Security pros: Knowing when it's time to move on (and how to do it)

By Dominic Vogel

May 29, 2012, 9:50 AM PDT

Takeaway: Dominic Vogel draws on his recent experience to offer advice on job-changing strategies to security pros and others in IT when you realize it’s time to recharge your career.

Spring is a time for growth and re-birth. It is an ideal time to reflect on your career. There was a time when most people worked for the same company their entire working lives. Given the current supply-demand mismatch in the information security job market (more open positions than qualified candidates), you may be hindering your long-term career growth by staying at the same company, hoping to be rewarded for your loyalty. You need to take active ownership and responsibility for your career, and need to be re-assessing your skills and career goals on a regular basis. A good rule of thumb is to think about shifting roles every three to five years (any more frequent and you may get labelled as a job hopper). I am not advocating switching companies but rather changing roles (you may need to leave your current employer in order to achieve that, however.) I recently went through this experience for the first time (having worked three years for the only company I’ve worked for since graduating from university). To help other infosec pros who find themselves in a similar situation, I would like to share some of my thoughts on the events that transpired leading up to my final day:

Realize when it is time to move on

If you feel that you have stopped learning to the point that your skills are regressing, it is likely time to move on. Having the self-awareness to realize that your career has stalled is imperative to long-term success. Unfortunately, once you get all cozy and comfortable, you’ve likely reached that glass ceiling and need to seek new opportunities and challenges.

Revitalizing the resume

The goal of the resume and cover letter is to land an interview. Making it past the gauntlet that is human resources is a daunting but not impossible task. In order to make your resume standout, list five key strengths near the top of the page, or include a personal branding message. When listing your work accomplishments try and include some quantifiable numbers. These seemingly insignificant changes can be effective in getting your resume noticed. See TechRepublic’s Career Management blog for some great resume tips like these recent ones:

• What is the best font to use in a resume?
• Four things that make your resume look dated

Beyond online job sites: Get involved with local security community

By only checking online job sites, you limit yourself to a smaller pool of opportunities. Being an active member of the security community (regularly attending conferences or membership in security associations such as ISACA or ISSA) allows you to leverage your network more effectively. The best job is often the one that is not widely advertised.

Seek out a recruiter — a trusted adviser

I must confess that I once lumped recruiters in the same category as used car-salesmen, real-estate agents, politicians, and tax collectors. I could not have been more wrong. A great recruiter can serve not only as an adviser but can offer organizational insight into the companies to which you are applying. I was very fortunate to meet a terrific recruiter who provided invaluable guidance, and who I will consult on my future career moves. A trusted recruiter is like a trusted mechanic, they are hard to find, but when you find one, they will serve you in good stead throughout your career. There are countless recruiting firms to choose from, so some research may be needed beforehand (See “How to find a good recruiter in your area.”)

Apply, rinse, and repeat

Do not shy away from applying to positions because there is something in that job description that doesn’t appeal to you, or that you do not possess all the qualifications that are listed. Most job descriptions are written by someone in HR that has little understanding or knowledge of the intricacies and nuances that are required to work in information security. Nearly all the job postings online are formed from generic templates that do not necessarily reflect the skill nor the duties that the role requires. Do not be afraid to apply; after all nothing ventured is nothing gained.

Giving two-week notice

This was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I have the utmost respect and admiration for my former manger and mentor (he was the only one who was willing to give a fresh graduate the chance to work in the security field). Be sincere and heartfelt when delivering the news. Explain that you will do everything required to make the transition as smooth as possible. Most managers will be happy for you and realize that constant change is part of the modern business landscape.

Transition planning

It would be unprofessional to leave your co-workers and manager dangling without properly transitioning your duties. Fully documenting your “organizational knowledge” and processes/procedures that you follow for your day-to-day duties will make it much easier for your successors to continue your work with minimal trouble.

Saying goodbye

Hopefully, you will be leaving on good terms. The IT community (especially the IT security community) in some areas is very small, so it would be prudent to garner reference letters and LinkedIn recommendations. Be sure to exchange personal contact information as well. Former co-workers and mentors can serve as sounding boards when you come across new problems and challenges. In today’s inter-connected world with applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, keeping in professional contact has never been easier.

Hit the ground running

Ask as many questions as you can and meet as many of your new coworkers as possible. Don’t just restrict yourself to people in your department. The best way to learn about the ins-and-outs of the business is by talking to with those out in the “trenches.” As a security professional, this is a great way to learn about critical business processes and to get a chance to view security in a business context.

Leaving your coworkers and friends can be a very difficult experience. What is important are the relationships forged, and the experience and the skills gained over the course of your employment. Take the time to reflect on what you did well as well as areas for improvement. In IT (and especially security) we need to embrace and manage change as it is part of our daily working lives. I am eager for the changes and new experiences  that await me in my new role. That being said, I wish to extend a sincere thank you to my former colleagues for their mentoring over the years, and for giving this kid a chance to work in information security when no one else would.

