AT WORK
Tried-and-true advice helps you keep or find your path in 2003

By Andrea Kay
Gannett News Service

I was thinking about advice I could give you to get the year off on the right track, and realized some of my best advice for the future was actually some

I gave in the past. So I compiled the following highlights from past columns to help you get 2003 off to a rousing start. This year,

• Don't ask, "Where are the hottest jobs and industries?"

You'll be chasing the industry du jour, which could be the industry of the living dead tomorrow. Even if an industry or occupation were foolproof — which none is — you're not guaranteed of living happily ever after. Companies and industries thrive because people who work there are excited about what they're doing. They got that way because they were courageous enough to look at what mattered to them most and what they were passionate about doing. Discover what is inside you. Then you can find a place to apply that out in the world.

• Do one thing at a time.

You not only cannot do more than one thing at a time, but multitasking can actually make you less efficient. Productivity goes down when you try to do several things at the same time, says a University of Michigan study. You also risk mental burnout, anxiety and depression. Your performance isn't judged solely by the amount of stuff you get done. How you do it and whether you get a result is what's key.

• Probe about ethics.

Be choosy about whom you work for by checking out more than a company's financial information. Pick the right time in the interview to ask about integrity, culture and leadership: "What makes this a good company to work for?" Ask to talk to other employees. Listen to your gut. Most people have good instincts; they just make bad choices.

• Plan on evolving, not surviving.

Instead of worrying about how to not be laid off, think about how to be exceptional. Your company is looking for new ways to be efficient and competitive. If you want to be the employee a company keeps or recruits, let go of the past and ask yourself: What is no one else doing that can make the company better? And be ready to respond to whatever the moment calls for.

• Get the recognition you deserve.

If your boss has no idea how much work you do, it could be because you aren't speaking up. It's up to you to find a way to let your manager know about extra hours you put in, projects you're handling on time or under budget, and other extraordinary work. Schedule a time to meet regularly and review your work and the impact it has on your business.

• Say no.

When a co-worker or your boss asks you to do something, do you agree when it's the last thing you need? It can be hard to say no, but might be wiser. Make sure the task is worth doing, and you want to do it. Ask yourself: What do I have to not do to give this my best, and is it more important than what I'm giving up?

• Get strategic about your job hunt.

Finding a job is still a matter of common sense. And that — not to mention statistics — shows that most jobs are found through people. That means you must tap resources that will lead you to people whom you can present yourself to. You also need to target companies in your industry, write compelling letters to decision-makers and follow up. Many jobs are solutions to a problem a business owner hasn't written in a formal job description. If you get yourself in front of these employers, they just may see the solution to their problem sitting in front of them.