How to Get Ahead: A Proven 6-Step System to Unleash Your Personal Brand and Build a World-Class Network So Opportunities Come To You

by Zak Slayback

Overview

Turbocharge your professional success and accelerate your career.


This practical guide cuts the fluff and gives you real, tangible, actionable steps you can take to build your own world-class network. Even if you think the terms “personal branding” or “networking” sound sleazy, How to Get Ahead teaches you how to earn more, learn more, get more done, and set yourself up for long-term career success.


THIS PROVEN, SIX-STEP SYSTEM TEACHES YOU HOW TO:


• Stop spinning your wheels and set professional goals that you can actually achieve.
• Identify, reach out to, and learn from mentors, teachers, and advisors to shave years off your learning and avoid painful mistakes.
• Eliminate overwhelm and burnout through a personalized project management system
Identify and signal your skills and expertise to unleash your own personal brand.
• Discover The “Seven Deadly Sins of Networking” that kill your chances of building a world-class network—and how to avoid them.
• Tap into your own personal network and get introductions influential people—even if you hate “networking.”
• Make people want to work with you—even if you hate “pitching.”


Whether you’re an employee, a business owner, an academic, a student, or an aspiring “digital nomad,” this book gives you the steps to set up your own system for professional success.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781260441840
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	06/11/2019
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Zak Slayback is a career expert, writer, and venture capital professional. He writes at ZakSlayback.com and creates career development material at GetAheadLabs.com. He's a principal at 1517 Fund, a venture capital fund that invests in technology companies run by young founders working outside of tracked institutions like academia. His writing and strategies have appeared in Fast Company, Newsweek, The Muse, and the New York Observer.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Why Do Most Career Books Suck?

CHAPTER 1 Focus
Find Your Focus, Get a Clear Path to Meaningful
Goals, and Know Exactly What to Do to Get Ahead
Learn a step- by- step system for setting meaningful and useful professional goals. Learn how to make a plan to achieve those goals and stop spinning your wheels in your career.

CHAPTER 2 Learn
Shave Years off Your Learning Curve, Learn from the Best, and Land Great Mentors
Learn exactly how to reach out to the three types of people from whom you need to learn. Know what to say to them to make them want to work with you.

CHAPTER 3 Execute
Focus on the Work That Matters, Avoid Burnout,
and Feel Confident About Tackling Any New Project
Learn a reliable way to prevent burnout and get all of your big projects done without massively changing your habits.

CHAPTER 4 Signal
Unleash a Personal Brand that Grows Your
Network, Brings You Opportunities, and Makes the
Right People Want to Work with You
This chapter is split into two parts. Read the first half to figure out how to establish a personal brand online. Read the second half to learn advanced tactics for growing your personal brand.
9781260441840_Slayback_P5.indd 7 5/24/19 7:17 AM

CHAPTER 5 Connect
Build a World- Class Network Without Feeling
Sleazy, Get Busy People to Talk to You, and Have
Fun Doing It
Even if you hate “networking,” you can build a world- class network while having fun. Use email scripts from this chapter to immediately get started.

CHAPTER 6 Close
Build Your Unfair Advantages, Confidently Pitch
Yourself, and Make It Impossible for Others to Tell
You No
Know exactly which opportunities to pursue and which opportunities to ignore. Learn how to ethically read people’s minds and make them fight over working with you.

Conclusion: Putting It All Together

Bibliography and Further Reading

Index