The secret productivity killer

(MoneyWatch) A new team member seems bright and capable. But soon after she starts the job, you notice that she's always tense, tired and has trouble concentrating. It's interfering with her ability to get her work done. The reason?
It could be that her partner snores.

"The amount of productivity that is affected by this nationally is hard to quantify," says Dr. David Volpi, founder of the Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center, but estimates that it runs well into the billions of dollars. Sometimes snoring is a sign of sleep apnea -- a very serious medical condition that, among other things, disrupts the snorer's sleep -- but sometimes snoring is just snoring. It doesn't bother the snorer himself (and among younger snorers, "him" is more likely than "her") but whoever sleeps with him can potentially face lousy sleep until death do them part.

The question of whether snoring affects productivity is basically the question of "does a lack of sleep or interruption of sleep affect productivity," says Dr. Volpi. The answer? "Absolutely." People suffering from chronic sleep interruptions experience irritability, daytime fatigue, and a lack of ability to concentrate.

Fortunately, people no longer simply have to suffer through nights of poking the snorer to wake him up or decamping to the couch. Once sleep apnea is ruled out, treatments have improved to being as simple as "office procedures done under local anesthesia," says Dr. Volpi. "I see 30-35 people a week," and about 70% achieve their goal -- that "their partner can sleep through the night" or at least that "everybody's happy." Any night time wake-ups are just because someone has to go to the bathroom.

Does snoring cause a loss of productivity in your house? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Diet that fights cancer

The National Cancer Institute estimates that roughly one-third of all cancer deaths may be diet related. What you eat can hurt you, but it can also help you. Many of the common foods found in grocery stores or organic markets contain cancer-fighting properties, from the antioxidants that neutralize the damage caused by free radicals to the powerful phytochemicals that scientists are just beginning to explore. There isn't a single element in a particular food that does all the work: The best thing to do is eat a variety of foods. The following foods have the ability to help stave off cancer and some can even help inhibit cancer cell growth or reduce tumor size.
Spice it up
The right spice can make the meal—and block the tumor. That's what University of Illinois researchers discovered when they pitted turmeric against19 different strains of H. pylori, the ulcer-inducing bacterium that's been linked to colon and gastric cancers. In every case, turmeric took the teeth out of H. pylori. "Turmeric didn't necessarily reduce the bacterial load," says Gail Mahady, Ph.D., the study's lead author. "What it did was reduce the chronic inflammation caused by H. pylori. And it's this inflammation that has been associated with the development of cancer."

The best way to increase your intake of turmeric? Eat Indian food. Specifically, try dining on curry, which is rich in turmeric and often contains additional cancer quashers, such as garlic and onions.

Another option: Slather extra mustard on all your sandwiches; the bright yellow variety is loaded with turmeric.
Fish for health
Shark cartilage won't ward off cancer, but a shark's diet might. A recently completed 12-year Harvard study of nearly 48,000 men determined that those who ate fish more than three times a week were 40 percent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer than those who hit the surf only twice a month.

It's those amazing omega-3s again, though they don't deserve all the credit. "Fish also contains vitamin A and vitamin D, which may help prevent prostate cancer," says Michael F. Leitzmann, M.D., a coauthor of the study.

That's why it may be better to skip supplements and stick with actual fish. Salmon, mackerel, and herring have the best balance of omega-3s, vitamin A, and vitamin D.

Note: Don't wait until the weekend to go fishing, says Dr. Leitzmann. "Space your fish consumption out over the week so you consume a steady supply of these compounds."

Drink tangy juice
Fresh squeezed OJ contains all the health benefits of oranges except one: the cancer protection in the peel. People who regularly consume citrus zest reduce their risk of squamous-cell skin cancer by 30 percent, according to a recent University of Arizona study. Even lab rats live longer on the stuff; animal studies suggest that citrus zest can actually shrink existing tumors.

Turns out the oils in the peels of oranges, lemons, and grapefruit contain powerful compounds that stimulate the body's production of a detoxifying enzyme, explains study author Iman Hakim, M.D., Ph.D., who says the results had an impact on her research group. "Several people around here started chewing on citrus peels," she says.

Another option: Grate the colored portion of the peel and add the pile of zest (at least a tablespoonful) to soups, salads, and salsa, or sprinkle it on chicken and fish.

Sip it up white
Green tea grabs all the headlines as a tumor-taming brew, but the white kind surpasses it at preventing colon cancer. When researchers at Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute tested the two teas' abilities to block colon-polyp growth, the blanc beverage was about 10 percent more effective. In fact, it stopped polyps as effectively as sulindac, a powerful anti-inflammatory drug.

And while prescription anti-inflammatories can cause internal bleeding and ulcers, "tea is pretty much guaranteed not to cause side effects," says Gayle Orner, Ph.D., the study's lead author. The study used Exotica white tea; 3 cups a day may be enough to cut your cancer risk.

