On a nondescript evening this fall, I walked into a 50th floor conference room hosting a networking-event-disguised-as-a-cocktail-party for Today’s Chicago Woman “100 Women to Watch List,” of which I happened to be one. And instead of being excited and ready to mingle, I found myself filled with dread.

Admittedly, being filled with dread at a networking event is nothing new for most people. But for me it’s a veritable occupational hazard. I bill myself as a communication expert — this is my thing. I teach communication skills and I’m known for being able to schmooze and hobnob with the best of them. Yet, when I walked into that so-called “party,” it took every ounce of self-control I had to not pull out my iPhone and pretend I had very important business matters to attend to ASAP. 

As I seriously considered making a run for the door and leaving before speaking with a single soul, I stopped myself. If I couldn’t pull it together and make this event a good use of my time, I definitely wasn’t worth my salt as a communication and career expert.

Here’s what I did. I decided on the spot that it wasn’t about me. I was not going to try to meet a single person of interest to me professionally. I wasn’t going to think about advancing my own cause for even a moment (even though there were likely potential new clients in the crowd). I was going to try to refrain as best I could from telling anyone about my own business or area of expertise.

Instead, I was going to take a page from the Great on the Job playbook and simply focus on one thing — being generous. How could I help others in the room? I have a vast network. I’m great at connecting interesting people with one another. I know lots of smart, talented women in corporate America who are looking for business leads, new jobs, mentors, agents, clients, etc. I love being a power broker of interesting people and ideas.

And so I walked over to a group of women, introduced myself and immediately asked about them — who they were, why they were there, and what they were looking to achieve that evening. And I listened intently — not with feigned interest, or quick glances over my shoulder to see whom the camera crews were interviewing. I listened and thought, who do I know who could help Jillian out? Who can I introduce Lisa to? Who do I know who would love Andrea’s product or Taylor’s service?

I met a jewelry designer whose upcoming trunk show I sent out to all my girlfriends. I met an executive director of a nonprofit and offered to speak to her organization pro-bono. I met several women in real estate whom I connected to my husband; and others in PR who I could do nothing for in the moment, but whom I’ve kept on file for the next person who asks me for a PR referral.

I wound up having fun. I met some fabulous women and felt good about the fact that I could provide leads, contacts, or at the very least, enthusiasm about other people’s businesses.

So as the holiday season nears and you gear up for those obligatory cocktail parties and professional soirees, remember to make it about others, not about you. Be generous — open up your virtual Rolodex, share your contacts, offer to make introductions, try out a new product or check out someone’s service.

You’ll have more fun that way, you’ll learn about new people and ideas, and you might just get something out of it in return. The laws of Karma are no less relevant in the world of networking than anywhere else. At some point down the road, chances are you’ll meet someone at the bar or over canapés who knows the perfect person to introduce you to, or has just the lead you’ve been looking for. Or someone will go out of his or her way to repay your favor or random act of kindness. If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that life is a virtuous cycle — when you keep on giving, eventually you get.

To figure out who wants what and how, be sure to ask your boss, your collegues, your clients: i) How do you want to be reached (email, phone/voicemail, live meeting, text)? and ii) How often do you want to touch base (daily, weekly, as-needed)?

My former boss, Julie, was constantly pinging me with questions about the status of this project or that client account.  It made my blood pressure rise every time I heard my blackberry ding.  I just couldn’t get through the day with her constant interruptions.  So I decided to be bold and suggested I send her a daily, end-of-day email summarizing the status of all my work.  After a few weeks of these updates, she backed off.  Once she realized I was in fact on top of everything, she didn’t feel the need to email me all day long.  As long as I kept her in the loop regularly, she gave me some space and I finally felt like I could breath and get my job done.

If you have a high-pressure job, make sure you know your colleagues communication preferences.  And ask how to reach your boss when there’s a crisis.  Does she sleep with her phone at her side and hear a text coming in, or do you need to call her home phone, even if it means waking up the whole family? Is there someone who always know where she is if you can’t reach her–like when she’s on the slopes in Telluride?

