Review Time!

It's review time! You should expect a review following your newbie probationary period, usually 3 or 6 months after starting a new position, and a review on the anniversary of being in this position. Here are a few things to consider before, during and after your review.

Before

You should have received monthly mini-reviews, weekly productivity reports, or some other form of weekly/monthly evaluations from your boss within the past year. These evaluations are important. Even if these evaluations are ambiguous, and/ or strictly numerical, your review is a summation of all them you received and then some. If the work relationship between you and your supervisor, along with evaluations, do not provide clarity on the way she/he perceives you, ask for clarity. Sit down with your supervisor every once in a while (e.g. monthly) and ask, “How am I doing?” Between you asking and your evaluations, you should have a reasonable expectation of your upcoming review.

During

Read and listen. Listen to and read every remark your supervisor says about you. If you’re lucky you have a thorough, couple page, sectioned review. This review will give you an overall detailed account of you in your workplace. However, if your review is simple and small, you might have to pull it apart and dig deeper into your supervisor for more information. What your supervisor says ought to reflect what is written. If your supervisor says glowing things about you, but your review is lackluster, ask for a rewritten review. Regardless of what type of review you have, review time is the best time for all the questions you have. If you don’t have any questions, respond to the comments in your review. If your review wasn’t so well, take the time in this review to work out a strategy with your supervisor to get you on track to meeting your job’s expectations.

After

If your review went well, keep up your productivity and work on doing more. If you worked out a plan for the next year in your position, start thinking about the execution of this plan. Most importantly, continue to build a relationship with your supervisor in which you can feel comfortable talking about your performance. If you want a promotion, do research on the expectations of your desired position and work on being the best candidate.

Oh, That’s So Not Fair!

He breaks the rules, she breaks the rules, but the day I do anything close, I get in trouble. Management is cruel; this is an injustice, just plan unfair! So, there is a coworker that doesn’t stay in dress code. According to the guidelines set forth by the powers of HR, the work outfits they routinely wear are against the rules. You and everyone else see it and ponder: How does management not see this? What is being done? Then, one day, you walk into work with leggings you thought could pass for pants. Management sees you, your supervisor pulls you aside, and you’re told those leggings are not acceptable. You are enraged.

You walk back to your cubicle and fizzle in momentous anger.  In your head, you rerun the mantra “this is unfair”.  Yet, you don't come to the conclusion that despite what anyone else is or isn’t doing, you did break a rule.

It is unfair that the actions of management suggest selective discipline. It is unfair that a coworker breaks guidelines or doesn’t put in the same amount of work but is still blissfully working beside you. The reality is when management makes their move against you and you are actually breaking a rule, they were within their right to do so. You or anyone else in such scenario can’t huff, puff, and blow all the angry winds towards management because management isn’t doing anything wrong by telling you when you do wrong.

The best way to handle selective discipline is own up to your rule breaking; then ask management if they are aware of other continual rule breaking – you can’t assume management is aware of everything. This is not to be asked defensively or spitefully. Fix your face, hide all that pout, put on the concerned serious face of a dedicated employee, and pick a better time to ask management if others are being corrected also. It may sound like an out of place question; however, if you pick a good way to ask and you ask using that office bible called the handbook as your back up, management should have no choice but to answer. If you have a manager that doesn’t care then you have to abandon action or go above their head. If you are lucky to have a human resources department (not one person who does HR work), then you should probably go to them.

The moral of this story: when you’re wrong, you’re wrong. Two wrongs don’t make a right, most times. Your wrong may not be as big as someone else’s wrong but if you are caught, own up to it. Pouty faces and silly angry thoughts won’t help you. Knowing how to approach management and doing so seriously with respect is the best course of action. However, if you can’t fix your face, let it go.

