MONUMENT, Colo.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Sep 16, 2002--Technology and the Digital Economy were supposed to make the corporate workplace more efficient. They do. The problem ... they have changed the corporation, making it faster and more volatile than anyone could have imagined. Some new jobs were created, but they made more jobs obsolete, making every job temporary. Making matters worse is the shortage of successful mentors available to college graduates in this volatile, digital business economy. “The cards are definitely stacked against our newest job hunters,” says Chris Lundwall.
A veteran of a ten year “tour of duty” in both Fortune 100 companies and Internet start-ups, author Chris Lundwall utilizes his corporate experience - wounds and wins - to impart survival strategies and practices to new entrants in the digital economy’s business landscape. His book, y10-iQ:_survival guide for a digital business economy (Blitzprint, $19.95, EXCLUSIVELY available at www.y10-iQ.com) guides the collegians and young professional through the minefield of obtaining employment; holding on to a position; advancing quickly; and moving on with finesse if/when it’s time to go on to bigger and better things.
“I provide college graduates with essential tips and critical insight that will help them ‘Survive Today and Succeed Tomorrow.’TM y10-iQ is specifically designed to be a primer for undergraduates and graduates alike giving them a ‘real-world’ view of working in the Digital Business Economy.”
“y10-iQ”, Lundwall says, “delivers the critical wisdom that initiates professional growth and accountability on ‘day one’ for new employees, thus creating more young leaders to create more adaptive companies for more demanding customers on ‘day two’.”
According to Lundwall, “y10-iQ should be considered a proxy mentor that speaks to the challenges and implications associated with finding, keeping and leaving a job while creating value for the employee and the company each step of the way.”
From identifying the “Red Flags of Rightsizing” to the “Three Golden Rules of Advancement” to “Compensation Negotiation” to “Cancerous Corporate Communication” and many more ‘unwritten rules of survival’, Lundwall identifies the mines that derail young careers daily and prevent leadership opportunities from knocking early.
Lundwall’s synopsis on y10-iQ is succinct: “The net-net here is a career is just like a college course—you can miss a few of the multiple choice questions and still pull off an ‘A’, but if you screw up on the essay questions, you’re done. Where this digital business economy is concerned, if you screw up on any of eight key gateways that deliver survival and success, you are going to jeopardize your internship, lose your job, lose a promotion, lose a bonus or lose valuable time. If you don’t know what those gateways are or how to navigate them, you are giving up significant ground to those who do.”
Early feedback since its June release has been dramatic and direct, says Lundwall. “I wrote y10-iQ specifically for college graduates, but it has resonated so poignantly with hiring managers and successful professionals from so many industries that I’ve really had to re-think our marketing strategy.” Lundwall continues, “Business executives and directors from America’s most prolific companies spanning automotive to technology to telecommunications have read y10-iQ and consistently come back with comments like ‘indispensable’ and ‘should have been written ten years ago’, which strongly suggests that anyone who has internalized y10-iQ before their interview has a real advantage.”
The academic community is chiming in as well. “We learned this summer during college book tours that academia is very committed to finding ways and means of better preparing students for success beyond campus, and based on the enthusiasm we observed, it appears that y10-iQ is the perfect handshake,” relays Lundwall.
Among the litany of Lundwall’s candid survival insights detailed in y10-iQ are:
“Always have a pen in your hand when on a job interview. Ditto for every meeting you attend after you are on board. A pen conveys that you are a note taker and copious note-takers are found at top levels of every organization.”
“Know how your boss and your customer is compensated. The rate at which you climb the corporate ladder is directly commensurate with your ability to make your boss and your customers successful, which means knowing how they are measured and what they are responsible for accomplishing in what timeframe. If you are thinking and achieving solely within the mind-set of your own tasks and objectives, you will not over-achieve consistently and you will not be a keeper when the grim right-sizer comes calling.”
“Beware of a refurbished conference room. This is a red flag of rightsizing. If a state of the art audio-visual system is being installed along with a designer conference table, etc. replacing the company’s simpler furnishings, beware. While there is nothing wrong with a company enjoying the fruits of its labors, a company that manages its expenses modestly today creates a steadier ship and stable jobs when the gales of market pressure start to blow.”
“ALWAYS get at least two references when leaving your job. Get a minimum of two solid references from every company you work for. Business moves fast today and at least one of your references will no longer be working for the company within 18 months.”
Chris Lundwall is an executive advisor and co-founder at The Blueprint Group, a global management consulting firm specializing in strategy, globalization, e-business and operations.
More information about y10-iQ: survival guide for a digital business economy can be found at www.y10-iQ.com. y10-iQ:_survival guide for a digital business economy can be ordered EXCLUSIVELY at www.y10-iQ.com.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Chris Lundwall available for interviews.
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