 164 different currencies. (If you’re curious, ten bucks is worth 6.68 Euros, 5.22 British Pounds and 80.66 Seychelles Rupees.)

In the immortal words of all those late night infomercials… “But wait, there’s more!” FXConverter also gives you historical rates, bid/ask prices and can even display the results in different languages. With this tool you’ll make any cents make sense.

A new business has popped up in California that’s offering support to self-employed and freelance workers by redefining “bring your child to work day.”

At Silicone Valley’s Cubes&Crayons, experienced child care workers will watch after your children (ages 3 months to 5 years) while you git-r-done in their comfortable, wi-fi enabled workspaces, conference rooms, printing, copy and fax center.

It’s open to members and non-members from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and offers flexible scheduling so you make make an appointment or just drop-in. They even have a kitchen and break area for when you need a time out!

Members pay an annual fee of $149 with rates starting at $13 per hour; non-member rates start at $21 per hour.
Once again, a fantastic business idea we found on Springwise.com!

Just because you’re a nonprofit (or work or volunteer for one) doesn’t mean you have to give up hope of working in a high tech, media rich environment. Getting your hands on the latest technology, everything from computers and phones to specialized equipment, can cost a pretty penny. However, there are still ways for your non-profit to shine as brightly as that snazzy dotcom startup on the penthouse floor.

TechSoup.org is a great resource that offers technologically challenged nonprofits a one-stop destination for free information, resources and support. You can ask tech questions online, read how-to articles and product reviews, and gain access to discounted or even donated tech products that have been generously provided by corporate and nonprofit tech partners of the web site.

Don’t work for a nonprofit but want to help anyway? TechSoup makes it easy for anyone to do their part in helping those nonprofits who work hard to make a difference in our world. Anyone can make a difference by donating extra, unused or outdated hardware or volunteering time to help others with their tech questions at techsoup.org

There are two schools of thought when it comes to traveling solo for business: 1) You stick to yourself, watch some Pay-Per-View and order room service; or 2) You hit the town and buy rounds for everyone with your corporate Amex card. Now we’re no stranger to either one, but we’ve found a middle ground for you!

Often when we find ourselves in a strange city or on a business trip, we try to maximize the experience by tapping into local clubs and associations focused on young people, young professionals, entrepreneurs, students, or industry specific groups. Not only are these great places to network, but they’re also a great way to get the low-down on the best places to stay, the best restaurants, clubs, shopping spots and anything else you need to know.

Groups and organizations that pride themselves on having large national or international networks tend to be the most welcoming and hospitable to young travelers, especially if you’re already associated with their affiliates in another city or are considering getting involved. The best groups for these kinds of hook-ups are student organizations like sororities and fraternities, AIESEC, SIFE, or young professional groups like Junior Chambers of Commerce.

To make the most out of your travel adventures and connect with local organizations where you are traveling, start by doing a little research on the groups that exist in that area and then call or email them in advance. Let them know you’re looking to learn more about what they do in the area. Ask if there are any events or parties that might be worth attending while you’re in town, and see if you can check out their office or even take out one or more of the officers or members for coffee or drinks. (Feel free to utilize that corporate card if you can get away with it, too! You can always file it under “business development,” if not “entertainment expenses.”)

At the very least you’ll make some new friends, and who knows — these people could just turn into future business partners or clients down the road!

So little time yet so many people to see? We have a great trick that’s helped us reconnect with our peeps on a few occasions when we’ve had more people to see than time to schedule all the lunches, dinners, drinks and quick coffees it would take. How, you ask? It’s so easy, it’s a shame even we don’t do this more often.

Whenever we’re in a new city, we try to schedule a casual little get together at a nice local bar or hotel lounge where we can take over an area. This allows a bunch of people to float in and out over a few hours when it’s most convenient for them, and we get the chance to catch up with everyone we want to see. The bonus is that it also creates a networking opportunity for our friends, and you know how we love those!

