1 New Professionals: Essentials For Your CM Career Breakout Session # A16 Name: Sara Brown, Matthew Jeffery, Jeffrey Stingle Date: Monday, July 30 Time: 11:15 – 12:30

2 New Professionals: Essentials For Your CM Career Bio Snapshots Sara Brown Matthew Jeffery Jeffrey Stingle -7 Years in CM - 8 Years in CM - 8 Years in CM -AFMC, SOCOM, - AFMC, SOCOM, - Lockheed SMC SMC, DOE Martin, Citrix -Government - Government - Industry

3 30 Year Career – What Are My Options? Education How to Get There: The Soft Skills Mission Statement Workplace Experience Networking Mentorship Becoming a Leader Continuous Self-Improvement Work/Life Balance The Tough Questions Essentials For Your CM Career Overview

4 Government vs. Industry Large vs. Small Business Management vs. Specialized Expertise SME Non-managerial leader International business CONUS vs. OCONUS Essentials For Your CM Career 30 Year Career – What Are My Options?

5 Essentials For Your CM Career Sample Career Progression

6 Academia: Masters degrees increasingly important. 44% (your competition) already have it. Consider a degree in CM…if you can find one. Get Certified! Studies show positive correlation between certification and salary. Garners credibility with small amount of time in. Never stop learning! Essentials For Your CM Career Education

7 Being a FAR guru will only get you so far! What is really getting people in your organization promoted? Performance reviews and beyond. Essentials For Your CM Career How to Get There: The Soft Skills

8 Customer service Communication Verbal and written Public Speaking Negotiation/Persuasion/Dealing with Conflict Business Acumen/Worldview Wall Street Journal The Economist Industry periodicals & websites (i.e. defensenews.com) Intangibles Essentials For Your CM Career How to Get There: The Soft Skills What are these soft skills?

9 Get in 15 minutes early and leave 15 minutes late. Only amounts 5% extra time. Don’t work 100 hours per week to get ahead. Looks like you can’t handle your job. Bring energy and passion to everything you do. Dress for success and for the situation. Be bold: ask for the tough assignments. Don’t surf the net, ask for more work or study. Bottom Line: Keep your boss’s boss off your boss’s back and thinks will go well for you. Essentials For Your CM Career How to Get There: The Soft Skills Intangibles

10 Do you really know your purpose? Know how your CM job fits into the organizational paradigm. You and org should be heading in the same direction. Master local policies, processes and procedures. Can’t build credibility unless you know your job. Your proficiency will lead to greater organizational health. Be the “Knowledge Expert”. Essentials For Your CM Career Mission Statement

11 Be open to mobility. Change is inevitable so embrace it. Expands breadth and depth of knowledge base. Everyone does things differently—capitalize on best practices. Not just moving to a new city….could be to a new department. Step out of your comfort zone on a regular basis. Be open to new opportunities and challenges. Spearhead that new process improvement plan. Take a career broadening position. Volunteer to present anything and everything you can. Essentials For Your CM Career Workplace Experience

12 Networking is NOT a dirty word. It’s professional relationship building. Be eager to meet new colleagues. Step away from the cubicle. Like any relationship, it takes time. Embrace social networking sites but… It’s just a bridge. Direct interaction necessary (face-to-face, phone calls, etc). Go to functions Team Building Events Social Hours NCMA Events Essentials For Your CM Career Networking

13 Find an individual you admire or at a position that fits within your goals. OK to go outside your industry, company, or organization. Don’t be afraid to ask! Be selective from whom you take advice. Mentoring plans are essential for establish goal/objectives. Open and Honest Communication – including criticism. If it isn't “clicking”…it is ok to walk away. Essentials For Your CM Career Mentorship: Find a Mentor

14 Mentorship has nothing to do with age, position, or time in. There is always someone that could learn from your experiences. Don’t be a knowledge hog—share insights/lessons learned. Great way to practice your leadership skills in a “safe” environment. Essentials For Your CM Career Mentorship: Be a Mentor

15 What is a leader? What are the qualities of a leader? Are leaders born or made? Real authority vs positional authority. Lead from below. Work from Covey’s Quadrant 2. Try to get into leadership development programs. Professional Military Education (PME) Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP) Read Leadership books. Essentials For Your CM Career Becoming a Leader

16 Burnout is real…you have to find ways to keep engaged! Volunteer! Volunteer! Volunteer! Get a hobby (not related to work) Teambuilding Taking personal time off is a necessity. Spread it throughout the year. Plan ahead and be realistic. Make your health a priority in the workplace. Bottom Line: Take care of yourself…no one else can do it for you. Essentials For Your CM Career Continuous Self-Improvement

17 Is having a work/life balance realistic? What is important to you? 1.Think about what makes you happy and your life goals. 2.Make priorities. 3.Develop habits around those priorities. 4.Weekly planning session (WIGs, Objectives, Tasks). 5.Periodic Review. Essentials For Your CM Career Work Life Balance

18 Are you happy? Do you see yourself doing this for the next 30 years? Do you believe in what your company stands for? Do your goals line up with your current career path? Is this the right career field for me? I’ve hit a professional wall, what do I do? I can’t stand my manager or co-workers! Essentials For Your CM Career The Tough Questions

19 Final Thoughts?