How To Become A VP In Your Organization

At some point in your career as an engineer—if you haven’t already—you probably will decide whether you’ll stay with engineering or move into management and the executive ranks. It’s a tough call. The geek in us may want to continue to create, design, and solve challenging problems, but the greater pay, perks, and prestige of management are irresistible.

The pros and cons of each path are up to you. But if you do want to move into management, you can take advantage of a few key strategies that have worked for me as well as for my coworkers and competitors. Just remember to be careful what you wish for.

You Really Gotta Wanna

The most important factor in moving up, and this goes for anything you want to do, is that you really must want it. You have to set it up as the number one item on your personal goal list. It then must become the driving force in your life, that so-called burning desire. If you’re not that passionate about the goal, I can guarantee that you won’t achieve it. Think about that before you really spend any time on your efforts to make it to the top. If you do want to give it a shot, focus on it and plan your work to achieve it. Commit and go all out.

Strategy: The Most Likely Methods

There are lots of ways to go about reaching that corner office. You only have to decide which one is best for you. Different approaches work at different times in different companies. You may even come up with an angle on your own once you start focusing on the goal. By all means, use it if your gut tells you to. And keep in mind that the ultimate goal is more important than the way you get there. Usually, just keeping the goal in mind lets your brain work out the details.

1. Work your way up the company ladder. This is the most traditional method in large companies, but it isn’t as desirable as other strategies today. In big companies, inching your way up can take years or even decades. Someone else often has to get fired, die, retire, or otherwise depart to make room for those below. And even then you could get passed over for an outsider, the ultimate slap in the face, which could happen if you aren’t ready and those above you don’t know of your ambitions. You have to target where you want to be and then plan your way up the ladder by gaining new knowledge, broadening your experience, making lateral transfers, and doing whatever else is appropriate.

I’ve never used this approach. It seemed like a long, grinding path I couldn’t see myself taking, at least in the companies I worked for. Maybe I didn’t have the patience, and maybe I thought that investing a great deal of time might not actually pay off. If you’re in a really big, successful, and stable company and you like it and can see one upward path or more, it may still work for you. If your company isn’t stable, remember that in this fast-paced frenetic industry, it could be bought or merged, go bankrupt, undergo a major reorganization, or whatever, and all your plans could go out the door in a flash.

2. Start your own division. Another way to reach a top spot is to create a business or sub-business that ultimately becomes large enough to support its own vice president—easier said than done, of course, but not impossible by a long shot. I started a new product line within a company that became wildly successful and grew so big the company made it a separate department. I ran that new division for a few years and then got promoted to VP as I continued to build the business and make it a major contributing profit center. If you can think of some product or service that your company might support and then turn it into something larger than other product lines, you may find yourself in the executive suite too.

3. Join a spinoff. This is probably just an extension of starting your own division. Your product line could really get big enough to spin off as a separate company. You then may end up as president or at least continuing as a VP in the new subsidiary. Alternately, if you hear about such a new division being spun off but aren’t part of it, it may be your chance to move up by joining it as a new VP or some other position with its ultimate potential.

4. Join a startup. Over the course of your career, you must have heard about a few new ventures outside of your current employer. Maybe you heard a rumor, got a tip from a friend, or gleaned information from a venture capitalist or other involved party. If you hear about something you think you may like and can do, throw your hat in the ring. Ask to be the new CTO or VP of engineering, marketing, manufacturing, or whatever. Most startups are looking for initial talent. You never know what will happen. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

5. Survive a merger. My first VP position came as the result of two companies merging. As you know or can imagine, mergers create lots of executive duplication and overlap. Some executives leave as a pre-arranged part of the merger. Others are forced out or are fired outright. And others see the writing on the wall and voluntarily leave. In some cases, the exodus is so great that it leaves gaping holes in the new structure. I was a middle-level manager and got promoted into one of the newly established slots—not a bad deal if you can get it.

6. Being in the right place at the right time—in other words, dumb good luck, karma, or serendipity. But it happens. Someone suddenly leaves and a restructuring takes place, making one or more new openings available. Most companies want to use existing employees for advancement, but the secret here is to be prepared. Keep your eye on the positions you want and prep yourself for them. If you’re ready and you’ve previously let the powers that be know that you want to move up, then the chances are good. There is nothing like just directly saying, “I want that position.” Sometimes, asking is the fastest and easiest way. Ask and ye shall receive. If you can demonstrate you’re ready, you make management’s choice an easy one. As the Boy Scouts say, be prepared.

7. Replace a boss, mentor, or friend. This happened to me. An old friend and boss at another company called me one day and said he was retiring. No one at his company was qualified to replace him, so he thought of me. I was honored. I was in a poor job situation at the time, and except for a major move to Florida, it was an attractive offer. I took the job and immediately went from manager to VP. It ultimately led to becoming president of the company, but that’s another story. If you become close to a boss and rise with him or her or develop a relationship with a mentor, this can happen to you. Riding the coattails of others often is a good way to rise fast if they are on the fast track.

8. Find a VP job elsewhere. This is a more direct way to acquiring a VP position. Apply for available positions even if you haven’t held the VP title before. Maybe you’re ready. This is especially true if you’re a non-VP manager at a big company but control a big budget and lots of employees. This kind of big corporate experience is great in smaller companies. It is usually easier to get the VP title in a smaller organization. And once you get that title, it is easier to get it again somewhere else.