Eat your whey
Not since lycopene landed in our lives has there been a more promising prostate-cancer-fighting nutrient than whey protein. In a recent Ohio State University study, researchers treated human prostate cells with whey protein and then measured the cells' levels of a natural cancer-blocking compound called glutathione.

The finding: Glutathione levels rose by a remarkable 64 percent. "Whey is a great source of the amino acid cysteine, and cysteine can become glutathione in the body," explains Rosemary L. Walzem, R.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Nutrition, Health, and Food Genomics at Texas A&M University.

One of the best sources of whey is yogurt; a lot of the protein is in the clear liquid on top, so don't pour it off. You can also pick up powdered whey-protein isolate—vanilla-flavored—and add it to instant oatmeal.
Indulge in berry
Make every day Thanksgiving and you could slash your risk of several different cancers. Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles have confirmed that cranberries contain a trove of tumor-blocking compounds, including phenolic acids, glycosides, and anthocyanins.

These phytochemicals are effective at preventing cancer down below—in the colon and prostate—as well as up top—on the head and neck. "They force cancer cells to die or they inhibit their unregulated growth," says David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., a coauthor of the study.

To hit your daily cran quota, down a small glass of cranberry juice (the type that lists at least 27 percent juice on the label) at breakfast and snack on Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries) throughout the day.
Food with cool name
The nutrient with the coolest name—gamma tocopherol—may also be the one with the fastest draw in a showdown with cancer. When Purdue University researchers pitted this form of vitamin E against prostate- and lung-cancer cells, they discovered that it was able to stop the cells in their microscopic tracks.

What's more, gamma tocopherol helped kill existing tumor cells without hurting healthy cells, says Qing Jiang, Ph.D., the study's lead author.

But what about the research showing that vitamin E supplements are worthless, and perhaps even dangerous? Doesn't apply to gamma tocopherol, since it isn't included in most E supplements.

Instead, you'll find it in sesame oil, which you can sub for other cooking oils or sprinkle over salads. Or, if you want a source you can sink your teeth into, munch on walnuts.

Signs that your are sleep deprived

ur bodies give us plenty of signals when we’re tired. But some of us are so used to being sleep deprived that we remain oblivious to how impaired we really are. Sleep debt isn’t something you can pay off in a weekend, researchers say—it can take weeks of building up restorative sleep habits. Here are some signs you may need to make sleep a more urgent priority.

Block in thinking!
You’re up late one night booking your next vacation, and even though you know the dates and destination, you’re overwhelmed by minor details. Should you get a refundable ticket? Window or aisle seat? Rent a car now or later? When you’re tired, you’re less able to distinguish between important and irrelevant information, such as your seat assignment.

The result: Even the simplest decision takes on exaggerated importance. Tired people also take riskier gambles to maximize results (Maybe if I wait until the last minute, the ticket price will go down) and have trouble adjusting to changing circumstances (like firming up an itinerary if flying from an unfamiliar airport).

Hungry after a hearty meal!
Shortchanging your nightly sleep can make your waistline suffer. Studies show that chronic sleep loss can disrupt blood sugar levels and cause the body to produce less leptin, a hormone that curbs appetite, and more ghrelin, leptin’s hunger-stimulating counterpart. Because of these physiological changes, you may be more likely to overeat when you skimp on sleep—and the food you pick probably won’t be either nutritious or a lasting source of energy. Tired people tend to be particularly drawn to sugars and other simple carbohydrates, probably because the body is looking for a quick pick-me-up. Sleep deprivation also tends to erode self-control, making you more likely to choose a brownie over carrot sticks.

Coming down with cold!
Inadequate sleep can leave you more vulnerable to infection than those who are well rested.In one study, researchers injected healthy volunteers with a cold virus. Those who slept less than 7 hours a night for the previous week were 3 times more likely to develop symptoms than those who got 8 hours or more. In another study, people who got only 4 hours of sleep for several nights in a row had a weaker immune response to the flu vaccine than those who slept between 7.5 and 8.5 hours.

Easy your are put to tears!
Do those ballads on American Idol move you to tears? Try going to bed earlier. Don’t automatically chalk up your sudden weepiness to PMS: Without sleep, you are more emotionally volatile. In one brain-imaging study, for example, people who missed a night of sleep and viewed disturbing images had 60% more activity in the amygdala, which is involved in processing fear and anxiety, compared with better-rested volunteers. The study also found that the sleepy volunteers’ amygdalae communicated less with the part of the brain that determines appropriate emotional responses, suggesting that they weren’t doing a good job of tempering their emotions. When we’re sleep deprived, we may also feel glum because tired brains store negative memories more effectively than positive or neutral ones. If you are chronically sleep deprived, you could act like someone with depression.