Asking the “how” and “how often” questions will make your life easier. People will appreciate your consideration, and your communication channels will become clearer, more efficient and easier to manage.  And, of course, communication is a two-way street, so go ahead and tell your underlings how and when you want to be pinged.

Social media access is a must

- 1 in 3 millennials said “social media freedom” is a higher priority than salary.

Empower the entrepreneurial spirit

- 30% of millenials started a business in college

Provide quality feedback

- 80% of millennials said they would prefer feedback in real time rather than via traditional performance reviews

Let them grow

- 65% of millennials said personal development was the most influential factor in their current job

Via MBA@UNC Online Business Degree & The YEC“>

On most of you, this dress will end up at knee-length. Pair it with classic, closed-toe pumps and you'll stay cool and professional. Photo courtesy of LOFT

This summer has been a scorcher and that’s made getting dressed for work more challenging than ever.  We’re thrilled to bring you a guest post from Kristyn Schiavone, author of Career Chic for Young Professionals: A Simple Style Guide. who offers great advice to keep you looking fresh, and a little cooler, through the remaining months of Summer.

When the weather is unreasonably toasty, flip-flops, tank tops, shorts, sundresses, miniskirts and printed T’s are standard weekend attire, but think twice before wearing them to the office. While young professionals can get away with a more modern workplace style, we cannot show up as though we’ve taken a wrong turn on the way to the booze cruise, no matter how high the temperature climbs.

Luckily, both men and women have fashion secret weapons to carry them through the dog days of summer looking smart and chic.

Men: The Summer-Weight Suit

Even The New York Times has recently waxed poetic about the summer-weight suit, and with good reason. Suits get really hot and uncomfortable, but this year, the less expensive, lighter (in fabric and color) suit has reached ubiquity.

When it comes to fabric, cotton, lightweight wool and linen blends are all great choices. Never go with straight linen, though, because you’ll be impossibly wrinkled by the end of the day – an instant way to look less than capable. For colors, try khaki or light gray, as lighter hues absorb less heat. Finish off the look with a collared shirt, also in a light color, a tie with a bright pattern, and a pair of bucks. Bucks are great summer dress shoes, slightly more casual than oxfords but slightly dressier than boat shoes, and they come in a variety of colors.

Women: The Sheath Dress

Ladies, stow those black trousers. A fitted, knee-length sheath dress, sometimes known as a suiting dress, in one of the lightweight fabrics I mentioned for the guys will be so much more comfortable in hot weather. As a bonus, it will probably look more pulled-together than plain old trousers and a button-down, too.

As you’re shopping, take care that the dress fits you, but isn’t too tight. If your office is fairly conservative, it should be short-sleeved, but if you’re positive that sleeveless is fine, make sure the neckline is high and most of your shoulders are covered. Instead of black, try a brighter color that you wear well or a different neutral shade. Pair your dress with pumps or flats and a structured bag.

One mistake that women tend to make in the summer is wearing thin, clingy fabrics that are either see-through or show everything, like the jersey used for most wrap dresses. A suiting dress stays office-appropriate and beats the heat at the same time, and it’s also less likely to show sweat.

Not only are these ensembles great for the office, but they make good interview attire too. True, traditional wisdom says you should always wear a classic black suit. But for recent graduates who are job hunting on a budget and really going hard with the applications and interviews during the few months after school ends, summer suits for guys and suiting dresses for gals look sharp and save cash. Just don’t forget to iron your clothes, comb your hair, and print your resumes, and you’ll be set to impress.

And when it comes to your office wear, never be afraid to show a little personality. Companies want young candidates who bring fresh ideas, so whether you’re interviewing or on the job, showing a bit of who you are in the way you dress makes a positive impression.

Kristyn Schiavone is the author of Career Chic for Young Professionals: A Simple Style Guide, which helps men and women who are just starting out in their careers navigate the challenging world of workplace attire. She also writes the syndicated column “Simple Style” for Tribune Media Services. Learn more about Kristyn or get information about purchasing her book at SimpleStyleAdvice.com, and please connect with her on Twitter at @KKSchiavone, because she would love nothing more than to give you outfit pointers.

