Getting ahead and staying productive
Reading fiction may provide an escape from reality, but it won’t help you create opportunity or make you more productive. What will? Two books that make you think about where you are and provide advice on how to get where you want to be.
Job U — How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need by Nicholas Wyman (Crown Business, $15). In the U.S. Department of Labor’s list of fastest-growing job segments, I found 30 occupations that were expected to grow by 20-29 percent in the next 10 years. Of these, 12 did not require a college degree — but did require skills that you won’t learn in high school.
Job seekers can acquire the practical skills many employers value by completing professional certifications, vocational training, associates
Jim Pawlak degrees and earn-while-youlearn apprenticeships.
Wyman backs up his advice with stories of individuals who found their dream jobs through these avenues.
Here are two examples: Dave Hohnstein spent eight years in the army and air force reserve and received training as a medic. On his own time, he acquired an associates degree in nursing and paramedic skills through certification training. He’s now part of a medical air evacuation team. Continuous learning is in his job description; he must keep certifications and licenses up to date.
Ken Gilbert decided to make a change after a three-decade career in the high-tech. He enrolled in Boston’s North Bennett Street School (NBSS), which teaches a variety of “bench skills” (i.e. cabinet and furniture making, jewelry making, bookbinding, musical instrument repair, locksmithing). Ken enrolled in a two-year bookbinding certification program. He now works fulltime restoring old and rare books for libraries and individuals.
Wyman’s message: There are many ways to unlock the door to opportunity.
Driven to Distraction at Work — How to Focus and Become More Productive by Edward M. Hallowell M.D. (Harvard Business Review Press, $26). STRESS — at work we feel its pressure every day. The mix of overflowing inboxes, people dropping in, meetings, phone calls, voicemail and email adds a witch’s brew of distraction. The results: Attention deficit and declining productivity. Dr. Hallowell offers “Stop that; do this” advice to help minimize the daily distractions, and boost both mental sharpness and output. The highlights:
“Screen sucking — how to control your electronics so they don’t control you.” The more you use the phone, respond to email’s pings and search the web, the greater the likelihood you will surrender attention from your to-do list. To gauge this attention deficit, keep a log for a week of how much time you spend using technology. Look at the log to see what amount of electronic-related time was actually spent on your to-do list items. You’ll quickly identify wasted time.
The fix: Reserve a 30-minute pocket in the morning and afternoon for screen time. This creates time for uninterrupted focus on tasks. When you need a break, don’t use your electronic device like a binky by playing some mindless games. Instead, read an article or talk with someone about an item on both of your to-dolists.
“Multitasking — how to say no when you have more to do than time to do it.” Playing pingpong with tasks isn’t just inefficient; it’s ineffective. Switching back and forth between tasks requires refreshing your memory to reestablish focus. That’s time that could have been saved, not wasted. Additionally, complex tasks require concentration and switching increases the odds of overlooking critical information.
The fix: Set priorities and follow through. Learn to say no to yourself and to others. When it comes to others, politely decline requests by saying, “I’m in the middle of something; may I get back to you in … .” The same tact can be taken when colleagues drop in.
You’ll also learn how “Worrying,” “Playing the hero” can also lead to “Dropping the ball.” Dr. Hallowell’s message: Activity and progress are different.
Job seekers can acquire the practical skills many employers value by completing professional certifications, vocational training, associates degrees and earn-while-you-learn apprenticeships.