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Career success means following new rules – Metro US

Career success means following new rules

Dan Schawbel's book Promote Yourself Dan Schawbel’s latest book says you have to throw out the old guidebooks and take charge.

In today’s economy, you need to create your own career path instead of relying on a company to create one for you. You need to be accountable — at the end of the day, your success or failure depends on how hard you work, how fresh your skills are and the value you deliver. You are competing not just against your peers, but against everyone in the world.

Positions exist today that didn’t five years ago, and jobs of the past have since been automated. We are playing by a new set of rules and by learning them, you can stand out and get ahead. Here are five of the new rules, as mentioned in my new best-selling book, “Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success.”

1. Your job description is just the beginning. If all you do is your job, you can’t get ahead at work. Instead, you need to constantly prove yourself, over-deliver on your work and take on new responsibilities whenever possible.

2. Your job is temporary. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that people change jobs during their career an average of 11 times. You won’t be at the company in the same job for life, so get the most out of it and always leave your options open.

3. Your reputation is the single greatest asset you have. As you move from job to job and company to company, the one thing you get to take with you is your reputation. If you build a strong reputation, the opportunities will find you.

4. Your personal life is now public. How you present yourself online can affect how people perceive and treat you at work. Your personal and professional lives are merged. Think about how you want co-workers who are friends on Facebook to perceive you before you post.

5. Your boss’s career comes first. Although you are accountable for your own career, your boss’s trajectory can make a difference. If your manager isn’t successful, it will be hard for him or her to support you. That’s why you have to work hard to make your boss’s life easier.