9. Try a lateral move. This doesn’t seem like a good idea to most people, as it looks like you’re standing still or moving sideways. But I’ve seen it work more than a few times. The lateral move gives you a broader view of the business and adds some new experiences that can really pay off in the future. For example, two colleagues took new positions outside the country, something I thought I would never do. Both ended up coming back after a few years into VP slots. That international experience really benefits you, today more than ever as everything is global these days anyway. In some cases, the company may ask you to take such a position as a way to groom you for something better. And if nobody asks, volunteer for such jobs as they come up. That’s a positive signal you want to move up.

10. Leave and then come back. It may not sound like a good ploy either, but it sometimes works. I got one of my positions this way. I worked for a company for quite a few years and was continually overlooked for some of the better jobs. I suspect I was too young or at least lacking in experience. Management didn’t see me as one of them. Eventually, I got discouraged and left for a better position at a competitor. I actually did very well and got that additional experience that I needed. When an opening occurred for a VP slot in my previous company, I applied and was welcomed back.

I have also seen this technique work when a friend of mine left to become a consultant. He landed a great project and went on to get other clients. This experience ultimately led to the company asking him back as a VP—one more reason not to burn any bridges. The world is too small, and you never know where you will work or which companies will acquire each other. Always leave on the best terms possible.

Tactics: To Help You Get There

You’ve probably heard most of these tactics before, so they’ll come as no surprise. Many people blow them off as trite and obvious. But if you aren’t a VP yet, maybe you should give them a try. It’s all a big game, and you have to play by the rules (usually) to win.

1. Become a better communicator. Good communication skills, both written and oral, are a common denominator among those who succeed. First, write as much as you can—memos, blogs, white papers, articles, whatever. Second, learn to speak up. This means voicing your opinion at meetings, giving presentations, asking questions at seminars, and so on. Become a talker—someone who says a lot, but with meaning. Talkers get noticed and usually move up.

2. Get greater visibility. This goes along with being a better communicator. Visibility comes from more writing and presenting. Extend that to writing articles for magazines and journals, commenting on editorials, becoming active in a professional society and working your way up the ranks, giving talks or serving on a panel at conferences or local events, making sure you attend all company functions, starting a positive (to the company) blog, and letting people know about it. Plan a PR campaign for yourself.

3. Walk the walk and talk the talk. You have to look and act like a VP so the powers that be will notice. Notice how the VPs at your company dress, for example, and emulate that. If you still have long hair, wear your baseball cap backwards, and have holes in the knees of your jeans, you’re probably not going to impress anybody. Grow up and dress up. That doesn’t mean pinstriped suits and wingtips, unless that’s the dress code at your company. But it does mean emulating management’s style. If you don’t have the familiar black blazer, go buy one and start wearing it.

Personally, I never could get myself to buy a pair of those tasseled Gucci loafers that so many executives and VCs seem to like. They aren’t my style. It’s fine to emulate up them to a point, but try to be yourself too. Also, get a haircut and shave. The hacker guru look doesn’t translate well into management in most companies. You don’t have to go overboard and make your peer group suspicious, but you do have to go a bit more upscale. And, it doesn’t hurt to drive a vehicle like the brass drives.

Also, find out where the brass dines, and try to be seen at their favorite restaurants or watering holes. It sounds hokey, but it works. My wife and I used to go to a restaurant that a big VP in my company and his friends used to frequent. One time, he recognized me and waved. Another time, later, he came by the table, introduced himself to my wife, and told me to stop by his office. I did that the next week and ended up with a truly top-notch project with some interesting travel, new external contacts, and not to mention some good visibility.

4. Get educated. Management is really different from engineering. It’s about directing and motivating others. It’s about working with marketing, product management, strategic planning, budgets, balance sheets, and lots of other financial documents. If you don’t know some of this stuff, you’re going to have to learn it. A good way to learn all this relevant stuff is to go get an MBA—a big commitment, for sure.

Are the managers and VPs in your company MBAs? If so, you may have to go that route if you want a top spot. In any case, you can often get a financial and management background through continuing education courses at local colleges, professional seminars, and even online. Figure out what special knowledge you need. I didn’t have an MBA, so I got my management education through American Management Association courses and seminars—and my company paid for it.

5. Find a mentor. Identify a high-level person, maybe your boss, who can help you advance. Share your goal with him and ask him how to go about it. But do it in such a way so you don’t seem like a threat to his position.

6. Become more politically astute. As much as we all hate them, politics play a part in getting the most desirable jobs. That means becoming more politically aware of the players and of who is doing what to whom. For example, you need to identify your competition for the VP slot you want. How can you win them over? Develop connections at the top and in other departments, and make yourself known to the boss’s assistants. Upper-level secretaries are more influential than you think. Befriend them. And never, ever underestimate them.

7. Go where the jobs are. I know people who turned down VP and other good jobs because they would have had to move. But this is a mistake if you really want the title. Practically every VP job I got meant I had to relocate. Moving is a huge hassle. I hate it. But I’ve always enjoyed the new environment. It was always new, different, and challenging while broadening my experience. I was lucky my wife supported me in my career and was willing to move. On the other hand, it was difficult for some of my kids. I would be more sensitive to it today, for sure. But if you’re hell-bent on becoming a VP, you have to follow the job.

8. Learn to play golf. I’m not kidding. Upper management seems to love this game. It’s almost a universal pasttime for the upper echelon. Lots of politicking and business get done on the golf course, and it’s always helpful to be part of it. It takes a huge amount of time to play, and it’s expensive, but it’s worth the investment. If I regret one thing about my own career, it’s that I never did play. I did well anyway, but I still wonder how much better I could have done if I would have played a round or two.

