There are many things in life that appear to be completely out of our control.  However, when we take a closer look, it turns out that they aren’t.

One of my clients was disappointed and frustrated to learn that an expected promotion was not going to happen.  While we acknowledged that she cannot give herself a promotion, we also discussed ways to take control over what really mattered in this situation.

Watch my latest Tuesday Tip video to learn why saying that something is out of your control may be just another excuse.  Even though it is not all within your control, a lot of it is, and yes, you CAN become an all star MBA candidate.

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Transcript for this video:

Today’s Tuesday Tip is:   Be in Control.

Yesterday  I spoke with a frustrated client.  She’s been working hard at her job for three years, and has been counting on a promotion for the last several months.  Yesterday, she found out that changes were being made to her program at work, and no promotions were being made this year.  This was an HR decision, unrelated to her performance. The promotion was important to her for a number of reasons, her MBA application being a big one.

Why is the promotion important for her application?  Because demonstrated career progression is really important to an admissions committee.  Sitting in the same job for four or five years, doing the exact same things, and not growing, developing, advancing…this is not good.

She asked me what to do, saying that she was on the brink of giving up on this whole MBA endeavor.  My answer to her?  Take control.

She was confused by this answer.  Since she cannot promote herself, how could she possibly control this situation?
There are a lot of things that go into demonstrating career progression – taking on new projects, learning new skills, taking initiative, managing people, leading teams and more.  The change in title is only one small element of this.
In some ways, the title change is the easy part – that’s something that is handed to you.  In some cases it is almost automatic after a certain number of years of service.  You demonstrate real growth through the actions you take, the way you respond to failure, challenges and the way you react to change.

There are hundreds of ways that you can personally demonstrate your advancement, with or without a title change.   This idea of being in control applies to every aspect of your candidacy.   As it turns out, blaming HR or corporate politics is yet another excuse – it’s really almost all within your control to create the story you want to tell.

Think about ways to create the story you want and then go do it.  Be in control.

My quote for today is by the Earl of Beaconsfield.  He said: “We make our fortunes and we call them fate.”

Interested in watching more? Click HERE to access the Stacy Blackman Youtube Channel.

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