Photo is courtesy of

Are you one of the 44 million Americans who make your living as a solopreneur or independent contractor? Perhaps you’re considering taking the leap, leaving corporate America and striking out on your own (the independent workforce is projected to grow by 40% to 65 million in 2020). If you’re a freelancer, you know how important it is to get gigs and maintain a healthy backlog of new clients and prospects.

Here are three tips that will help you land that next project or assignment and keep the business coming…

1. Show Your Stuff

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and complete with all of your relevant skills and experiences. Think of your profile as your first stop for personal branding and marketing. Keep SEO in mind and use keywords as you update your profile. Make sure to include phrases like “freelance journalist” or “independent contractor and graphic designer” in your summary, headline and tags. You also want to be easily searchable based on your key skills and desired client base, so include those skills that drive your revenue stream or business, i.e. public speaker, corporate trainer, six-sigma consultant, etc.

Think of it as marketing 101 and be sure to include your value proposition to potential clients as well — what kind of results you do you regularly achieve for clients? Go ahead and boast a bit — your bio should draw potential clients in and make people want to hire you.

And of course, a picture is worth 1000 words — if you work in the visual arts, take advantage of the Behance Creative Portfolio Displayapp. Matthew Kalish, an advertising and production freelancer, uses this app to show off his creations right alongside his profile. It’s easier than ever before to share your artistic genius with the world. For those in creative and non-creative industries—you can show your stuff with LinkedIn’s newSlideShare app — upload your recent PowerPoint presentations to give others an idea of the great work you do.

2. Get Others to Vouch for You

Get recommendations! People want to know that you’re great at what you do. I’m much more likely to hire you when I see that six other people are singing your praises and love working with you. Haven’t stock piled any? Start writing recommendations for others and in exchange, ask friends, colleagues or former clients to reciprocate.

And don’t worry — it’s never too late to ask. Even if you transitioned off a team or stopped working with an organization months or even years ago, it’s okay to reach out, reconnect on LinkedIn and ask for a recommendation. If it has been a long time, consider providing some guidance on what you’d like that recommendation to say. It never hurts to help jog someone’s memory about the great work you did for him or her in the past.

3. Network, Network, Network

Most freelancers live by referrals. Your network is your most important asset. Halee Sage, a project manager and early childhood expert says word of mouth referrals are her best friend. She keeps in regular contact with her network and always reaches out to former clients when she’s between jobs to let people know she’s looking for work. She also sells her skills, not just her experience. “You want to demonstrate that your skill set is broad and can meet all of a clients needs,” says Halee.

Freelance journalist Anita Bruzzese uses her LinkedIn network to find editors to approach with story lines or pitches. She researches their backgrounds and finds mutual connections so that she can get a warm introduction via LinkedIn, which typically yields a much better response rate.

But it’s not just one-on-one networking that’s important. Joining groups can be just as effective. Check out the hundreds of LinkedIn Groups for Freelancers – there are groups for writers, graphic designers, software developers, virtual assistants—you name it.   Find your affinity group and get involved. You can join group discussions, find job postings, and make invaluable connections that will lead to new business leads down the line.

At the end of the day, building and maintaining a strong freelance business boils down to building relationships, marketing yourself regularly and using your extended network to source opportunities. Stay in touch with former clients, classmates and colleagues, don’t be afraid to highlight your skills and talents and ask others to vouch for you. Opportunity is more likely to come knocking at your door when you proactively set yourself up for success.

Conventional wisdom says that an average worker has between 7 and 10 careers in a lifetime.  For the Millennial generation, that number is even higher.  Today’s workforce is mobile, global, and tech savvy.   With opportunities literally at our fingertips, it’s easier (and more acceptable) than ever to try one’s hand in a new field.  If you’ve been thinking about a career change, here are 8 tips to get started:

First, ask yourself three key questions:

1.    Why are you making a switch? Are you bored or not challenged?  Itching to be part of the start-up, high tech revolution?  Do you need to move to a more lucrative field?  Whether you’re looking for more job satisfaction, a bigger paycheck, a more collaborative work environment, or a chance to put your natural talents and skills to use, you’ve got to know what’s driving you and then tailor your job search to meet your needs.    When Suzanne, a close friend, reached her limit as a corporate accountant, she was determined to put her interpersonal skills to use.  As she began to look for new jobs, she focused on organizations and roles that would emphasize and value her communication and leadership skills above all else, and thankfully ended up at a non-profit that did just that.

