Description
Book SynopsisFast-Tracking Your Career provides engineers and IT professionals with a complete set of soft skills they can use to become more effective on the job and gain recognition from management and colleagues. The 11 core skills covered here are accompanied by more than 40 detailed guidelines on how to master those skills. The book offers first-rate advice on how to go about acquiring communication skills, people skills, presentation skills, time management skills, and others. Specific examples about current situations are discussed, exploring the impact of the Facebook phenomenon and the subprime mortgage crisis.
Visit the author''s website for more information:
www.FastTrackingCareers.comTrade Review“Whether you're an engineer, IT professional, or other technical professional, Fast-Tracking Your Career helps you advance your career by developing business and personal skills that are as sharp as your technical abilities.” (New Tech Review, 1 June 2013)
Table of ContentsForeword xiii
Dr. Sorel Reisman
Guest Introduction i xv
Dr. Simon Y. Liu
Guest Introduction ii xvii
Dr. Arnold "Jay" Bragg
Guest Introduction iii xix
Frank E. Ferrante
Preface xxi
Acknowledgments xxiii
About the Author xxv
Introduction and Summary 1
Engineers Are Potentially Better Positioned as Executives, 1
Categorization of Smart Soft Skills, 2
Rules for Mastering Smart Soft Skills, 3
Relationships among the Soft Skills, 8
PART ONE: Communications: The Absolutely Necessary
Chapter 1 Communications Smart 13
Rule 1: Being always ready for elevator pitches/speeches, 14
Rule 2: Mastering a presentation by mastering the onset, 16
Rule 3: Using three diagrams to simplify complexity, 18
Rule 4: Sizing up and resonating with the audience, 20
Rule 5: Being careful of careless comments, 23
Rule 6: Using plain language, 24
Rule 7: Using jokes and self-deprecating humor, 26
PART TWO: Dealing with People: The Essential
Chapter 2 People Smart 31
Rule 1: Getting accepted by accepting others fi rst, 32
Rule 2: Winning by understanding both ourselves and our counterparts, 34
Rule 3: Being aggressive by being nonaggressive, 36
Rule 4: Gaining by giving, 38
Rule 5: Successful networking by networking less, 41
Rule 6: Being heard by listening, 46
Chapter 3 Marketing Smart 49
Rule 1: Sizing up and resonating with our "customers", 51
Rule 2: Putting a positive spin on our "product", 53
Rule 3: Making a convincing presentation with a well-crafted presentation, 53
Rule 4: Inciting enthusiasm with enthusiasm, 54
A Marketing Role Model: Steve Jobs (and His Embodiment, Apple), 55
PART THREE: Dealing with the Self: The Basic
Chapter 4 Work Smart 59
Rule 1: Achieving outstanding results by not seeking perfection, 60
Rule 2: Avoiding blunders of overconfi dence, 62
Rule 3: Focusing on self-examination, not on blaming others, when things gone awry, 63
Chapter 5 Time Smart 65
Rule 1: Investing time with the same zeal as venture capitalists investing money, 66
Rule 2: Killing two birds with one stone, 68
Rule 3: Minding ROI, 70
Rule 4: Making nonproductive time productive, 71
Rule 5: Turning spare time into opportunities, 73
Rule 6: Keeping the mind sharp by taking catnaps, 74
Chapter 6 Career Smart 77
Rule 1: Opting to be a big fi sh in a small pond, 78
Rule 2: Hopping to a more opportune pond at opportune moments, 80
Rule 3: Never polishing a sneaker, 84
Rule 4: Making a good lasting impression by making a good first impression, 86
PART FOUR: Dealing with the Boss: Earning Trust and Recognition
Chapter 7 Job-Interview Smart 89
Rule 1: Being well prepared by collecting relevant information, 90
Rule 2: Putting a positive spin on our qualifi cations, 91
Rule 3: Preparing targeted elevator pitches/speeches, 91
Rule 4: Sizing up and resonating with the interviewer, 92
Rule 5: Winning interviewers’ confi dence in us by exhibiting confidence, 93
Rule 6: Avoiding gaffes by avoiding overconfi dence, 93
Stories of Failed Interviews, 93
A Successful Interview Story, 98
Chapter 8 Boss Smart 101
Rule 1: Winning trust by showing loyalty, 102
Rule 2: Gaining gratitude by sharing credit and taking blame, 104
Rule 3: Being astute by watching for nuances, 105
Rule 4: Being proactive and farsighted, 107
Rule 5: Showing enthusiasm for challenging assignments, 108
PART FIVE: Dealing with Staff: Inspiring Loyalty and Productivity
Chapter 9 Motivating Smart 111
Rule 1: Winning loyalty by being loyal, 112
Rule 2: Getting credit by not taking credit, 114
Rule 3: Motivating by complimenting, 115
Chapter 10 Delegating Smart 117
Rule 1: Getting more done by doing less, 118
Rule 2: Delegating successfully by matching tasks with staff, 119
Rule 3: Making controversial decisions by not making them, 122
PART SIX: Being Visionary: Leading to the C-Suite
Chapter 11 Beyond the Box 127
Rule 1: Examining the big picture to identify opportunities, 128
Rule 2: Forming a visionary plan, 131
Rule 3: Marketing the vision, 131
Successful Fast-Tracking Stories, 132
Final Thoughts 137
The Book's Objective, 137
"Soft Skills" and "Rules" Outside the Scope of This Book, 137
High Achievers' Soft Skills, 139
Personal Career Goals, 140
Appendix Tables for Principles, Strategies, and Rules 141
Table A.1 Principles and Strategies, 141
Table A.2 Communications Smart, 142
Table A.3 People Smart, 143
Table A.4 Marketing Smart, 144
Table A.5 Work Smart, 145
Table A.6 Time Smart, 146
Table A.7 Career Smart, 146
Table A.8 Job-Interview Smart, 147
Table A.9 Boss Smart, 148
Table A.10 Motivating Smart, 149
Table A.11 Delegating Smart, 149
Table A.12 Beyond the Box, 150
Abbreviations 151
Index 153