9. Innovate and create. The secret to success in technology is innovation. Creative, desirable products are big-time winners. Innovation also applies to any endeavor, like marketing, problem solving, and management. Companies are always on the lookout for people who can continuously come up with fresh and exciting ideas. With technology changing as fast as it is and competition growing all around you, innovation is the best defense and offense. In most companies, the greatest percentage of income comes from the newest products. If you aren’t creating a continuous string of creative new products or services, you’re done. Creativity alone will get you further than even the greatest management skills.

10. Become a problem solver. If you’re trying to get upper-level recognition, solve the tough problems. In every company, there are always hard problems to solve. Most people avoid them when they can. So take a look around and identify some ugly problems around your office. If the problem is big enough, and you come up with a clever solution, you will get recognized. Keep solving big problems, and you’ll find yourself on your way to the top.

11. Remember the 80/20 rule. You’ve heard Parado’s Law before—20% of your efforts will yield 80% of your results—and you know it’s true. The problem is that most people forget it and spend more time on less important projects than they should. Use this to principle to clearly plan what is important and what isn’t. Spend time on those tasks that will lead to your goal and less and other stuff. Figure out what your priorities are, and the result will be a positive 80/20 outcome.

12. Become more profit-oriented. In engineering, we often forget that the goal of the company really is making money for the stockholders. We get bogged down in technical problems and other nitty-gritty details that take our mind off the ultimate objective. Try to get refocused so everything you do leads to more profit. As a VP, saving and making money will be your main job.

13. Think big. During a meeting in a company where I was a product line manager, the president said, “Quit bringing me proposals for small products.” At the time, “small” meant something that might generate a few hundred thousand dollars a year. He further said that he wouldn’t entertain any new product ideas for anything less than $1 million a year. Those figures are larger by an order of magnitude or two today, but the principle still applies. Look for the big ideas and payoff. Creating a big product may take longer, but it leads to huge benefits.

14. Take chances. This doesn’t appear to be sound advice, but it is. I don’t mean foolish risks or doing things you haven’t thought through. I’m talking about calculated risks that could leapfrog you to where you want to be. Again, nothing ventured, nothing gained. As most successful people will tell you, sticking your neck out is the only way to make any progress.

So if you’re contemplating something risky, ask yourself what the worst that can happen could be. If you can live with that, give it a shot. If you fail, so what? At least you tried, and you normally learn from failure—or at least you should. Generally, whenever I took big risk, I was greatly rewarded. There was only one time where I didn’t get the result I expected, and I’m still here anyway. Have some courage. Big risks usually mean big rewards.

Article by Louis E Frenzel

How to Secure the Best Employment Opportunities

I found this artical somewhere and thought this would be really useful in this current economic job crisis…

Many people assume their careers will follow a kind of natural progression. For example, many recent college graduates find and accept entry-level employment opportunities. They expect that within one or two years, with a lot of hard work, they will receive promotions to the next level within the company. To achieve the maximum number of employment opportunities, however, you may want to take extra steps.
Managers and supervisors often look for specific criteria when selecting people in entry-level or lower-level positions to fill open employment opportunities. In order to put yourself in line for soon-to-be available employment opportunities within your company, follow some of these simple suggestions which may be the key to getting the boost you need.
· Time, place and manner – You never want to ask for more projects, a raise or a promotion too soon. Make sure you have proven your ability to do the job you have before you seek better employment opportunities. Ideally, your supervisor will approach you about expanded employment opportunities after you have shown that you can get the job done well and in a timely manner. If you do ask for more responsibility and are rebuffed, wait at least several months before you make another request.
· Express your ability to relocate – Sometimes companies look for candidates to staff new offices. If you are willing and able to find employment opportunities in other areas of the country or world, express this desire to your supervisor. Pay attention to employment opportunities in different locations that the company may advertise internally. Remind your supervisor of any language skills or previous experience that would make you an ideal candidate for relocation and advanced employment opportunities. Remember to make yourself valuable.
· Offer to take on more responsibility – This is the easiest way to secure employment opportunities. You can make this offer formal or informal, depending on your workplace situation, supervisor and current position. It is best to offer to take on more projects or responsibilities after you have completed a project well and submitted it to your supervisor. If you are congratulated or rewarded in some way, take that time to express an interest in increased responsibility. This will signal that you want more employment opportunities.
· Pick a specialty – Your company likely has many different areas or branches within it. A great way to prime yourself for employment opportunities is to excel at one thing that the company does. To determine which area you have interest in, take a career assessment test. You can find free tests online at sites like CareerPath.com. These tests will tell you which types of employment opportunities are ideal for you. If possible, get additional training in a specialty that interests you. Contact the human resources department to express an interest in upcoming programs or training sessions.
· There is no “I” in team – If you cannot work well on the team you currently work with, there are few employment opportunities that will open up for you. Show your supervisor and coworkers that you can always be counted on to step up and support others. Volunteer to help with the workload of a coworker who is out sick or on vacation, for example. Attend all meetings and do so cheerfully. Never gossip about coworkers or your supervisor. Try to participate in all team activities, even outside of work. Show that you tailor your work and projects to overall team goals. These practices will help open other employment opportunities.
· Meet the upper management – Networking is a great way to create new employment opportunities. If you have access to upper managers or supervisors, take full advantage. Offer to take a senior manager out to lunch. Tell your boss that you want to meet some of the company leadership and get a better understanding of how the company functions as a whole. Few people take advantage of these opportunities when presented. When the upper management knows who you are, you have a much better chance of being added to the pile of people to get extra employment opportunities.
· Consult with a mentor – When you initially begin a new job, always look around for someone who has worked there for some time. Mentors can be people who perform duties similar to yours but have worked for the company longer than you, or they can be supervisors and managers of other departments. It may be a good idea to find a mentor who is not your supervisor. Remember, you want to open up employment opportunities for yourself, and meeting many different types of people within a company is a good way to do that. Ask your mentor for advice on how to find employment opportunities within the company.
· Take a pay cut – Sometimes the best move is a lateral move. For example, if you work in an entry-level sales position but would like to find employment opportunities in marketing or finance, make contact with the heads of those departments or with human resources to express interest. Make it known without being overly blunt that you would like to explore employment opportunities in other departments, no matter what the cost. This will encourage the company leadership to give you employment opportunities that they may not have offered otherwise. Many supervisors assume that employees are driven by the dollar and nothing else. Show that you have natural passion for new projects or areas.
· Ask for advice – If you have attempted some of these ideas and have not been given the employment opportunities you had hoped for or desired, think about how to approach your manager or supervisor. The next time you have a performance evaluation would be an excellent time. Mention that you would love advice from someone who has advanced in the company. Make sure that you do not make it sound to your supervisor that you want his or her job. Express that you are open to a wide variety of employment opportunities. Ask how you can become an attractive candidate to company leadership.
· Try something new – You may find yourself in a situation in which excellent employment opportunities are not likely to present themselves. For example, the management positions in your company may all be filled with young and successful people. If you see little chance of getting the employment opportunities you desire, consider making a change. Look for employment opportunities outside the company or try to transfer your skills to a different industry. Sometimes change is good, and it could be the key to finding the employment opportunities your career needs.