In My Ears... Entrepreneur on Fire

Let me introduce you to another podcast I listen to on a regular basis. Entrepreneur on Fire is a popular new podcast created and hosted by John Lee Dumas. The format of the show is every day Dumas interviews an entrepreneur, said entrepreneur gives an intro and answers a set of questions. The questions range from “Can you tell us about a time when you failed?” to “what are you excited about for your business?” Due to the daily interviews of entrepreneurs from various diverse businesses, it is amazing to hear and compare the different answers to the same questions. This is the reason I love this podcast – I can listen to it every day or download episodes to listen them back-to-back. Another reason I love this podcast is it gives me confirmation on a few things about entrepreneurs:

We all fail in life. When I’ve experienced failure, it made me feel I was the only person going through my struggle. I felt embarrassed and unable to trust myself to choose the best for me. Eventually, I learned to move on by moving on. My philosophy is life will not stop for your failure. The best way to get through a setback is to come back and go hard. Surprisingly, I never could relate this experience to many other people. However, hearing day after day each and every interviewed entrepreneur talk about their failures and the ways they over came it, confirmed that everyone has a setback but we all have the ability to recover.

In My Ears... 3 Business Podcasts I Listen To

Lately, I’ve been listening to more business podcasts. My new position allows for me to listen to music and during about half of the time in which I’m hooked to my ipod, I listen to podcasts.  Here are three podcasts I regularly listen to:

I’ve been a fan of The Look and Sound of Leadership podcast for about a year or two. The podcast focuses on various topics such as “Creating Clarity” “Elevator Speeches” and “I Talk too Fast”. Tom Henschel, an executive career coach, does the podcasts. The content consists of tips and lessons he uses during his career coaching.

“Real Estate License Roadmap” by Chris Angell is a new business podcast. This is a podcast for those with an interest in real estate. Chris talks about his success as an agent and so far, interviews other agents about the ways they achieve success.

I recently discovered the Entreleadership Podcast. The podcast is based on the Entreleadership lessons by Dave Ramsey, financial and business speaker and author. Entreleadership is a reference to entrepreneurs as leaders. The lessons range from personal growth to financial peace. The format of the podcast is a recording of Dave Ramsey on the subject talking at the Entreleadership conference and then the host, Chris LoCurto, interviews a business speaker, author, or expert within that business field. The podcasts are usually about 40 min long but it is 40 min of great insight.

Whether the interest is business, career, or life, business podcasts can be contributive to personal growth. The podcasts mentioned can be found via iTunes store or on the hosts’ website and are free. 

AMC's The Pitch and its Lessons

The Pitch is a reality show on AMC about advertising. The premise of the show is two ad agencies meet with a prospective client and are briefed on the terms of marketing expectations for a product/service. The two agencies go back to their companies, within 7 days prepare their marketing pitch, present the pitch to the client and the client hires the agency with the best pitch. We, the audiences, are presented with a candid look at the creative process for agencies as they come up with marketing ideas, strategies, packages, and presentation.

Compared to other reality shows, the show is not dramatic. How many everyday jobs are very dramatic? In 2012, how can advertising replicate Mad Men which takes place in the 1960s? The truth is if The Pitch were a crazy, thrilling, dramatic show, I would think it scripted. The show is a raw look into advertising and unfortunately, for those not interested in the actual content of the show or business media that raw look will be boring. However, if you’re like me, this show is amazing. I love shows and documentaries that explore business and I have an interest in marketing. This show is great at teaching lessons that many across business fields can learn from.

While watching The Pitch, these are the known-but-very-often-forgotten lessons the show presents:

Take and expect criticism

Usually, when the agencies are brainstorming on ideas, the entire agency meets in a room to present ideas in front of everyone. Or, there is one team chosen to work on the project or a few teams that go on their own to brainstorm and expand on a few ideas and then present them as a team. Execs and colleagues will openly criticize these ideas. Presenters can be told the ideas are stupid, illogical, corny, disgusting and/or the insults that fall in between. The only thing to do is to take the criticism and move on to the next possible idea or change the idea criticized. When presenting ideas, expect criticism. Learn to take it and move on.

Expect questions and also ask them

Maybe your idea gets picked. It’s time to work on the ad campaign. Expect that as campaign ideas are presented, people will ask questions.  This isn’t just criticism – an answer is expected. Whether you feel a question is warranted or not, answer it.  If your competitor is trying to sabotage your idea by asking a harsh question, respond to the question in a way that shuts them up. Not answering or being caught off guard seems unprepared. Why wouldn’t you defend a project by answering the obvious, unknown, or insulting questions? Leaving a question unanswered means someone else other than you will answer. That takes control away from you.

If you are the questioner, ask the needed questions. Sometimes that gut feeling or curiosity can lead to an important question that no one else was thinking, but by asking, you let your higher-ups know that you were thinking just as seriously as if it was your project. It keeps you in the game.