2.    What do you need to do to break into your new field? Do you need to go back to school to get there? Does it require an advanced degree (Ph.D., MBA, MFA, etc.)?  Are internships or apprenticeships a pre-requisite? If you’re headed to media or entertainment, you likely need to start in the mailroom or as a production assistant.  If journalism is your thing, blogging and/or freelancing are great ways to start.   Finance will likely require an advanced degree while high fashion is all about scoring the right internship.  A great way to learn about what the pathway to success looks like in your desired field is to network within LinkedIn Groups and search for 2nd and 3rd degree connections to ask for informational interviews.

3.    What are your transferrable skills and how will they help you? Chances are you’ve acquired some marketable, transferrable skills along the way.  What do you do well? Coding, graphic design, project management, creative writing?  We’ve all got natural talents and abilities—think about how to put yours to use in your desired field.  What skills will help you mange relationships with teammates, clients, customers or your boss and help you become a great sales rep, councilwoman or entrepreneur? What skills are most valued and how do your natural talents jive with what’s needed to excel in your new field?   Look at the profiles of people who have the positions you want and check out their skills—do yours match up?

Next, get organized

4.    Educate Yourself! Follow industry trends on LinkedIn Today and sign up for Smart Brief newsletters to get smart about what you need to know in real estate, aerospace or advertising.  If you have specific companies you’re interested in, follow them on LinkedInand set up Google alerts for up-to-date news on key transactions or key players in the business.  Join or follow your industry’s key professional associations (and if you don’t know which ones to join, check out Groups You May Like).  You’ll need to be able to speak with confidence and insight about your new industry so that people take you seriously and want to help you pave your way into their field.

5.    Create a set of short-term and long-term goals. A career transition can take anywhere from months to years.  Create a plan with near and long-term goals and strategies to map out your course of action.  I recently spoke with Jessi Walter, a former investment banker who dreamed of opening up her own cooking school for kids.  She longed to start her own business and become an entrepreneur, but the thought of leaving the corporate world (and a steady paycheck) behind was terrifying.   Jessi decided to take baby steps.  She enrolled in an incubator class for women entrepreneurs to bounce around ideas and then reached out to former classmates and friends for brainstorming and fundraising advice.  She scoured her network to find legal advice for small business owners and secure her first location.   She gave herself a timeline of 18 months to get her ducks in a row before leaving her corporate gig.  Today, she is up and running with a staff of thirteen at Taste Buds Kitchen, a state-of-the art test kitchen for kids.

6.    Market Yourself. Update your LinkedIn profile to indicate your interest in your desired field. Make sure your Opportunity Preferences are set to welcome career opportunities.    Tell everyone you know—family, friends and acquaintances—that you’re transitioning into a new field so they can help your cause.  And make sure you’ve got yourpersonal pitch ready in your back pocket so that you can easily explain your professional journey to others – where you’re heading and why, where you’ve been, and how the two are connected (i.e. why this career move makes perfect sense).

Work your network

7.    Who do you know? Explore and expand your network.  Reconnect with classmates using LinkedIn Alumni.  Ask friends, classmates, or former colleagues about job openings in your desired field.  Do an Advanced People Search filtered by industry.  Can your connections share expertise, introduce you to others or sit down with you for informational interviews?  Ask key questions about how people broke into the field—what helped them become successful and what skills do they think are most valuable to new professionals in their industry today.

Reach Out. Finally, stay on top of industry trends, news and events so that you’ve got a great reason to reach out to potential employers, friends or colleagues in your new industry.   Congratulate others on job moves or promotions, offer to help someone breaking into the field you’re leaving, and do your best to reciprocate for help you receive in your own career switch. Reaching out is a two-way street—the more you do for others, the more you’ll receive in terms of help moving forward on your own career path.

