10 Career Lessons Taken From the Top Headlines of 2013

10 Career Lessons Taken From the Top Headlines of 201310 Career Lessons Taken From the Top Headlines of 2013Celebrities, politicians and even extreme weather made the news belastung year. What can you learn by reflecting on news and headlines to improve your career prospects this year? Personal reputation, honesty, improved communication and legacies are just some of the reoccurring themes you may find helpful in focusing your career in 2014.Get the royal treatment. We cant all be as fortunate as His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. He was born into royalty. That doesnt mean that we cant try and recreate a queenly absatzwirtschaft campaign, or at least toot our royal horn a little. Dont be intimidated or afraid to share your successes with managers. Document your achievements by including them in your LinkedIn profile when they occur, not just when you need a job.Liars never win in the long run. Lance Armstrong, winner of seven Tour de France titles had long disputed the rumor he was taking enhancement drugs. Well, sooner or later, the truth comes out, and liars get caught. You may land a new job or a promotion based on the lies on your rsum or the ones you told during the interview. That doesnt mean thats the end of the background checking. People have been dismissed and fired from jobs based on false information on their rsums, so dont play that game.Be careful what you put out there. Miley Cyrus took extreme creative risks this year. While this is admirable, consider the repercussions to your reputation. Some may say theres no such thing as bad publicity. However, you dont have a team of public relations people to help repair the damaged publicity. Remember whatever you post on social media outlets is almost as public as Cyruss music videos. Dont let it wreck your reputation.Boston strong. The horrific events that occurred during the Boston Marathon remind us of the power of community. Boston rallied together to support each other a nd came out strong, maybe even stronger than before. When faced with misfortune or a catastrophe, will you unite your supporters or attempt to brave it alone? And one other valuable lesson Are you living every day to its fullest?Women, texas tea in. In her book, Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook, suggests that more women should strive for professional success. Her book started a movement and sheds light on the issues facing women in corporate America. If you are a working woman or just someone who wants to start a movement, learn from how Sandberg generated conversation and take action.You cant believe everything. Manti Teo, a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers and former football player for Notre Dame, was either involved in a fake girlfriend saga or duped by schemers. We may never know the real truth behind this story, but what it proves is that we must be vigilant in evaluating the sources of information we consume and share. There is no shortage of scams out there targeting unsuspecting job seekers. Question and research anything that seem too good to be true.Using a name improves communication. Tornadoes and super storms impacted communities around the country. It wasnt until 2013 that winter storms were identified by name an honor previously only bestowed upon hurricanes. Why are we giving storms names? Its simply easier to communicate about a complex storm if it has a name, which our naming program last year demonstrated, says Bryan Norcross, senior hurricane specialist at The Weather Channel. Good communications benefits everyone. Use your name consistently across social media channels and your rsum to ensure you dont confuse people. Also embrace well-recognized key words in your career documentation to improve your communication.A good idea doesnt work when its poorly implemented. Some may not believe the Affordable Care Act was ever a good idea, but President Obama wasnt backing down. What damaged the ACA most was the s oftware malfunction. Test and retest is one moral of this story. The other is to make sure your carefully crafted plan is well-executed. Merely having a great rsum wont guarantee a great job unless you strategically implement a plan to get it into the hands of people who can potentially hire you. Ask people what they think of your plan and listen to the feedback. When you gain buy-in and then implement the solution, the odds for success are greater and everyone comes out a winner. Remember, success occurs when a good idea is implemented well.Whats your backup plan? As Edward Snowden, former NSA contractor, found out, doing the right thing can label you a hero, a whistleblower or a traitor. Doing what you believe is the right thing may not always get you fired, but you should always have a backup plan and be ready to face the consequences. Better yet, work your backup plan all the time, just in case the unforeseen occurs. We also learned from Snowden that our own U.S. government is m onitoring more of our web usage than we thought.Leave a legacy. We celebrated the life of Nelson Mandela in 2013 and the legacy he leaves behind. Dignitaries from around the world paid honor to his life. Why were so many people impacted by Mandelas death? Could it be because he inspired the world to fight not just for racial equality, but for inclusiveness? His message and his lifes mission inspired something in all of us. This is his legacy, but what will yours be?Hannah Morgan is a speaker and author providing no-nonsense career advice she guides job seekers and helps them navigate todays treacherous job search terrain. Hannah shares information about the latest trends, such as reputation management, social networking strategies, and other effective search techniques on her blog, Career Sherpa.