Presenting is selling

Whether presenting an idea to fellow colleagues and your boss or presenting a marketing campaign to a prospective client, presenting is selling that which is presented. We all understand selling as attempting to persuade others to buy what you have. Presentations are suppose to sell you to the audience, convincing/persuading them to buy the idea or campaign.

Yahoo Stands by Their CEO's Faulty Résumé

Yahoo is now in a fight with one of his largest shareholders over the faulty résumé of its chief executive and board member. "Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson's resume  'error' could get him booted" by Martha C. White of MSNBC.com reports that Hedge fund Third Point LLC, the largest shareholder, found that CEO Scott Thompson lied about holding two bachelor degrees- he has one. Yahoo’s response to the finding was to release this statement: “This in no way alters the fact that Mr. Thompson is a highly qualified executive with a successful track record leading large consumer technology companies”.

Third Point’s response to the statement was a “letter to Yahoo on Friday calling for the ouster of Thompson along with board member and search committee chair Patti Hart". The letter, written by CEO of Third Point Daniel S. Loeb to the Board, made is clear that the shareholder felt that Thompson and Hart lacked integrity and that Yahoo’s response was unacceptable. A few quotes from the letter:

“Yahoo!s initial response yesterday to Third Point’s identification of material inaccuracies in both CEO Scott Thompson’s and Director Patti Hart’s education record was insulting to shareholders”

“…Yahoo!s response ‘confirming’ that Ms. Hart ‘specialized’ in Marketing and Economics, rather than her degree in such subjects (as Ms. Hart has asserted in filings for years) is a similar canard. A ‘specialty’ is not a major. It is not a ‘minor’”

Developing a Sales Mindset

I came across “How to Adopt a Sales Mindset” by Harvey Mackay on Entreneur.com. I read the article for my boyfriend who works in sales and I ended the article with tips and straightforward quotes that can apply to almost anyone in a work environment. I’ve been feeling stressed and frustrated from my job lately and dealing with a dilemma with a solution I felt would not relieve my frustration. I have read many quotes on positivity and shaping one’s energy in order to change their outlook on life, but this article is a great refresher on the power of the mind.

I’m going to give those 13 rules on getting a “sales mindset” and a quoted sentence or two from each rule.  I only fully quoted 3 rules (3,9, and 12) because I felt they were very powerful; for the full wording of the rules please refer to the article. According to the article, the rules are an “adapted excerpt from The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World by Harvey Mackey. “

1. "Stay hungry. Every good salesperson I’ve ever encountered is driven. They have a strong work ethic and a high energy level”
2. "Never compromise your integrity. When customers trust salespeople, they buy from them”
3. "Stay Positive. Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. Success is 90 percent mental. You can alter your life by altering your mind. In tough economies, it may not be your fault for being down, but it is certainly your fault for not getting up. You have to be a believer to be an achiever” 
4. "Be authoritative. Sales superstars know their products backward and forward.”
5.  "Get prepared". Self explanatory.
6.  "Mind your reputation. You can’t buy a good reputation – you must earn it."
7.  "Be genuine. Likability matters”
8. "Put you best foot forward. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression."
9. "Set goals. Winners set goal; losers make excuses. Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. They must be measurable, identifiable, obtainable, specific – and put them in writing.”
10. "Become a customer-service fanatic. Take care of the customers you’ve got, and they’ll take care of you.”
11. "Remember to listen. Listening is a two-way process. Yes, you need to be heard, but you also need to hear others’ ideas, questions and objections.”
12.  "Keep it all in perspective. It is impossible to underrate the importance of a sense of humor. When there are inevitable setbacks along the way, learn to laugh about them.”
13. "Develop a thirst of self-improvement. Sales superstars are constantly working to become better.”

Remember, you don’t have to be in sales to take away some lessons from the list. What I take from this is that I can’t control everything in my work environment. For those things I can change, I will and for those I can’t, I have to not attach so much frustration and just laugh it off as the article suggests. 

Meditation can help with control and focus

Yesterday, my job held a health “fair”. It included flu shots, health screening, and stress tests. Well, the stress tests were actually mood stickers. But the point is that my employer was sharing their concern that stress is a hinder to health. On the back of a mood test strip were tips to de-stress and quite frankly they seemed somewhat similar to the beginning stages of meditation. Coincidently, I came across “Sit. Breathe. Be a Better Leader.” by Tatiana Serafin of Inc.com.