Become senseless of surrounding!
One moment you’re brewing a cup of afternoon tea and the next thing you know, you’ve spilled it all over your new dress. Sound familiar? Researchers have accumulated ample evidence that the sleep deprived have slower and less precise motor skills, but exactly why isn’t yet known. Sleepy people may be clumsier for several reasons: Impaired reflexes and a lack of focus may make it hard for them to react quickly enough to things that spring up in their path. Another possibility: Sleepiness throws off balance or depth perception. In any case, it’s not uncommon for very sleepy people to black out momentarily when the body’s urge to sleep gets too strong. So it’s possible that your klutziness stems from “microsleeps” that last for a second or two.

Why does an apple a day keep the doctor away?

Why does an apple a day keep the doctor away? Danish microbiologists fed rats a diet high in whole apples and apple products such as apple juice and puree to check if eating apples affected the level of “ friendly “ bacteria in the rats’ digestive system. It seemed that when apples were eaten regularly over a period of time, these bacteria helped produce short-chain fatty acids that provided ideal pH conditions for ensuring a beneficial balance of microorganisms. They also produced a chemical called butyrate, an important fuel for cells
of the intestinal wall. Apples are rich in pectin, a component of dietary fibre in apples, and boot the level of certain bacteria that may improve intestinal health and reduce risk of some diseases.

Inner ear can ''store'' recent sounds: Study

A new study has revealed that vibrations in the inner ear continue even after a sound has ended, perhaps serving as a kind of mechanical memory of recent sounds. perception, the results may shed light on other fascinating aspects of the auditory system, such as why some gaps between sounds are too brief to be perceived by the human ear. The inner ear contains a structure called the cochlea that serves as the organ of hearing. The cochlea is a coiled, fluid filled structure that contains a "basilar" membrane and associated "hair cells".

Essentially, sound-evoked vibrations of the basilar membrane are sensed by the hair cells, which in turn convey auditory information to the nervous system. Some hair cells respond to basilar membrane vibrations by producing forces that increase hearing sensitivity and frequency selectivity through mechanisms that are not completely understood.

"Because hair cell force production is initiated by the acoustic stimulus, it was assumed to end when the stimulus was removed," says senior study author, Dr. Alfred L. Nuttall from the Oregon Hearing Research Center. "However, there is evidence that some tones produce vibrations that continue even after the end of the stimulus." Using anaesthetized guinea pigs, Dr. Nuttall and colleagues recorded basilar membrane motion and hair cell related potentials in response to various sounds.

They observed that after-vibrations were dependent on the magnitude and frequency of the sound stimuli and that even minor hearing loss elicited a profound reduction in after-vibrations. "The after-vibrations appear to be driven by sustained force production in the inner ear – a form of short-term memory of past stimulations," says Dr. Nuttall. "It is important to point out that although our findings clearly document the existence of after-vibrations, further work is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanism."

The authors also discuss the potential relevance of after-vibrations for sound perception. "The ability to detect brief gaps in an ongoing stimulus is critical for speech recognition; gaps need to be longer than a minimal interval to be perceived," explains Dr. Nutall. "To the extent that after-vibrations excite the auditory nerve fibers, they may explain part of the difficulty in detecting such gaps."

Over an hour of meditation reduces pain

A little over an hour of meditation produces powerful pain-relieving effects in the brain, a new study shows. "This is the first study to show that only a little over an hour of meditation training can dramatically reduce both the experience of pain and pain-related brain activation," said Fadel Zeidan, who led the study. "We found a big effect - about a 40 percent reduction in pain intensity and a 57 percent reduction in pain unpleasantness," added Zeidan, post-doctoral research fellow at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre.

"Meditation produced a greater reduction in pain than even morphine or other pain-relieving drugs, which typically reduce pain ratings by about 25 percent," said Zeidan, reports the Journal of Neuroscience. For the study, a group of healthy volunteers who had never meditated attended four, 20-minute classes to learn a meditation technique known as focused attention, according to a Wake Forest statement.

Focused attention is a form of mindfulness meditation where people are taught to attend to the breath and let go of distracting thoughts and emotions. Both before and after meditation training, participants' brain activity was examined using a special type of imaging -- arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging (ASL MRI) -- that captures longer duration brain processes, such as meditation, better than a standard MRI scan of brain function.

During these scans, a pain-inducing heat device was placed on the participants' right legs. This device heated a small area of their skin to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that most people find painful, over a five-minute period. The scans taken after meditation training showed that every participant's pain ratings were reduced, with decreases ranging from 11 to 93 percent, Zeidan said.

Eating 3 bananas a day could slash stroke risk by 21%

British and Italian researchers have found that eating three bananas cuts the risk of a stroke. The findings suggest that thousands of strokes could be prevented by the consumption of other potassium-rich foods such as spinach, nuts, milk, fish and lentils. Although some previous studies have suggested bananas could be important for controlling blood pressure and preventing strokes, results have not always been consistent.


In the latest research, scientists analysed data from eleven different studies - dating back to the mid-Sixties - and pooled the results to get an overall outcome. They found a daily potassium intake of around 1,600 milligrammes, less than half the UK recommended daily amount for an adult of 3,500mg, was enough to lower stroke risk by more than a fifth.

