Shaping a New Generation of Leaders
	The X Factor: Taking Your Career to the Next Level By ZaLonya Allen, PhD     Your career is important. You spend too much time working for it not to be. I believe career growth is vital to a happy successful life. Therefore, you should constantly look for ways to grow in your profession whether it's getting a promotion, changing jobs or taking on more responsibility in your current position. There are many factors involved in building a great career. Experience and education are at the top of the list. However once you obtain the proper training to snag that dream job or get that big promotion you will be faced with plenty of competition. There will be hundreds of qualified candidates who can do the job you want, so why should the employer choose you? The edge you need is what I call the X-Factor. What is the X-Factor? It's your people skills. Those who posses the strongest people skills will beat out the competition every time. Just look at top leaders like Bill Clinton. He may be controversial but one thing is for sure, he has the X-Factor. As a former Career Services Professional I can tell you without a doubt when an employer has two or more equally qualified candidates for a position, they will choose the one they like. In fact, sometimes the less qualified candidate is chosen simply because they are more likeable. I once had an employer tell me I was not the most qualified applicant but I seemed like I would be fun to work with. It may not seem fair but in many places of business it is a reality. Recently a relative told me his company was laying off workers in the IT department. A decision had to be made between my relative and another employee who was hired at the same time. The other employee was a sharp dresser, had a four year degree in computer science from a great college, and a bad attitude. My relative had a certificate from a trade school but was a nice guy who got along with everyone. Who do you think they let go? You guessed it, Mr. Bad Attitude. How likable are you? Are you fun to be around? Do you have that thing they call charisma? Of course you do. Some people are naturals but fortunately people skills are something anyone can develop if they take the time to do it. In your climb to the top of the career ladder remember the X-Factor. Relax, smile, make small talk, crack a joke once in a while and watch your career soar. For those of you in leadership positions, you want your team members to grow, right? As part of their professional development encourage them to develop their soft skills. It may be the one thing they need to put them over the top. Copyright 2007.
ZaLonya Allen International Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 2812 Southfield MI 48037  Phone: 248-352-0509 Email:  speaker@zalonya.com