The article is about meditation. It defines meditation as “an increasingly popular seated practice that encourages alertness in the present moment, a pause to relax and focus, and, ultimately, a recentering to lead better”. The facts from the article are that many employers are investing in wellness programs dedicated to making employees healthier as a means to make them more productive and less dependent on their healthcare.

Another fact from the article is a study from last year found that “brain activity changed in a group of 16 participants who had not previously meditated. Among the enhancements: learning and memory processes, emotional regulation, and perspective taking.” And a study from 2009 found college students had the same response to meditation. Meditation helps with focus: “meditation can help leaders pay attention to what really matters” and control: “meditation enables leaders to stay in the present moment…. By dealing with what you can control and letting go of what you cannot, you can make better decisions.”

Plenty of leaders and executives use meditation to find calm when there seems none and to help them focus. It’s free and the only thing you have to lose is a few minutes of your time. The article gives tips on how to meditate. Take a look and maybe meditate. 

Dealing with an Unprofessional Co-worker, part 1

Most of us have dealt with the issue of the unprofessional co-worker at some point in our current and/or previous jobs. Unprofessional can be defined as consistently miserable, filled with attitude, never willing to help, slacks off at tasks, and other problems in between. This is not to say that people who have harsh personalities are therefore unprofessional – it becomes unprofessional when that personality gets in the way of doing the job.

Currently, I’m dealing with such a person. I’ve had to deal with many people I didn’t find pleasing to work with. But this particular person is someone who always has an attitude with many other co-workers, consistently starts fights, and the other day when this person was supposed to work with me, they did absolutely nothing. I found myself in a position where I wanted to tell this person that they needed to work and help me. But I kept myself quiet out of fear that my frustration would turn simple words into fighting words. My boyfriend is also dealing with such a co-worker.

What I have found from my experience, observing the ways other people have dealt with problematic co-workers, and reading various articles on problems in the workplace is that the best way to deal with such a person without risking your job is just to restrain yourself. Naturally, the human reaction to such people is fight or flight; either tell them off or get away from them. Truthfully, neither is a good option when planning to stay employed. Let’s take a look at both options.

Fight.

You could address this co-worker. Let them know they are unprofessional and need to change. In your head, you might reason that “addressing” this person is okay because they have caused so many problems that this is necessary. Or maybe you respond to your co-worker as a reaction to them starting an issue with you. The problem with this is in the work environment two wrongs will not make it right. Even if an issue was not your fault, you can be penalized for responding and if you stoop to the level of also becoming unprofessional with the unprofessional co-worker while at work, you will also be penalized. There is also the chance that your co-worker will complain about you (although they may be signing their own pink slip) and you could be in trouble for engaging in an argument. Another point to consider is that maybe this co-worker is a “favorite”.

Regardless of the ways your job can tout it’s fair environment, there are bound to be some supervisors/managers who favor certain employees. You might see your co-worker act a fool and assume you could “put them in their place” and not get in trouble. But you could find yourself in trouble while your co-worker remains untouched.

The last point to address with the “fight” option is when you decide to consciously risk your job and approach the co-worker. You don’t care if you get fired because the satisfaction of “setting the co-worker straight” is greater than working with such a person. But you didn’t consider the fact that losing your job because of an altercation can seriously damage your job history. When you go looking for another job, human resources will probably have you tagged under “would not hire again”, “problematic”, and “hostile”. Unfortunately, I know someone who has experienced this. That person regrets the moment they decided to address someone at their previous job.

Part 2 will be a discussion on flight as in attempting to separate yourself from the co-worker and/or attempting to have your boss get rid of the co-worker for you and the options you might have in dealing with the unprofessional co-worker.

Caroll Bartz, Former CEO of Yahoo, Fired Over the Phone

Chairman Roy Bostock fired Carol Bartz as CEO of Yahoo yesterday via a phone call. After the firing, she wasted little time revealing its simple details; she sent an email to her employees stating:

“I am very sad to tell you that I’ve just been fired over the phone by Yahoo’s Chairman of Board. It has been my pleasure to work with all of you and I wish you only the best going forward”

 Yahoo has had a rough couple of years. Their share of ad revenue fell to 11% from more than 16% and other companies, such as Google and Facebook, have increased. Bartz was hired in 2009 with the expectation that she could motivate Yahoo’s comeback. Investors were displeased with Bartz considering Yahoo has continued their downward slope. In June, Investors called for her ousting but Bostock backed the CEO.