The average banana contains around 500 milligrammes of potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure and controls the balance of fluids in the body. Too little potassium can lead to an irregular heartbeat, irritability, nausea and diarrhoea. Researchers from the University of Warwick and the University of Naples said potassium intake in most countries is well below the recommended daily amount. But if consumers ate more potassium-rich foods and also reduced their salt intake, the annual global death toll from strokes could be cut by more than a million a year.

Extra stress 'can lead to memory loss

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have shed new light on how stress can contribute to memory loss in old age. The study could aid research into treatments for age-related memory disorders. Many believe that stress is bad for our brains especially as we get older. Now, researchers have shown how two receptors in older brains react to a stress hormone called cortisol. This has been linked to increasing forgetfulness as we age. While we know that stress hormones affect memory, this research explains how the receptors they engage with can switch good memory to poorly-functioning memory in old age. The study found that one receptor was activated by low levels of cortisol, which helped memory. However, once levels of this stress hormone were too high they spilled over onto a second receptor.

This activated brain processes that contribute to memory impairment. The study found that high levels of the stress hormone in aged mice made them less able to remember how to navigate a maze. The memory recall problem was reversed when the receptor linked to poor memory was blocked.

The research helps explain why too much stress over a prolonged period interferes with the normal processes in storing everyday memories. This is despite the fact that a little bit of stress can help us better remember emotional memories.

We now know that lowering the levels of these stress hormones will prevent them from activating a receptor in the brain that is bad for memory. Understanding the mechanisms in the brain, which affect memory as we age, will help us to find ways to combat conditions linked to memory loss.

The Hard Truth About How Success Really Works

Here's what's getting in your way when you attempt (and fail) to hit those "reach" goals.

By Jeff Haden |  @jeff_haden   | Nov 22, 2011

Many people fall prey to, “Yeah, but...” thinking.

I have a friend who absolutely hates how successful his brother-in-law has become. “Oh yeah, I’d like to be doing that well,” he’ll say, “but he has very little downtime.”

Another is bitter because one of his friends is extremely fit. “Oh yeah, I’d like to be in that kind of shape,” he’ll say, “but he has to run like 30 miles a week.”

Sound familiar? It’s easy to look at people who are successful and begrudge their success. So we say, “Yeah, but he constantly watches what he eats,” about a thin friend, or, “Yeah, but he’s a slave to his schedule,” about a friend who achieves multiple goals, or even, “Yeah, but he took on way too much risk when he started his company,” about another entrepreneur.

But that’s how success works. Fit people are fit because they work out a lot. Successful people are successful because they work incredibly hard. People whose family relationships are close-knit have put time and effort into building those relationships.

Nothing worth achieving comes without a price. To begrudge those who pay the price is unfair. To be unwilling to pay the price will always result in failure.

The next time you consider a goal you want to achieve, decide if you really want to pursue that goal. If the answer is yes, the rest isn’t easy but it is simple.

Look around: No matter what your pursuit, plenty of people have already succeeded. Great blueprints and easy-to-follow road maps are everywhere.

If you want to start a business, don’t look at the guy down the street who only talks a good game; pick a person who has succeeded and follow her example. Do what she did. It will be really hard, but it will work. If you want to run a marathon, don’t use the guy struggling on the treadmill next to you as an example; follow the training program of a person who has run a number of marathons. It will be really hard, but it will work.

If you don’t have what you want, pay the price to get it. Don’t begrudge the success of others. Do what they do. It works for them and will work for you.

If you’re not willing to pay the price, recognize that fact and take that particular goal off your list. When you truly let go of a goal you say you want to achieve but really aren’t willing to work to achieve, you shrug off the mental drain of chronic frustration and get more energy to spend on the goals you really are willing to achieve.

Then, instead of begrudging the success of others, you’ll be happy to cheer them on from the sidelines­—just like they will for you. 

5 ways to keep your rockstar employees happy

The Googleplex, Google’s corporate headquarters in Mountain View California, is legendary for its perks. Employees have access to unlimited free meals, haircuts, dry cleaning, massages, and even onsite medical care.

Yet earlier this year, when Googleinterviewed its employees about what they valued most at work, none of these extravagant benefits made the top of the list. Neither did salary. Instead, employees cited access to “even-keeled bosses who made time for one-on-one meetings, who helped people puzzle through problems by asking questions, not dictating answers, and who took an interest in employees’ lives and careers.”

Tangibles like salary and benefits aren’t enough to guarantee that your best and brightest creatives will remain engaged. Indeed, a recent landmark study by Arnold Worldwide of 3,000 employees and 500 executive leaders across a range of communication and advertising firms found that 30 percent of the advertising workforce say they’ll be gone from their job within 12 months.

