Successful Career Development

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/career-advancement

Introduction

### Course Review: Successful Career Development on Coursera #### Overview In an ever-evolving job market, the importance of career development cannot be overstated. Coursera's "Successful Career Development" course offers a comprehensive framework designed to help professionals at any stage hone their skills, behaviors, and networking capabilities to achieve lasting success in their careers. Whether you are a fresh graduate just entering the workforce, a mid-career manager seeking advancement, or an experienced professional looking to pivot, this course has something valuable to offer. #### Course Structure and Syllabus The course is well-structured, divided into easily digestible modules that encompass essential skills and concepts. Here's a brief overview: 1. **Career Habitudes**: This introductory module welcomes participants and introduces the concept of "Career Habitudes," created by Dr. Tim Elmore. It highlights the importance of cultivating a positive attitude—an essential factor in career success. 2. **Finding a Mentor**: Establishing a mentorship can be a game-changer in one’s career. This module helps you understand the expectations of mentoring relationships and distinguishes between mentors and sponsors, ensuring you leverage these relationships effectively. 3. **NetWeaving: Networking with Intention**: Here, you will learn the art of effective networking through the "NetWeaving" technique, introduced by Bob Littell. This module emphasizes creating meaningful connections founded on trust and reciprocity. 4. **Practical LinkedIn**: LinkedIn has become a vital tool for career advancement and networking. This module offers practical tips on optimizing your LinkedIn profile and harnessing it to enhance your job search. 5. **Building Authentic Relationships**: This segment covers the critical components of fostering genuine relationships in the business realm, including trust-building and maintaining transparency. 6. **Asking for Help**: Knowing when and how to seek assistance is a valuable skill in any profession. This module guides you on how to navigate the balance between self-sufficiency and collaboration. 7. **Adjusting the Career Plan**: The final module emphasizes the necessity of flexibility in career planning, encouraging participants to adapt their paths as circumstances and aspirations evolve. #### Course Highlights - **Expert Instruction**: Instructors are seasoned professionals and educators, bringing real-world experience and insights to the table. - **Interactive Learning**: The course is designed to be engaging, using real-life case studies, examples, and practical exercises that encourage active participation. - **Networking Opportunities**: Participants get the chance to connect with peers, allowing for valuable relationship-building beyond the course. - **Practical Tools**: Equipped with actionable strategies, learners can implement what they've learned right away in their professional environments. #### Recommendations I highly recommend the "Successful Career Development" course to anyone looking to elevate their professional journey. Whether you are new to the workforce or looking to make a significant career change, the skills taught in this course are universally applicable. The emphasis on networking and building relationships is particularly valuable in today's increasingly interconnected workplace. Furthermore, the actionable tips for leveraging LinkedIn can significantly enhance your visibility to potential employers or collaborators, making this course especially relevant for job seekers and career climbers. In conclusion, Coursera’s "Successful Career Development" course is a well-rounded, insightful program that prepares you for the complexities of today’s job market. Enrolling in this course will not only enrich your career but also empower you with the confidence and skills needed to navigate your professional path successfully. Don't miss the opportunity to invest in your future!

Syllabus

Career Habitudes

Welcome! Congratulations on your commitment to enhance your career! This course is designed for professionals in various stages of career development and success. So no matter if you are a young professional just starting out, a mid-career manager, a pre-launch executive, or a seasoned professional seeking to re-purpose a career and launch Career 2.0, this course will interest you. Our team of faculty will introduce you to the concept of Career Habitudes, guide you through finding a mentor for whatever stage you are at, NetWeaving your way through networking, and building authentic relationships. As a team of professors and higher education leaders, we are passionate about helping you make the most and best of your career. We look forward to helping you on your journey! In this module, we will introduce the key concepts and principles for developing career-enhancing "habitudes" as introduced by Dr. Tim Elmore, author of the Habitudes series of books. Research indicates that having the "wrong" attitude is the most common reason why young professionals lose their jobs. This module will provide valuable advice on how to develop the kind of habits and attitudes you need to succeed at any career stage.

Establishing a relationship with a mentor can be one of the most beneficial and rewarding professional relationships. Regardless of level of career, a mentor will add value when paired correctly. This module will assist you with clarifying the expectations of a mentored relationship, identifying the areas that you feel will add value based on your personal needs, and introduce the difference between a mentor and a sponsor. Mentors can serve different purposes.

In this module, you will be introduced to the concept of "NetWeaving" as introduced by author and networking expert Bob Littell. One of the most important career skills turns out to be a person's ability to create and maintain trusted relationships, both internally within the organization, as well as externally within the business community. NetWeaving promotes three skill sets, and several action steps, that can contribute to building and maintaining trusted relationships. The three skill sets are categorized as connector, law of reciprocity, and network.

In this module, you will be introduced to the best practices for enhancing your career (and your job search) via LinkedIn. Without a doubt, the best tool for connecting business people is LinkedIn. As of August 2015, LinkedIn has more than 313 million members in over 220 countries, and is adding new ones at the rate of two new members per second. This module offers practical LinkedIn advice and instructions on how to best leverage your skills and abilities online.

In this module, you will be introduced to key principles and best practices in the art of building and maintaining authentic business relationships which is critical at any stage of your career. The module will cover the topics of building trust, asking great questions, and inspiring others. Every action we take with regard to relationships in the business world is intentional. We will describe best practices in building relationships including being authentic, getting personal, being transparent, freely sharing ideas. keeping promises, and having a "pay it forward" attitude.

Professionals often balance the need to solve problems on their own versus asking for help, thus exposing their lack of knowledge and/or experience. This module will assist you in making that determination, understanding their culture of their professional environment, while scanning the environment for style and preference.

In this module, you will be introduced to best practices in how to continuously review their career plans and make adjustments as necessary. This module will illustrate how the career ladder has turned into a rock wall that requires you to be more nimble and adaptable. More often than not, reaching the career of your dreams in not a direct path. You may need to climb sideways or move down the rock wall for a while before you can progress upward again.