A good friend, who happens to be one of the smarter people I know, recently told me she goes into an out-of-body, cold-sweat state when she’s interviewing.  She knows it has cost her plenty of jobs, but she feels powerless to change her fate.  People who can really hit the ball out of the park in job interviews are few and far between.  For the large majority of people, however, interviewing is a dreadful, intimidating experience.  This doesn’t have to be you. The truth is, every interviewer is hoping you’re “the one,” the perfect candidate, the answer to their prayers, an end to the tedium of interviewing dozens (if not hundreds) of candidates.  So remind yourself that people are in fact rooting for you, not against you.

As a former recruiter and recent interviewer for a business development position at my firm, I was struck by the contrast in how various candidates performed in final round interviews.  Here are six key things to keep in mind that could make (or break) your next interview:

Be enthusiastic

Aaron, one of the first candidates I interviewed, was cool and reserved.  He acted more like a disinterested old pal who had known me for years than an enthusiastic potential colleague when I stuck out my hand to say hello. I was turned off immediately.

The importance of being warm, friendly and enthusiastic cannot be overstated. You have everything to lose and nothing to gain by being overly cool at the beginning of an interview.  Please show how thrilled (!) you are to have gotten an interview.  If you can’t muster up the energy to demonstrate that you’re grateful for my time and the opportunity, you might as well not show up at all.

Be prepared

Another no-brainer, but again, one of the candidates I interviewed screwed this part up.  We live in the Information Age.  Chances are pretty good that the organization you’re interviewing with has a website.  Scour that thing and make sure you know your stuff!  What’s their mission?  What’s their competitive advantage? How do they define and differentiate their key products and services?  Why do you love the company?  And what don’t you understand about it? (Keep those notes for the “do you have any questions for me?” segment of the interview).

Set up Google alerts on the company before the interview so that you are on top of current events.   Research the team on LinkedIn.  If something major is going down, like a new product rollout, a management change or a shift in strategy, you’ll look a hell of a lot smarter if you know about it beforehand (assuming it’s public).

Practice, practice, practice.

Practice? Practice?  Are we talking about practice? Yes, indeed we are.  Come up with key questions that will likely be asked of you:

• Why are you interested in this position / organization? (You should nail this question!  Amazingly, a lot of people eff it up….)
• Which of your skills / past experiences make you a great candidate?
• What has made you successful in past positions?
• What differentiates you from other candidate we’re speaking to?
• How have you addressed areas of development in the past?

Have a friend or spouse or parent (even if it mortifies you) interview you and give you feedback.  And then practice some more.

A critical point: it’s a gift to be given notice about a part of an interview— don’t waste it. If you’re told in advance to have something prepared for your interview – a presentation, a lesson, a pitch – make sure you nail it – at least when you’re preparing.  Josh, one of the sub-par candidates I met, seemed very unrehearsed, trying to come up with examples on the spot. It’s better to use notes than not have any and fumble through the process.

Manage your nervous symptoms

Sweaty palms, dry mouth, a nervous laugh—if you suffer from any of these symptoms, have a plan to counteract them.  Ask for a glass of water or tissues if you need them.   Take a moment to catch your breath if you get flustered.  Have gum or mints on hand for before or after the interview.

Be sure to have a bottle of water with you and take a sip if you need it.  It’s not a crime to be anxious, but please don’t make your interviewer listen to the sound of your dry mouth!

Share your vision of yourself in the position

Mark, one of the best candidates I met with, walked me through his virtual business plan demonstrating how he would be successful in the position he was trying to score.  He talked about who he would meet with, how he would describe the program to potential clients and even incentives he might offer to get new business off the ground.  Mark was extremely effective in showcasing that he understood the role and would hit the ground running if given the chance.

Follow up

Irrespective of whether you think the interview was a huge success or that you bombed it, send a thank you note (email is fine) within 24 hours.

The world is small and your professional network even smaller.  There is a good chance you’ll cross paths again with your interviewer or someone at the prospective company.  You just spent 30 – 60 minutes talking to someone and they are now a part of your professional network. You can keep in touch with that person and make something of the relationship, job or no job.