Resolutions

Come new year and every one has New Year Resolutions. I was also starting to prepare a list of resolutions for this year and then it stuck me what is the use if  I just make the list and then keep it in some place safe and forget it. After one year I would be at the same exact spot I was an year before. I started to dig in deep on this and started to think what makes us stick to our resolutions – Nothing. Nothing makes us stick to our resolutions, no external person or power can motivate you to do things. You yourself are the best person to know what you want out of life, what makes you happy. You have to develop that deep desire inside to achieve in life. I read somewhere that Attitude determines your Altitude in life. Fire up your attitude today that this year will not be like the last one where you make a list and forget all about it a month into the new year. This year you are going to make a list, read that list aloud everyday (it just takes 5 mins). At the starting of each day read that list and make a TO DO list for the day where you create mini goals which relate to your master list. You don’t have to spend whole lot of time, I know all of us have lot of work related tasks to deal with every day. You just need to keep working on your goals, even if its a small task of 5 mins that you perform today it will keep taking you closer to your goals. Turn your dreams into goals, your goals into resolutions with a time stamp, your resolutions into mini goals each and every day. At the end of every month try to spend a couple of hours and see how well you are doing. You will be amazed at how much you can and will achieve by doing this.

Running for beginners

Five Steps to Getting Started

Start by Walking.
Everyone needs to feel comfortable and successful right from the start. Begin by walking for 30 minutes. Keep doing this until it feels easy.

Walk Briskly.
When normal walking becomes easy, walk briskly for 30 minutes and monitor your heart rate every 5-8 minutes. If it seems below the target zone, pick up the pace. Many people will never want or need to go beyond a brisk walk, provided they can maintain their target pulse rate.

Insert a Few “Jogs.”
When you are comfortable walking briskly and want to step up the pace, simply insert 3-4 “jogs” of 100 yards or so (about the length of one football field or a city block) into your 30-minute walk. Warm up by walking slowly, build into a brisk walk and then do the short jogs when you feel ready.

Increase the Running as Desired.
Increase the running segments as you feel stronger, always avoiding discomfort. You may eventually fill in the 30 minutes with slow running – or you may keep your walking breaks. You’re using the running to push the heart rate above the threshold and the walking to keep from getting uncomfortable.

Step It Up.
Increase the time to 40 minutes three times a week. Work up to 60 minutes for one of these weekly sessions, which will increase the cardiovascular as well as mental benefits. Don’t underestimate the effect of rewards. Small regular rewards for specific accomplishments will often spark interest when motivation is down. Promise yourself something – a dinner out, a new pair of shoes, a good book – for finishing each of the five steps above, for when you finally put in your first hour-long session, etc. If you feel “down,” find yourself a positive experience or see someone who will bring you up. Look for something good in every run. When you’re in shape, you begin to think differently about yourself and your life. It’s always hard to shake off the sedentary lifestyle, and the adjustment period – once you do – is difficult. But if you make it through this period, an addiction often occurs which makes the activity self-sustaining. So have faith! Better times are coming. Be patient and enjoy yourself.

The Five Stages of a Runner

The Beginner: Stage One: Making the Break
Every beginning is precarious. There you are, perched on the edge of starting something entirely new, yet there are distractions, even criticisms, that cause detours and dead ends. You want to be more healthy and fit, but you may not realize how secure you’ve become in an inactive world. Each time you go out for a run you encounter a new side of yourself – one that must somehow be integrated into your daily life.