Take Jill, an outstanding, experienced copy editor whom Agency X recently recruited at considerable expense from one of its chief rivals. Despite her outward success, she’s unsure how she’s performing, where she stands in the company, and how she fits into the overall goals of the agency. Her pay is great, she loves the Friday office happy hour, but over time, she finds herself feeling demotivated by the lack of communication, and checks out.

The loss of star performers like Jill doesn’t just leave a talent vacuum to fill; it also leaves a gaping hole in the bottom line. Indeed, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal calculated that it typically costs a company about half a position’s annual salary to recruit for that job ¾ and several times that if the position requires rare skills.

So how can your company keep its stars engaged? It comes down to creating a culture of communication — one in which employees know where the organization is headed, how they fit into these plans, and what’s expected of them. Here are a few key strategies your agency can employ to make this happen.

1. Create a culture of education

The average Starbucks barista gets more training in a year than the average employee in a communications company, according to the Arnold Worldwide study.

For employees, the single most important motivational factor was the ability to learn. Yet the study found a huge disconnect when it comes to perceptions about company training. While 90 percent of employees say they learn by figuring things out on their own, only 25 percent of executives think that employees learn independently.

To keep employees motivated, agencies need to build a culture of learning, where employees leave more enriched at the end of each day.

2. Provide regular, consistent feedback

Employee feedback is a critical part of the education process, and shouldn’t just be relegated to the annual review. To be effective, feedback needs to be specific and actionable. But that’s not always how it works.

In a study by Leadership IQ, 53 percent of employees said that when their boss praises excellent performance, the feedback does not provide enough useful information to help them repeat it. And 65 percent responded that when their boss criticizes poor performance, it doesn’t provide enough useful information to help them correct the issue.

Feedback, both positive and constructive, is most effective when given right away. Negative feedback given a month after the fact can lead to a passive-aggressive environment in which an employee feels powerless to act on the advice.

Think of it this way: no one wants to go a full day knowing their price tag was hanging from the back of their shirt, or the remnants of the salad they had for lunch were still stuck in their teeth. If an employee does something well, that activity should be encouraged. And if there’s room for improvement, they should be given the opportunity to learn for their next task.

3. Set time aside for weekly 1:1 meetings

At first, most employees and managers will cringe at the idea of yet another meeting. But instituting weekly 1:1 meetings can be the most important step you take to retaining your top performers.

In its quest to build a better boss, Google discovered that its worst managers weren’t consistent in their 1:1 meetings; some focused on meeting with people who were underperforming, while others met primarily with the top performers.

Consequently, Google implemented the best practice of 1:1 meetings with all team members.

These meetings can cover anything and everything ¾ from upcoming projects to the latest client news. With each week, discussions about goals, feedback, and concerns become a lot more natural ¾ unlike the awkward, starchy conversations during annual reviews. Over time, it becomes easier for both sides to raise potential problems and deal with them early on, before they fester into something destructive.

4. Manage the grunt work properly

Not every project is going to be awesome. That’s just the way business works. And chances are your employees understand this.

However, managers need to handle such projects responsibly and that means a few things. Boring projects should always be balanced with more stimulating work. Employees should always be told how any grunt works fits into the overall needs of the company (“If we do a good job on x, we’re hoping the client will give us their cool launch next year”). And specific parameters should always be set for the boring stuff ¾ meaning employees should always see light at the end of the tunnel.

5. Publicly acknowledge good work

All too often, managers see motivation in terms of financial compensation, but money is far from the only way to effectively reward talented employees. A 2009 survey by McKinsey Quarterly asked which incentives were the most effective in motivating employees. The top two responses were: “Praise and commendation from immediate manager” (67 percent), and “Attention from leaders” (62 percent).

Praise and commendation go a long way in making employees feel noticed and valued. And the impact of a pat on the back is multiplied when it’s done publicly. Through public commendations, employees not only feel the support and respect of their manager, but the entire organization as well (including top-level executives). Creating a framework for “social recognition” will encourage a culture of appreciation throughout your firm.

Keeping your rockstar employees on board has always been important, and don’t think that economic uncertainty will keep your employees around. Your company has worked hard to recruit some bright people and great talent; make sure an opaque work environment doesn’t drive them into the arms of your competition.

Daniel Debow is co-founder and co-CEO of Rypple, a social performance management platform.

Three ways to turbo-charge your tech career

akeaway: While you can’t affect all circumstances of your career, you can either plot a new course or be battered by the winds with no real direction. The former is far more interesting.

I occasionally skim the comments here on TechRepublic, and unfortunately it’s a rather depressing exercise since a recurring theme is a feeling of helplessness and endless ineffectual struggle that’s standard operating procedure for a career in IT. Combine this with the popular caricatures of IT workers in movies like Office Space and your daily dose of Dilbert, and one wonders if there is any other profession that seems so enamored with self-flagellation, or so mired in self-pity.