If you did a so-so job in the interview, your thank you note is the perfect place to raise points you may not have hit on during the interview – at this point it can only help your cause.

Finally, if you’re lucky enough to be one of those naturally fabulous interviewees, or you were having a charmed day, you still must send that thank you note, or you’re basically telling your interviewer you don’t want the job.  One of the top candidates I met with moved to the very top of my list with her remarkable thank you note.  Her enthusiasm and confidence sang from the page, and that’s exactly the type of person you want in your organization!

What do you think? Send us your thoughts on your top musts and busts of interviewing; we want to hear from you…

• Women start businesses at 1.5 times the national average
• Women now hold more bachelors and graduate degrees than men and make up one-third of all MBA candidates

BUT, (and this is a big but) 40% of large companies have no women on their boards and only 5 percent of startups are owned by women. What do you think about the stats?  Let us know…

Via MBA@UNC MBA Online & Women 2.0

Originally posted as a GOTJ Guest Post for the LinkedIn Blog

Finding a job in today’s market is daunting enough, even with friends and family cheering you on. But moving cross-country and looking for a job at the same time — it’s enough to throw any sane person over the edge. Launching a job search in a new city is undoubtedly harder than finding a new gig in your hometown, but today you’ve got more resources to help make the transition smooth, seamless and successful.  Here are 8 things to keep in mind as you load up your VW, board that plane, or head for the other coast…

1. Know Why You’re Moving

Ask yourself the tough (or obvious) questions and be straight with yourself.  Are you making a lifestyle choice, (Boulder anyone?) moving to be close to friends and family, or making a career change? Any of these factors will likely impact your job prospects and earning power post-move.  Whatever the case, be honest with yourself about the reality of the situation and adjust your expectations accordingly.

2. Get to Know Your new City

Start reading the local papers online and find some niche blogs that speak to you. Research the business drivers in your new city—is your destination a high tech zone, like Silicon Valley; a booming college-town like Austin, Texas or a burgeoning start-up community like Chicago? How robust is the local economy? Are you moving to Bismark, ND (3.8 % unemployment) or Detroit (10.8% unemployment)?  Take into account the strength of the local economy as you factor in how long your job search will actually take.

3. Tell the World you’re Moving!

Update your LinkedIn profile with your headline — “moving to Minneapolis — looking for a new job in consumer products.”  Post your new status on Google+, Twitter, Facebook — and any other social networking sites you use. Send personal messages to your trusted LinkedIn connections and let people know you’re coming to town. A cross-country move is a great excuse to reach out to former colleagues or classmates and ask for assistance with introductions, informational interviews, or job leads.

4. Leverage Your Network

It’s time to leverage your network and start building new relationships. Use LinkedIn Groups to find like-minded job seekers or networking groups in your new city. The Groups Directory page will give you suggestions of groups to join or allow you to search by keyword or category. And don’t underestimate the power of your alumni network. My Cornell alumni page on LinkedIn is a treasure trove of information — it gives me an incredible dashboard that tells me where fellow alumni live, who they work for and what they do. In a single snapshot, I can tell who is working in business development in the San Francisco Bay Area and presto — I’ve got my target list of people to reach out to to find a biz dev job in that city.

For the more adventurous who want to take networking offline, consider joining an in-person MeetUp group. The Portland Job Seekers Group, for example, hosts regular networking and recruiting events around town.

5. Ask for Help

Once you’ve tapped into your network, old and new, go ahead and take the plunge— ask for the help you need. People relish being the expert on their city and enjoy helping friends and acquaintances find their footing in a new locale. Ask your friends, friends of friends, friends’ parents— who they know who can help your cause. Be as specific as possible in your requests for help.  Do you want contacts in digital media and entertainment or are you looking for informational interviews with consumer products professionals in Cincinnati?

I recently spoke to a job seeker who’s moving to Chicago from New York City.  Micah relies extensively on both her alumni network and LinkedIn community—asking her growing network for help with everything from putting her in touch with local headhunters, making introductions to contacts at financial services firms, even recommending pre-schools for her toddler.