All it takes is a witty email or Evite to all your guests letting them know that you:
a) miss them and thought it would be cool to get a few of your favorite people together;
b) have been slammed and thought they might appreciate a great chance to steel away for a quick catch up, too, and;
c) are only going to be in their town for a day or two and couldn’t bare to miss seeing them.

Be sure to provide all the pertinent info (day, time range, place, info on food and drinks), and let them know that you’re inviting a few other friends, colleagues, or whoever, and that they might really enjoy one another.

By gathering people in this way, everyone gets to order their own drinks and appetizers so you don’t get stuck with a huge (or the whole) bill. Letting everyone do their own thing also takes the pressure off of you to organize every detail, allows people to come and go without throwing off the flow, and even encourages people to mingle in their own little subgroups. And after all is said and done, your friends will get to make some new friends, and you’ll get to finally see everyone you’ve been wanting to!

The name of the game changes when you enter the workforce, so it’s understandable that a lot of people make mistakes early on in their careers. Here’s how to pick yourself up after the occasional mishap.

1. What if you already hate your job on your first day there?
Things like this happen. It’s important that you maintain integrity and don’t put the people who hired you in a bad position. Show them respect by telling them how you’re feeling as soon as possible. Be honest, but nice. Tell them that you’d like to talk to them privately and explain your initial concerns. Explain that you’re worried you might have had the wrong impression or expectations.

But be sure to leave room in case you misread the situation. Maybe you’re in a special training program, office or project for the first few weeks. Maybe you’re in the wrong position. Or maybe you didn’t understand their expectation. Be specific about what you like or don’t like so far and talk about possible options with the company. The worst thing you can do is be a coward and just not show up again. It’s disrespectful and shows no sign of integrity.

2. What if you take on more work than you can handle?
Again, be honest. Some managers and bosses will want to test you to see how much you can handle – and that’s not a bad thing! There’s nothing wrong with having to prove yourself or earn respect in an organization. It’s good to show people what you’re capable of!

However, use extra caution if you could cause real damage to your boss or company by not finishing the workload or not completing it successfully. Sometimes you can lose more credibility by saying you can do something and not following through, simply for having asked to be trusted. Be dependable. Also, be honest about your concerns and give it your best shot. Recognize that you have to do whatever it takes to achieve the objective – even if that means recruiting the help of another.

3. What if you got embarrassingly drunk at the company outing?
First, make sure you didn’t offend anyone or do anything too inappropriate. If you did, deal with it right away to avoid gossip. Apologize for your lack of judgment and try to make sure the relationship you bruised is still in tact. If it was harmless (ask your closer coworkers to make sure), it might be better not to bring it up and just be on extremely good behavior for a while. If it comes up, acknowledge it lightly. If you sense pain, discomfort, anger or resentment, apologize sincerely.

Have you ever wondered how to tap into an industry and learn from those who have already found success in the field? Then consider joining a professional organization or association! You can easily advance your career by becoming a member, participating in the group’s activities and making real connections with established professionals.

Plus, many organizations offer internships, scholarships and discount membership fees to college students, as well as fellowships and mentoring programs for all members.

Below is a sampling of associations that have mentoring programs. Be sure to check out Yahoo’s directory to find a professional organization for your industry.

Women in Film

Public Relations Society of America – Financial Communications

California Real Estate Inspection Association

Aspen Institute-MicroMentor Program: An online program that connects small, low-income business owners, or micro-entrepreneurs, to individuals who have successfully navigated business ownership or management in the same industry.

Athena Foundation-Athena PowerLink: A program that unites a woman-owned business with a group of local mentors who serve as a panel of advisors.

National Association of Women Business Owners: The majority of participants will be women, although men are welcome.