While we all know that the internet and popular media bring out extremes, and the actual state of affairs is likely far less dire, it should be a concern of all of us that a field that held so much promise seems to engender such feelings of helplessness. To that effect, I humbly suggest the following:

Turn entropy into forward energy

Patrick Gray, an IT consultant who usually writes for our IT Leadership blog, wanted to share his thoughts on the IT career.

While my high school physics teacher might protest, I’d define entropy as useless energy; efforts expended with no real aim, that accomplish absolutely nothing. Complaining about one’s lot in life has a minor and immediate cathartic effect, but falls squarely in the entropy category. Even if your boss is truly a jerk, the CEO is conspiring to outsource your job to Outer Mongolia, and politicians of all stripes are contemplating legislation specifically designed to make your life miserable, say a single “woe is me” then put pencil to paper and figure out a plan to improve your lot in life. Forward action feels like a healing salve on an open wound, and lets you take command of a situation rather than stumbling through your career, wondering where the years have gone. While you can’t affect circumstances, you can either plot a new course or be battered by the winds with no real direction. The former is far more interesting.

Train thyself

I’m amazed when I meet people that refuse to learn a new skill until they’ve received officially sanctioned training, the worst offenders glibly saying “I haven’t been trained in that” and refusing to even crack a manual, or actually try the new program or process. Sadly, training is one of the first line items to be wacked when budgets are trimmed, and if you rely on corporate-style training to enhance your skills, you’ll likely never get anywhere.

There’s nothing wrong with “shoulder surfing” with a colleague who has a skill you want to acquire, or spending some time on the web, which has become the ultimate technical training manual. I joke with colleagues that I’ve “outsourced my brain to Google” but kidding aside, with everything from ERP systems to debugging a hardware problem, a quick Google search usually has step-by-step instructions, which can eventually lead to concrete skills.

When opportunities for formal training do appear, jump on them, and seek skills that are long-lasting and transferrable. While learning the newest version of a programming language might be interesting, project or general management training has a longer “shelf-life” and might dovetail a bit more closely with your long-term career plans.

You, Inc.

Another item for the entropy category is laments about employer/employee loyalty, and the long-lost concept of employment for life. I know precisely one person that had the same employer for his entire career (my dear old dad) and for better or worse, he’s the exception to the rule. This is a double-edged sword, however. Just as your employer may see you as a number in a database to be expended when convenient, you too should see your employer as not only a source of a paycheck, but a source of knowledge and transferrable skills that you can apply to your next endeavor when you see fit.

There’s no shame in fighting for an assignment that will help you remake your career, even if it’s not in the ultimate best interest of the company. Similarly, if a new and compelling opportunity presents itself, there’s no shame in thanking your current employer, remaining gracious so as not to burn any bridges, and scurrying out the door.

In the worst case, consider a complete career makeover. While it seems daunting, a return to school for an advanced degree is one potential (albeit costly) way to remake yourself, or seek roles that combine business knowledge and technology experience. Big business software projects like ERP or CRM are full of these roles, and you can also suggest a “tour of duty” within your company, but outside of IT.

While work is rarely anyone’s idea of unending enjoyment, being stuck in a job or career that generates nothing but angst is not a good way to go through life, and one that most of us have more power to change than we realize.

Exercise and Memory

Regular aerobic exercise can improve your memory. Your brain is your tool for remembering, so you have to make sure the brain has enough oxygen and other nutrients. Daily physical activity is one way to increase blood flow to your brain. It has been proven that building your aerobic capacity (through aerobic activity like running or cycling) increases oxygen not only to your brain but to all your other organs.

Oxygenate Your Brain

When your oxygen is low, your ability to concentrate is hurt. When you can't concentrate, you can't learn new information easily or recall information you studied in the past. Many studies have shown that physical activity increases the flow of oxygen to your brain.
As fitness expert Robert Sweetgall, who has walked over 70,000 miles in his lifetime, explains:
"Exercise helps oxygenate (supply oxygen to) the brain. This supply makes it function better. Even walking 15 minutes a day will help you focus better."
If you don't exercise regularly, try starting with a simple cardio program at home. You might want to check out the 20-Minute Memory Solution exercise program that I personally use. It really works!

Aerobic Exercise Builds New Brain Cells

Research done in the last ten years shows that intense aerobic activity actually grows new brain cells (neurons) in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is one part of the brain responsible for - you guessed it - MEMORY.
A March 2007 study by the Scott Small of the National Academy of Sciences showed that "a three-month program of vigorous aerobic exercise seemed to produce new neurons in this area, as well as improvements on tests of mental recall." This study found a 30 percent increase in the number of brain cells in the human participants. For the study, the participants were exercising intensely one to two hours a day, four days a week, on a treadmill or stationary bicycle.
Aerobic activity is something I can do that actually grows neurons in the memory section of my brain, and which is also proven to have tremendous benefits for other reasons (keeps me fit, increases lifespan, energy, fights diseases, and so on). Gee, should I, or shouldn't I do it? Duh!
Since this is a memory site and not a fitness site, I'm not going into every theory of physical fitness. I'm just going to tell you what I do, and then you can decide if that would work for you or if you need to find something else.
The main thing is getting some aerobic activity as many days of the week as possible. Atleast three days a week. Six days a week is probably even better.

