Career-Enhancing Questions to Ask Your Boss

 

CareerBuilder.com in conjunction with CNN.com has compiled a very helpful list of questions you should ask your boss sooner rather than later.  These questions are designed to help the recent hire understand keys to advancement in a new job and maximize the chances of fitting in to a new system.

It is a common occurrence at new jobs to feel overwhelmed and even a bit isolated from your peers.  The best way to mitigate these feelings is to be proactive by asking questions.   As a new hire you are given a free pass to ask all the questions you can think of without evoking irritation from your peers.  It is of the utmost importance to capitalize on this opportunity while you have the chance.

The list of questions in this article is a good stepping stone to success but don’t stop there.  These questions are somewhat broad and basic.  I would recommend considering more position-specific questions once you have utilized the questions above to establish an open dialogue.

Above all else, it is important to remember the concept of, “Personal Branding.”  We all have our own brands that carry with them a brand image.  You are in control of the way that you market yourself to your new peers and coworkers.   Asking questions will help to establish you and your personal brand as inquisitive and engaged.  There is nothing worse than having a brand that is considered ignorant or stagnate.

If you liked this post check out: How to Retire Worth Millions

Antiquated Leanings Won’t Boost Salary

 

Network World published an article entitled, “5 IT Skills That Won’t Boost Your Salary.” This article warns of over allocation of time to 5 common IT skills that may not pay off in the long run.

 It is important to know when and where to best allocate your time when you are a developing young professional. It may seem that, in the ever advancing world of technology, any knowledge is good knowledge. This article emphasizes the importance of allocating time efficiently and  effectively in order to avoid being stuck with lame duck learnings.

I would caution the more impressionable reader to take this story with a grain of salt. It is important to remember, many new technologies are based largely off of their predecessors. To understand a programming language that is on the decline may actually give valuable insights and context into understanding the language that is replacing it.

If you liked this post check out: How to Retire Worth Millions

How to Retire Worth Millions

 

As young professionals, retirement may seem like a distant problem that only our bosses need to think about, but we don’t  need to worry about it for years.  This mindset, however common, is one of the greatest oversights facing the recent college grad.

Fool .com recently published an article entitled, “The Lure of Great Wealth.”  This article touches on, among other things, a simple way for everyone to retire on time and with more money than many have ever dreamed possible.  The plan is largely explained here in this excerpt:

“What does 15.4% compound to over a lifetime spent working in a job you love? If you were simply to maximize your IRA contributions (currently $4,000 a year) and 401(k) contributions (currently $15,000) over a 40-year working life span, from a standing start of $0, you’d have $37 million at the end. “

The average “twenty something” tends to forget the magnificent power associated with time value of money.  Simply put, all money is not created equal.  The income that a young worker makes at the beginning of his or her career is worth substantially more than the income made by that worker when he or she is a year away from retirement.  The reason for this is interest.  The money that is earned by a young professional at the beginning of his or her career accrues interest for the rest of that professional’s life (not just the last year).  This means that money spent while you are younger has a greater impact on retirement than money spent when you are older.

This lesson should be applied to all purchases made as a young professional.  The next time you find yourself with an extra wad of cash and an itch to go spend it on the newest gadget out on the market remember, don’t just take the cost of that gadget at face value.  To get the true impact of the cost of that gadget, take its price and multiply it by your average yearly return on investment, then multiply that by the number of years until you plan to remain employed (40 years for most “twenty something’s”).  This will give you the true cost of making the purchase.

I am not saying that “twenty something” professionals should spend their lives depriving themselves of things that make them happy.  I am simply pointing out the importance of scrutinizing purchases made while you are younger.  Besides, as “The Lure of Great Wealth” points out, the best way to have happiness as a young professional is not to buy things, but to make sure you have a job that you love.  It would not hurt if that job has a good 401 (k) match either.

If you liked this post check out: Taxes: Getting the Most for Your Time and Money