The company is said to have done a “strategic review” of ways to move the company forward and the firing was part of the plan. Bartz had one year left on her contract and CFO Tim Morse will be the interim CEO.

The news of the firing sent Yahoo’s stock up 6%. So far, the reason Bartz chose to break news of the firing, especially the part about being fired over the phone, hasn’t been revealed. Usually such detail is saved and not revealed by the fired employee in order to give that person a chance at another position. Nevertheless, Bartz put herself out there and now she has a bigger career crisis management problem as the media is going crazy about the CEO fired over the phone.

The articles read and you should read them also for more information:

"Bartz Fired as Yahoo CEO Amid Plans of Strategic Review" by Douglas Macmillan, Ian King, and Ari Levy of businessweek.com

"Carol Bartz is out as Yahoo CEO" by Jessica Guynn of Los Angeles Times

Watch Your Mouth: Allstate Executive Fired for Talking Trash about Boss

No one has a perfect boss. You might feel your boss is incompetent or you might at any given time disagree strongly with a decision your boss has made. Some of us bite our tongues, confide and rant with a fellow co-worker who sympathizes, or take the chance of respectfully presenting your boss/employer with valid reasons behind the disagreement. But it is not smart to vulgarly rant about a boss in a bar, in front of many executives/co-workers, in the midst of a company event. The result could be you’re fired.  “Loose Lips Trip Up Good Hands Executive” by Erik Holm and Joann S. Lublin of WSJ.com report that Joseph Lacher, formerly of Allstate, was fired from the insurer for committing this ultimate workplace indiscretion.

Lacher was president of Allstate home and auto insurance units and on July 18 the company surprisingly reported his exit. Those familiar with the company were aware that Thomas J. Wilson, the chief executive, was not pleased with Lacher’s performance. But the article is reporting “several people familiar with the situation” are divulging that Lacher was fired for referring to his boss in a vulgar manner. The incident:

“[Lacher] was having drinks with some of Allstate’s top-selling insurance agents as part of a company event called the Leaders Forum…earlier in the day… Messrs. Lacher and Wilson unveiled plans to shrink Allstate’s sales force and change the way the insurer calculates commission.

Some agents were angry about the changes… Mr. Wilson, who wasn’t at the bar, was a popular target.

Then came the two words that helped end Mr. Lacher’s 20-month career at Allstate: ‘f—cking a—‘”

Million Dollar Listing: a Career Saboteur in Action

Be very wary of career saboteurs. As in, people in your life who try to prevent you, with no valid reason, from moving up in your career. Last night on “Million Dollar Listing”, I saw first hand the creation of one. In the second to last episode, Madison’s assistant Heather, decided she was ready to move up. She has her real estate license, wanted to work as an agent, and wanted to do so in the West Hollywood, CA. She has been assisting Madison for two years and works in Malibu, which is a distant drive from West Hollywood. She approached Josh Altman, another agent on the show and the guy she’s dating, for advice; his advice was she should definitely take the step if she wanted to.

Heather approached Madison with a proposal: to regionally extend Madison’s Malibu agency, adding her on as an agent in West Hollywood. If Heather couldn’t work as an agent, she would quit as his assistant. Madison was pissed.

On last night’s episode, Madison decided to confront Josh Altman for giving career advice. Let me state this again: Madison is mad at Altman for giving career advice. To Madison, for Altman to give advice to a real estate agent on her next career move was Altman’s way to sabotage Madison. According to Madison, Heather is possessed and Altman has no position to give career advice, even if Heather asks for it, considering Altman and Heather have just started dating,

Résumés: 10 Overused Words

LinkedIn told CNN and now CNN’s Mark Millan is telling you… these are the most used keywords on résumés:

1. Extensive experience

2. Innovative

3. Motivated

4. Results-oriented

5. Dynamic

6. Proven track record

7. Team player

8. Fast-paced

9. Problem solver

10. Entrepreneurial

If you believe these words rightfully express you and your résumé, take the time to describe the qualities that define those terms, or review your résumé to see if it expresses the terms without the need to mention it. For example, “extensive experience” is very unnecessary considering the résumé is your experience. On LinkedIn, you have the option of making your entire experience available (compared to physical résumés which are usually capped at 1 or 2 pages). Therefore, “extensive experience” is repetitive if the résumé speaks for itself or exaggerative if there is no actual extensive experience. 