6. Make the Job Search Work for You

There’s absolutely too much information out there to sift through. Instead, make your job search work for you by using the advanced search function in LinkedIn Jobs and searching jobs by keyword, zip code, date posted and more, so that you are only seeing the most relevant and interesting jobs. You’ll also have the ability to see who you’re connected to at respective employers, giving you a great leg up to learn more about a specific company or position. You can also create saved searches and email alerts when new jobs are posted that meet your criteria.

For even more help creating a personalized job search tool, check out Lindsey Pollak’s recent post on curating your own personal job search feed, which gives you great tips on setting up personalized job search alerts from all of your favorite job search sites.

7. Expect to Fail (a little bit….)

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find a job immediately.  There are bound to be bumps and bruises along the way, so plan for hiccups.  Stay busy.  Job search in coffee shops so that you’re not home alone feeling blue.  Get a part-time job or volunteer to get to know people and become engaged in your new community.  Whatever you’re hoping to accomplish, assume it will take longer than expected.

8. Pay it Forward

Finally, reach out and thank all of those who helped you along the way.  Close the loop and let people know how things turned out. And of course, think about how you can return the favor and pay it forward.  Who can you help with a job search or write a LinkedIn recommendation for?  How can you give back to your new (or old) community?  Keep your good fortune in mind the next time someone asks you for a job lead or think about what you can do to help a friend who’s recently been laid off.

With the group’s success, Patty’s tough-love approach was validated (much more clearly, perhaps, than that of the show’s previous tough-love artist Simon Cowell). Though her tactics were questionable, they certainly brought out the best in her team; she truly helped them to become better singers and performers. I’m not saying that you should go out and be like Patty, but if you’re young, ambitious and motivated, you should take a page from that foursome.

Go out and find the most qualified or talented mentor, coach, or manager you can, and subject yourself to everything they can throw at you.

As a rookie, you’re not necessarily supposed to know anything, anyway. All you’ve got is your good attitude, your enthusiasm and a strong work ethic. And when you’re new to a job, people expect you to have bumps and bruises along the way as you move up the learning curve. You also want to take that drubbing now so that you avoid it later on (when your ego takes more of a bruising, when the thought of an 80-hour workweek and simultaneous childcare makes your stomach turn, or when you think you’re simply too old to take that kind of treatment from someone else). So take advantage of that early grace period and test the waters, take risks, put yourself in harm’s way so that when the stakes are higher and you’re not allowed to mess up, you’re uber-qualified and up to whatever task comes your way. You don’t need to be a masochist to really get out there and try your mettle — and learn a lot.

I had a Patty of my own early in my days on Wall Street, and I can’t say enough about how much I learned under his tutelage. His name was Will and he was whip-smart, utterly unflappable, relentless, standing out from all of his type-A overachiever peers at our investment firm.

In fact, a lot of my own peers ran like the plague from a staffing with Will, but for some reason I actually sought him out and asked to work with him. As scared as I was of subjecting myself to his intimidating brilliance, I think I was more terrified of not being able to hold my own with him — what would that say about my own future in the hard-knocks world of Wall Street?

So I decided to take my pain early and learn as much as I could from the master. I found that he and I were kindred spirits in terms of our senses of humor and I managed to tease him about being so smart and demanding when I wasn’t falling flat on my face or screwing up a piece of analysis. But bit by bit, I managed to hold my own and as time went on I began to not only to meet his expectations but to exceed them.

I’ll never forget the elation of getting a shout out from Will for work well done — that really meant something. It meant something to me and it signaled to others that I was legit. After that successful engagement with Will, I rode that victory into other demanding teams and carried with me a new found sense of confidence in my abilities.

Who is your Will? Who can you learn from? How can you challenge yourself and take your game up a notch? If you’re young and ambitious and driven, don’t run from the challenge, run towards it. If you’re terrified of a star manager in your organization, go find a project to do with him or her. Cram as much learning as you can into the front end of your career. You may not love it while you’re going through it, but you’ll carry that learning and success with you as you move up the ladder.

The singers on American Idol have bigger fish to fry than Patty now, but no doubt as they practice and sing their hearts out on national TV, they’re grateful for the discipline, the learning, and the coaching they received from her that set them on their way.