There is usually a struggle within and without. The old lifestyle is there and offers security. When the energy of “beginning” wears off, it’s harder to motivate yourself to go out for that daily run. You’ll face a lot of obstacles at first. It’s all too easy to stop when the weather turns cold, when it rains or snows, or when you feel the aches and pains of starting. You haven’t had to deal with these things before and the temptation to quit is strong.

Your running may also be threatening to your less active friends. Eventually you – the beginner – and your non-running friends work it out. The transition period, however, can be unstable and uncomfortable for both. If you falter, the old world – comfortable in many ways – is waiting for you to slip back in. If you’re lucky enough to make new friends who share similar fitness goals, you’ll probably find refuge in the “fit” world while you gain your “running security.”

Social reinforcement makes it easier to establish the fitness habit. One good approach is to find a group that meets regularly. Or you can make a pact with a friend who drags you out on bad days and vice versa. Races and fun runs are great opportunities to meet people.

At times you may not progress as fast as you expected. We Americans are traditionally hyperactive and impatient. When we plant a seed, we not only want it to grow, we want it to become a tree by next week. We want results. When you start, you want to see physical and psychological benefits. But if you push too hard, you can tire yourself out and end up quitting in frustration.

The seed of exercise – if you don’t crush it – will survive periods of moisture and drought. Just when it seems to be drying up, it will spring to life, rejuvenated, and propel you further down the road. Don’t be discouraged, even if you’ve stopped. Tomorrow’s another day. Many beginners stop and start again 10 or 15 times before they get the habit established. Beginners who don’t put pressure on themselves seem to have an easier time staying with it. If you simply walk/jog 30-40 minutes every other day, you’ll find yourself gently swept along in a pattern of relaxation and good feeling. Your workout starts to become a special time for you. As you make progress you find within yourself the strength and security to keep going. At first you’re “just visiting” that special world when you go out for a run. But gradually you begin to change. You get used to the positive relaxed feeling. Your body starts cleaning itself up, establishing muscle tone, circulating blood and oxygen more vigorously. One day you find you’re addicted, and the beginner becomes a jogger.

The Jogger: Stage Two – Entering the New World
The jogger feels secure with running. It may be hard to start each day’s run but, unlike the beginner, you can identify with those who are addicted. You may be intimidated by the “high achievers” – competitors and marathoners – but you have begun to understand the benefits of fitness and made a significant break with the old, non-fit world. The jogger’s runs are satisfying in themselves. There is almost always a “glow” at the end of the run, a reward for the effort. If you miss a run you may feel guilty – a rare experience for the beginner. Beginners oftencomplain that they’re bored while running, but joggers find this problem decreases and then disappears as their distances increase.

Rarely does a jogger have a plan or goal. Most run as a healthy diversion and don’t feel the need to get anything more out of it. They just get out there when they can and do what they can. Those who do feel they need a plan often think they don’t know enough to prepare one. They may pick up a few tips from a more experienced running friend or ideas from a running magazine. Unfortunately this often ends in frustration or injury because such plans are not based upon the jogger’s own individual abilities and goals, but upon someone else’s.

At first you probably needed a group or at least another person for motivation and direction. As a jogger you are a bit more independent. You’ll prefer company to running alone, but you’ll pick and choose your group with care. Most beginners seek anonymity within a group while joggers often enjoy identification with a group.

As a beginner you may have attended a few fun runs or an occational race. Joggers, however, mark the local 10ks on their calendars. These are motivational stepping stones to keep the daily runs on track. There will often be one major race in the joggers’ schedule, like the Bay to Breakers, Peachtree Road Race or the Corporate Challenge. Although you’re not running competitively or for time improvement, a sense of competition may begin to develop. By piecing together a growing series ofsuccessful and non-threatening running experiences, you begin the transition into a more fit lifestyle.

There are always conditions – injury, a long stretch of bad weather, a partner dropping out – that may stop your running and force you to start over again as a beginner. When the year’s big race is over, you may lose the motivation to keep going. A jogger will sometimes give up running completely, but usually will start again after an extended layoff.

For the next three stages (The Competitor, The Athlete and The Runner), please see pages 26-31 in Galloway’s Book on Running by Jeff Galloway (Shelter Publications, 1984).

The Top Five Reasons Why You Need Shoe Advice

1. Even the better running companies are using gimmicks in their designs: Some of the gimmicks work and some don’t.
2. There’s always a reason why the catalog offers a dramatic discount on a given shoe.
3. The same shoe may be made in different factories – making each significantly different in the way it fits and in the many subtle ways it works when you run.
4. Only people who are really into running shoes can keep up with the gossip on running shoes – due to constant feedback they receive from hundreds of customers each week who really use the shoes for exercise.
5. Only experienced running staff people can look at you running in a shoe and tell whether it really fits – and works with your foot in the right way.

Fitness Mistakes (for a new runner) – which cause burnout:

1. tried to run continuously for more than a half mile (should have run 1-2 minutes and walked 2 minutes 2. Started out each run too hard – for him/her (should have started by shuffling slowly – with walks) 3. Told himself before each run that he was going to feel bad (should have forecast a fun, easy run) 4. Tried to exercise when blood sugar and motivation was low (should have eaten something first)

                                                                                                                  – http://jeffgalloway.com

The best ways to bulletproof your job

As surely as baseball heralds the spring, poor economic reports presage layoff season. According to Mercer Consulting, one in three midsize to large U.S. companies is pondering job freezes or downsizing. Besides the obvious no-no’s – completing projects late, griping noisily about the boss – here are seven strategies for deflecting a pink slip.