National Society of Professional Engineers

Society of Environmental Journalists

Name: Making It! TV: Entrepreneur Success Stories

Organization Overview: Our website is a continuation of the multi-Emmy winning small business TV show, “Making It!” During it’s 20 years and running or air, “Making It!” has profiled 1000+ Entrepreneur Success Stories. We bring the same inspirational stories and expert business advice so that you may thrive at any level of entrepreneurship. Features streaming video of Entrepreneur Success Stories, National Business Events, Small Biz Q/A, Inspirational Business Articles and more. Dedicated to American Dreamers from all walks of life.

We are best known for: MAKING IT! – Minority Success Stories is a weekly, half-hour magazine format show which highlights the triumphs, challenges, and contributions of minority business. Our mission is to promote economic empowerment. Each episode includes two Entrepreneurs’ Stories – On location, profiling the efforts of minority men and women who strive for an improved community through business ownership.

What most don’t know about us is: Unlike many public affairs programs, MAKING IT! is not studio bound. Our cameras travel throughout the business community finding stories everywhere:

• Corner shops to Corporate Citizens
• Neighborhood Professionals to Business Boardrooms
• High-Tech, Multi-Million Dollar Ventures to Home-Based Businesses

Since its premiere in March 1989 on KTLA in Los Angeles, MAKING IT! has received over 30 awards and citations from all levels of government and business organizations, as well as multiple Emmy Awards for best “Informational/Public Affairs Series.”

MAKING IT! is an inspirational resource for viewers of any ethnicity who value self- determination and hold a vision of being in business. The uplifting stories of triumph over adversity shown on MAKING IT! have a strong, universal appeal.

Click here to learn more!

So much training and development focuses on skills, that attitude is often overlooked. Attitude is what makes you and your team get out of bed on cold windy mornings and rush to work. It’s what makes you look for a yes when all you hear is no. It’s what makes you see the opportunity when everyone else is seeing the threat.

Here are 10 ways to get attitude:

1. Know that you can – Look at how other people succeed against the odds. Work out what they’ve got that you haven’t. Go and get it!

2. Know a man who can – Too often, you ask your people to struggle with something they’re not really hired to do. It might save you a few pounds, but it damages attitude. Focus them on what they do well. Outsource the trivia.

3. Set visual goals – What’s got to be done before you can take the team out for an amazing night on the town? Get brochures, pictures of where you’ll be taking them and put them where they can be seen. Bring goals to life.

4. Accept good advice – Half the world wants to provide business advice these days. Find a good adviser, ideally SFEDI accredited so proven ‘user friendly’ and listen to what they say. Share the challenge; accept good advice.

5. Trust people – Delegating is tough and every boss thinks they can do it best. Give responsibility freely and let people make the job their own.

6. Love mistakes – Children learn to walk by falling over. Adults learn by making mistakes at work. No business makes progress without making mistakes. Accept it!

7. Passion is proportional to reward – As boss, your reward is the company’s profits and increasing market value. Don’t expect people to be as keen unless there’s something really good in it for them.

8. Money alone does not motivate – Status and recognition are as important as money when it comes to creating attitude. Start by saying thank you, then show it in increasingly tangible ways.

9. Social responsibility creates attitude – Pulling together to paint the scout hut, reclaim a nature reserve, or provide work experience for kids with special needs unites a team. It also shows that you care.

10. Democracy is cool – Sure bosses need to make the big decisions, but let the team make the rest. Does it matter if your van fleet is Mercedes or Ford? Let the drivers do the test drives and make the final choice.

As you can see, attitude is something you grow in-house. It’s not something your people can learn on a course. Attitude overcomes barriers; courses sometimes highlight barriers. To be successful you need both, but always start with attitude!

Written by Robert Ashton for The Leader World Online Magazine

Robert Ashton’s ‘The Entrepreneur’s book of Checklists’ was the third best-selling small business book in the UK last year. His latest book, ‘The Life Plan,’ contains 700 simple tips for people big on self improvement, but short on time. He’s also a popular speaker and works with individuals and organisations that seek to make a difference.