Running Is a Good Option

I used to hate running. I always did, ever since 8th grade when my parents signed me up for the track team at school. I always came in last because I didn't practice like the other kids and because I have short wind (naturally low stamina). But you know what? I run now. I've gotten used to it, and it isn't that bad. Running is a very simple, no-fancy-equipment-needed way to get in my 20 minutes a day.
It makes a huge difference. If I stop running for a week or two, which sometimes happens, I start feeling like crud within just a few days. Face it - we were not made to be sedentary couch potatoes. We were meant to move our limbs and get the blood flowing. The brain is highly sensitive to this. Just try an exercise program for six weeks or so and just see if you don't notice a tremendous difference in your energy level and the quickness of your mind.
For those who already do aerobic exercise regularly - Bravo!

The Next Level of Exercise

I actually lift weights in addition to running. I find that when I stick to a reasonable weight routine, I have fewer aches and pains (especially lower back and neck), and I just feel better in general. Plus the overall increase in strength just makes all kinds of every day tasks easier. However, I have not seen any evidence (yet) that lifting weights strengthens your memory.
Several years back there was a great article in Men's Fitness magazine that listed 44 benefits of eating right, lifting weights, and doing aerobic exercise. Let me point out just one of the reasons:

12. You'll stay mentally sharp. In a study of older men and women, fit subjects scored higher on tests of reasoning, working memory and reaction time than sedentary subjects did. This may be because exercise improves blood supply to the brain.

If you are interested, there are many sites on the web where you can find a routine you like. My personal favorite program, the one I've used for years, is the Body for Life program started by Bill Philips, a former bodybuilder and the founder of Experimental and Applied Sciences (EAS).
Some people bash Body for Life in favor of other programs, but I'm sorry, it works. I'm almost 40, and even though I don't do the program fanatically like some people, I'm still one of the strongest and most fit people around me.
So check out that program and any others, but the main point is START SOMETHING! (At least something aerobic.)

Sleep and Memory Are Related

You have probably heard that sleep and memory are interconnected. It's true. Many studies have shown that not getting enough quality rest can directly hurt your memory.

I have certainly noticed this in my own life. Whenever I have a poor night due to stress, allergies, back pain, or other reasons, my mind almost always feels foggier the next day.
At night, your brain organizes what you learned during the day. As a memory study in the November 2006 issue of the journal Nature said, "... sleep contributes to the long-term consolidation of new memories."
According to another study, getting too few hours hurts memorization ability as much as no sleep at all! So to strengthen your memory, it is vital to get enough quality sleep each night.
A poor night's sleep hurts your memory in two big ways:

1. Being sleepy hurts your concentration. When you can't focus on things clearly, you can't remember well.
2. Sleeping poorly means the things you learned the previous day are not fully recorded in the memory parts of your brain.

According to Howard Nusbaum, a sleep researcher at the University of Chicago, a good night's rest not only helps retention but can even help you recall thoughts forgotten during the day. As he says in Psychology Today magazine,

Sleep might strengthen relevant associations and weaken irrelevant associations, improving access to memories.

Sleep and Memory: Getting More Sleep

Here are some ideas for finding more time for sleep. Sleep experts believe that most people need seven to eight hours of sleep a night to be fully rested.
See if you can get closer to the mark by trying some of these suggestions.

• Log your sleep hours.
If your schedule varies a lot, you may not actually know how much sleep you are getting. In a journal or notebook, each morning write down the number of hours of sleep you got the night before. (If you wake up for a midnight snack, for example, subtract that time.) At the end of the week, average the daily sleep hours to see how much sleep you are getting in an average night. That will give you some indication of how sleep deficient you really are.
• Kick the late-night TV habit. In my view, TV-watching can be almost like an addiction for some people. They have to see their shows or else. But you have to decide which is more important - seeing all those episodes, or getting your brain in top shape for the next day.
• Go easy on the late-night video games. Many students these days stay up too late just to play their favorite games. You have to be the judge on how much is reasonable, though. Don't overdo it - you'll pay the price the next day. If you have to play games at night, at least make them low-key, relaxing games. (Several are available for free right on this website.)
• Take naps. Naps aren't just for kids anymore. If you are lucky enough to have 20 minutes of free time in the afternoon, consider taking a nap to supplement the sleep you may be missing at night.
• Cut back on hobbies. This is an individual choice, but be realistic - if your hobby is keeping you up too late at night, find ways of cutting back.

If you have other suggestions on sleep and memory, in particular on finding more time for sleep, send me a message through the Contact Me link at left and I'll post them on this page.

Even more sleep and memory tips:

Improve the quality of your sleep by getting better sleep
Sleep memory research shows lack of sleep can hurt memory