Add revenue

A company’s first layoffs are usually aimed at jobs that cost money (like public relations) rather than jobs that bring in money (like star salespeople). If you’re in the first category, start thinking like someone in the second: Brainstorm ways to create new revenue streams and send them up the ladder. Even if they don’t get adopted, your boss will think of you as part of the solution, not the problem.

Practice conspicuous parsimony

Suggest cost-cutting moves like switching to a less expensive vendor or bringing something in-house that you currently pay consultants to do, suggests Dale Winston, CEO of recruiter Battalia Winston. Your boss will begin to associate you with saving money – an excellent thing right around now.

Display your mug

And not the one that reads “I’d Rather Be Surfing.” Even if you have negotiated a flexible schedule or you frequently telecommute, start showing your face in the office more often. It’s harder for most bosses to lay off people they see every day than those who come in only now and then, says John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas.

Grab horn, toot same

More effective than burying yourself in work is making sure your boss knows exactly what you’re doing and how well you’re doing it, says Tory Johnson, CEO of Women for Hire. To avoid coming off like Steve Carrell in The Office, subtlety is key. In meetings, praise your team for finishing a project early. Forward your manager the kudos an important client e-mailed you.

Look beyond your boss

If she’s about to get laid off and her higher-ups have no idea what you do, you’ll be vulnerable too. Attend company events and introduce yourself to upper-level execs – and CC them on those laudatory e-mails you’re forwarding.

Rethink that raise

Highly compensated people are often at most risk: It’s easier to cut a few big earners than dozens of worker bees. If you’re well paid for your level, at raise time consider asking to take your annual increase as a lump-sum bonus, suggests Paul Rowson, general manager at WorldatWork, an association of HR professionals. A bonus makes the bottom line look better and won’t raise the company’s outlay for benefits tied to your base salary.

Kick your mentoring up a notch

You need to be seen as versatile enough to contribute in a variety of ways. So offer to host an in-house brown-bag lunch or conduct a workshop for colleagues. “If you can teach people how to fish rather than just catch big fish yourself,” says Rowson, “you will be more valuable.” Plus, you’ll cement relationships that will come in handy if the ax does fall.

                                By Donna Rosato, Money Magazine senior writer

Tough Times Don’t Mean Tough Luck on Salary

You’ve prepared for your next job interview by researching the company, brushing up on your sales pitch and pressing your suit. But one key task remains: Figuring out what to expect as compensation.

In a tough economy, you don’t have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to negotiating base salary, says David Wise, senior consultant at Hay Group Inc., a global management-consulting firm.

But, just like any rule, there are exceptions. If you have the kind of skills that are in short supply and are critical to a business’s bottom line, employers are often willing to pay “above and beyond the market average,” says Ravin Jesuthasan, global practice leader at Towers Perrin, a Stamford, Conn.-based consulting firm.

Employers are also increasingly sweetening job offers for high-demand candidates, with benefits previously reserved for workers already in the company, such as flexible schedules and work-from-home arrangements, says Kenan Abosch, leader of the compensation consulting practice at Hewitt Associates Inc., a provider of human-resources services based in Lincolnshire, Ill. “If a company has someone they’re really hot to get, because it’s a pivotal role, they’ll go the extra mile,” he explains. College graduates who fall into this category may be enticed with iPods, laptop computers and other perks, he adds.

How can you tell if your skills are in demand? The answer varies by industry. For example, executives with global outsourcing experience are highly sought after at consumer-goods companies, because more employers are outsourcing their manufacturing overseas. And risk-management professionals are on the most-wanted lists of food concerns due to recent historic increases in commodity prices.

Max Donley, vice president of human resources at MedImmune Inc., says, “Compensation [restrictions] would be taken off the table” in negotiations for a senior director of cancer biology, a job that’s been open for six months. “It’s a very high-demand position in the biotech industry, and very few people have the skills required to be successful in this role.”

A global oil and gas company recently hired a business-development executive at a salary “significantly above the market average because of his exceptionally strong negotiating and selling skills,” says Michael Wing, a recruiter for executive-search firm Loewenstein & Associates Inc. in Houston. “There are few candidates at the middle-management level with this skill set.”

If you have a unique background, be sure to highlight that in your résumé and cover letter, advises Mr. Abosch. “Make it easy for an employer to spot,” he says. “Interviewing for a job today is as much about marketing as it is about background and experience.”

What if you lack the kind of expertise that employers are bending over backward for? To gain negotiating leverage, you first need to understand how salaries are set. Employers typically start out by reviewing pay surveys from consulting companies and executive-search firms, says David Insler, a senior vice president at Sibson Consulting, which specializes in human resources, benefits and compensation consulting. (Sibson doesn’t collect or sell pay data.) These show the lowest and highest salaries for a position, plus the average and median, by industry, career field, company size and region. They also look at years of experience and education required as well as the responsibilities of the job.

Consulting firms generally collect data by distributing lists of jobs to employers and requesting the information, usually in exchange for a free or discounted copy of the survey. Submissions are closely scrutinized for errors and figures that seem out of whack.

If you’re eager to get your hands on the surveys that employers use, prepare to pay a bundle — and to get far more information than you probably need. Consider, for example, a recent report on information-technology jobs from consulting firm Mercer LLC: It cost $3,075 for nonparticipants and covered 270 positions at more than 1,800 U.S. companies.