One last important point: don’t pay to have your résumé done, especially if you cannot afford it. Résumé and career books are resourceful investments, but don’t pay someone to actually do your résumé. Taking the time to research résumé advice can lead to you learning valuable ways on making a great résumé. Also, you might be able to access free résumé tips from career professionals either working for your state or at colleges/universities within your area.

Johnson & Johnson: Recalls and Succession

I previously wrote Johnson and Johnson recent recall in “Johnson and Johnson: Recalls Do Not Help”. In that article, I expressed the belief that J.&J., as a whole, just didn’t get the impact of the recalls on their brand. It seems J.&J. finally got the point. Yesterday, NY times Natasha Singer reported in “J.&J. Puts 2 in Line to Succeed Chief Executive” that J.&J. had made moves to promote two executives, one of whom will succeed the current CEO William C. Weldon. While “a company spokeswoman said in an email that Mr. Weldon ‘has no plans to retire'”, according to the article, Weldon had taken criticism for his handling of the recalls that plagued the company.

The two promote executives are:

Ms. Sheri S. McCoy. She will be vice chairwoman of the executive committee. New responsibilities are “to supervise the pharmaceuticals group; the consumer group, which includes the McNeil unit; and corporate affairs.”  Thus, McCoy will be handling the source of the recalls, the McNeil Unit.

Mr. Alex Gorsky. He will be vice chairman of the executive committee. New responsibilities will be “to oversee the medical device group, the global supply chain and government affairs.”

Big congratulations to the new junior partners. The article gives a brief history of the two’s history in the company and they should be proud of themselves. As for Weldon, who doesn’t plan to retire, he doesn’t have to retire to be replaced. With these two promotions, the company has rewarded good work and made it publicly clear that they have handled the recall by strategically placing people in positions to take over if Weldon becomes useless. 

Opportunities and Your Résumé

Last night, I decided to catch up with my guilty pleasure, “Real Housewives of Atlanta”. During the most recent episode, one of the “housewives”, Sheree, is making moves towards her acting career. She was previously taking acting classes and had been given some “good” news by her acting coach. Her coach had gotten her a play to do; it’s unpaid and would only require two weeks of commitment. Sheree’s response (to the camera): she is a grown woman with grown bills and two weeks of her time is asking a lot. Sheree was also informed she would need an agent and her coach got her an agent audition. At this audition, the agents asked Sheree a few questions regarding her experience. Sheree had done two plays. When asked which plays, she could only remember one and forgot the other. This prompted one agent to ask did she enjoy doing the play she forgot.

Unpaid Opportunity

I understand doing free work is not always appealing, especially when one cannot afford to do so. I have certainly been there. I support myself completely, which leaves me with little opportunity to do unpaid internships/jobs. I do this blog for free but it’s done on my own time, from home. But, I have never been offered a two week unpaid job that will further my career. Two weeks is a small enough commitment for some people to do. Sheree may have grown bills but Bravo does pay its reality stars and she has been on the show for three seasons. Actors and actresses are often asked to do unpaid work so as to build their résumé. If your career is important, you have a job, which will not be jeopardized by a two-week commitment, and you have two weeks to spare, take the opportunity. Two-week unpaid résumé-boosting opportunities are not always available.

Your Résumé

I know my work history. When I interviewed for my present job, I spent the night before and the hours leading up to my appointment rehearsing my résumé. I reminded myself of important dates, great moments, challenging moments, and anything about my work history employers typically ask for and want to know during interviews. So, I was disappointed in Sheree, who claims to be serious about her career, for not remembering her previous work. You should always know your history, especially for a job interview, networking events, and job fairs. Your history is about you and during interviews, employers/ agents do not know you but expect you to know yourself.

You don’t have to care about the show to understand my main points about it (the show is not business oriented so watch only if you like drama). The points are to evaluate opportunities relative to résumé boosts it can give and your ability to commit to them, and failing to know your résumé translates into a failure to know yourself and disbelief in claims that you are serious about your career.