Getting your player ready...
Savvy employees know that getting in good with the right people is an excellent way to boost their careers. When the boss likes you, that promotion might be closer than you know. Here’s a rundown of the other folks who should be on your list.
1. Administrative Assistants. Since admins are a go-between for a lot of people, they know what’s going on, says Marty Nemko, a career coach with U.S. News & World Report. “People are often disarmed by lower level employees,” Nemko says. “They will reveal things to admins that they would not reveal to a VP.” It’s important to get to know all administrative staff members because they’re the ones that get things done, says Vickie Seitner, founder and president of Career Edge One on One Coaching and Consulting. “They’re the ones that are the informal power.” 2. Human Resources. “If you have a problem with a coworker, HR has a lot of power over what gets done,” says Nemko. “Typically, they don’t represent you, the worker, they represent upper management,” though, so making friends in HR might help you get a fair deal. HR people know who is hiring, what is happening in the organization and what the company’s priorities are, Nemko says. HR employees not only know who’s hiring and firing, but in larger companies they know about upcoming leadership development programs and how you can make yourself an attractive candidate to be included in such opportunities, Seitner says. 3. Interns. Employees need to remember that interns are not just there to do the worst tasks, but “if your plate is too full and the interns like you, they may allocate more time to you than to someone else,” says Nemko. “For people in their current post, working with an intern can teach you so much from an educational standpoint,” Seitner adds. It’s a wonderful way to learn what’s new in your field.