Even if you did get a coveted peek, employers mainly use the market averages shown in survey data for benchmarking against a candidate’s current pay, says Mr. Wise. “Most [employers] start with what you’re making now and provide something above that to entice you,” he says. If you’re making a lateral move, expect something between what you make now and a 10% increase, Mr. Wise says. “But if it’s a bigger job, it’s reasonable to expect something in the 15% to 20% range.” On the other hand, if you’re already earning an above-average salary, employers might bristle at that kind of increase and look for someone more affordable.

Another trick job-seekers can use is to do their due diligence on the scope of the job’s responsibilities, says Mr. Wise. For example, some chief financial officers “are really nothing more than controllers, while others participate in strategic discussions with the executive team or they may play an operational role,” he explains. “The bigger job is the one that’s going to receive more pay.” For this reason, he warns job candidates to be clear on a position’s responsibilities when evaluating its pay.

“Before you take a similar-titled role at another place, you better understand what the job’s responsibilities really are because a title won’t always capture those nuances,” he says. “You have to make the job bigger through something you bring to the table in order to justify a larger pay package.”

Where else can you flex your negotiating muscles? You might have bargaining power when it comes to securing a sign-on bonus. Employers are generally more open to negotiating these because they’re one-time payments, explains Mr. Wise. “It’s absolutely appropriate to ask for a sign-on bonus to help you seal the deal, especially if you’re leaving a job in the middle of the year and leaving a partially earned bonus on the table,” he says.

To increase your odds of securing a sign-on bonus, offer to tie it to how you perform in your first six to 12 months on the job, suggests Mr. Insler, adding that more employers are considering or using these arrangements. You’ll have grounds for negotiating a bigger sign-on bonus than someone who doesn’t promise employers a return on their investment, he says. You’ll have to deliver — or your bonus will likely be rescinded.

Finally, remember that there’s more to a job than the amount of money it pays, notes Mr. Wise. “Things like work-life balance, personal development opportunities and an organization’s culture can be far more important than any extra 10% to 15% increase in pay.”

When You’re Underpaid What if you earn less than the market average? This can happen if you’ve been working at one company for a long period of time, while gaining mostly modest merit increases. In this instance, your chances of securing a salary offer from another firm that’s commensurate with the market average are slim, says Rick Slayton, president of Slayton Search Partners, an executive-search firm based in Chicago that recruits for a variety of industries. What’s more, your lower price tag won’t boost your odds of winning a job, he adds. “It usually is not a huge factor in the decision of who gets the job because there are enough other factors that will push a company one way or another,” he explains. To get ahead, underpaid professionals may need to change jobs more than once over a short period of time, suggests Mr. Slayton. “They have to look at this as a two step proposition,” he says. “They have to get themselves closer to the market average in one move and they’ll likely have to move again three to four years later to get themselves to a competitive compensation level.” Still, no matter your starting point, to successfully negotiate a salary that’s greater than the amount an employer puts on the table, “you’ll need to communicate why you’re worth that additional investment,” says Mr. Wise.

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com

Tax Breaks Are Hiding in Your Home

For millions of taxpayers, the best tax breaks available come courtesy of the roofs over their heads.

Most homeowners are well aware of the many tax benefits their residences offer. But a few new wrinkles were added to the tax code recently. And a little tax refresher never hurts.

First, here are a couple of quick notes:

 

• To take advantage of most home-related tax benefits, you’ll have to itemize your deductions on Schedule A.
• In the eyes of the IRS, a house can be a single-family residence, a condominium or cooperative apartment, a mobile home, a boat, a recreational vehicle or any similar property that has sleeping, cooking and toilet facilities.

Now to your home’s tax-saving opportunities.

Mortgage Interest

This is one of the most popular tax deductions around. A homeowner can deduct all interest paid on a mortgage as long as the loan doesn’t exceed $1 million. Even better, the deduction doesn’t end with your first home loan. Interest on a second property is also deductible. In this case, the combined loan amounts must fall under the $1 million ceiling.

Interest on a second mortgage on your principal residence, a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit also might be deductible. In most cases, equity debts of $100,000 or less are fully deductible.

Points

A loan point is 1% of your loan amount. Points are usually paid in order to obtain a more favorable loan rate. In most cases, any points you pay on the purchase of your principal residence are considered mortgage interest and are fully deducible in the year paid. Even points paid by the seller are deductible by buyer.

Points paid for other home-related debt, such as an equity loan, also may be deductible, but over the life of the loan. An exception is if part of the refinanced mortgage proceeds are used to improve your main home; then you can fully deduct the part of the points related to the improvement in the year you paid them.

Real-Estate Taxes

Property taxes are the other major tax deduction for homeowners. All real estate taxes, regardless of which jurisdiction imposes them, are fully deductible. Unlike the mortgage interest deduction, which is limited to two residences, the property tax deduction is allowed for the amounts you pay on all your personal real-estate holdings.

Improvements

Some specific home improvements could help cut your tax bill. Some medically necessary changes to your residence, such as installing ramps and widening doorways to allow wheelchair access, could be deductible. Eligible costs would be reported on Schedule A as itemized medical expenses. Details on such deductible structural changes are detailed in IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses.

Home Sale Exclusion

Even if you can’t deduct home improvements when you make them, keep track of the costs. If you’re able to get top dollar for your home, the information could help reduce the amount of taxable gains. Most sellers, however, won’t have to worry about whittling down their profit amount, since the tax code offers a generous break in this regard. A home sale profit of up to $250,000 is nontaxable for single filers; the nontaxed amount is double that for a married couple fling a joint return. There are two requirements to get this tax savings: The house must be your principal residence for two of the last five years, and you can claim this tax break only every two years.

Private Mortgage Insurance

In some cases, private mortgage insurance (PMI) premiums paid during 2007 are considered mortgage interest and therefore are deductible on Schedule A. The PMI must be paid on a home loan obtained in 2007. Also, if your adjusted gross income is more than $100,000 ($50,000 if married filing separately), the amount of deductible PMI premiums are reduced and may be eliminated. This deduction also applies to eligible PMI payments in 2008 through 2010.

Forgiven Mortgage Debt

Some homeowners whose mortgage debt was partly or entirely forgiven may be able to claim special tax relief. Usually, canceled debt is considered taxable income. However, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 allows taxpayers to exclude debt forgiven on their principal residence if the loan balance was less than $2 million ($1 million for a married person filing a separate return). This new law applies to transactions from Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2009. To claim forgiven mortgage debt relief, file Form 982 with your personal tax return.

Kay Bell, a free-lance writer and editor in Austin, Texas, has been writing about taxes for a decade. She has two tax blogs, Don’t Mess With Taxes and Eye on the IRS.(TheStreet.Com)

Seven Things You Must Do In an Interview

When you are looking to make the Big Leap—the one that puts you closer to the power centers of a business or organization—the interview process will likely be different from what you’ve experienced before. The more senior the person or people you’re interviewing with, the more definite their ideas are likely to be about what they’re looking for. They know that their own continued success depends on hiring the best people.

So how do you prove your readiness for the big leagues? By thinking like a big-league player. This interview will be different from others, but it will be your best chance to impress the decisionmakers, so there are some key points you want to be certain you get across. Here are tips to help you succeed:

Show You Get the “Big Picture”

Any number of interview candidates may possess specific subject-knowledge valuable to a business. But the candidate who goes beyond mere information and displays an ability to use it well is more likely to get the job. Senior executives and managers generally want people who pay attention to and understand the broader view.

Tip: Demonstrate you recognize patterns and understand their importance; that you know how to use and synthesize information.

Find Out What Keeps the Boss Up at Night

Do your homework so you understand not only the job or promotion for which you are applying, but also the job of the senior executive above it. Do you know to whom this person reports, and what the top issues are for your boss’s boss?

Tip: Make that knowledge part of your interview conversation. Show an interest not only in the specifics of the job, but in the product and markets for that company. Ask broad questions: “What do you think the potential growth in the Indian market is?”

Look for Answers

Senior managers are looking for candidates who are creative thinkers focused on finding solutions. It is less important that you show you know the details of the problems the organization faces than that you’re able to demonstrate readiness to look for options and find solutions.

Tip: Think about problems in the past you’ve identified and managed to solve. Show readiness to tackle the tough issues.

Show some guts

Chances are whoever you’re interviewing with got where he is by showing some moxie, and you should too. Top people need and want folks around them who are not afraid to speak up and will confidently assert their ideas. It is the only way to be part of the process.

Tip: Be ready with an example of a time when you weren’t afraid to go out on a limb and your actions helped bring about real change.

Show Your Softer Side, Too

Yes, you should speak up and assert your ideas. But there will be times when the folks at the top will want—will even need—for you to go along once a decision has been made, even if you don’t agree with it.

Tip: Think about past experiences you can discuss to demonstrate you’re comfortable with the challenges of a dynamic environment.

Listen

Just as you want to make it plain in an interview that you are not too timid to speak up, you want to make it clear you are not over-confident or intent on dominating the process. Demonstrate you are able to listen without being too eager to cut off dialog.

Tip: Ask questions that reflect the concerns of the questioner in a constructive way. For instance, if you are asked what you would do in a certain situation, resist the temptation to answer before you’ve asked some questions of your own.

Keep It Positive

If there’s one thing senior managers have a universal distaste for, it’s whining. Remember, every hiring manager wants to hire a team player who will bring positive energy and real initiative to the job. Be ready with examples of positive suggestions about problems or issues that you took initiative on in order to demonstrate your people skills.

Tip: Steer clear of any criticism of prior managers, even if invited to offer it.

                                       by Aileen Pincus

STROKE: REMEMBER THE 1ST 3 LETTERS S.T.R.

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously. Please read:STROKE IDENTIFICATION: During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food – while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.It only takes a minute to read this.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE. Thank God for the sense to remember the “3″ steps, STR . Read and Learn!Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
(Coherently) (i.e. . It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. NOTE: Another ’sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ’stick’ out their
tongue. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other
that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with
ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately!! and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher. 

When attacked alone

 

let’s say it’s 6.15 p.m. and you’re driving home, (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job. You’re really tired, upset and suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home; unfortunately, you don’t know if you’ll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You’ve been trained in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) but the guy that taught the course neglected to tell you how to perform it on yourself. (Recently trained first-aiders, please note!) Without help, the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a phone and, between breaths, call for help. (Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this note seems in order.

Here are possible signs of a heart attack:

• Fullness, pressure, heaviness, squeezing in mid-chest, lasting more than just a few minutes.
• Pain in the arms, shoulders, neck, stomach, lower abdomen, or back.
• Sweating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, shortness of breath, or difficulty in breathing.
• Cool and/or clammy skin, palpitations, paleness.