Your smart phone could be your greatest career barrier. They play such a huge role in our business and personal lives that’s it’s easy to blur the boundaries when you bring your phone to work.
You need to know that people form opinions of you when you least expect it. Regardless of whether you are working or looking for work, how you communicate is important.
In Harvey Mackay’s recent book, “Use your Head to get your Foot in the Door,” he cites a meeting between an intern and a future employer. The student took out his BlackBerry to look up an interesting fact during the interview. Thinking nothing of it as he also quickly checked a recent text sent to him by a friend. The best interviews can occur unintentionally, and informal settings can reveal more about your personality and judgment than a host of interview questions.
A similar incident happened during a performance review when an employee decided to take notes as their manager was giving her feedback. Her actions caught the manager off-guard, and instead of giving the impression she was were serious about the feedback, it sent the message she wasn’t listening.
An employee once described a meeting of senior management staff. Each had his or her BlackBerry out and was checking messages and sending e-mails while the team leader gave an overview of upcoming projects. What message did that send?
As much as technology has changed the way businesses interact and career opportunities are developed, non-verbal communication still speaks louder. It sends a multitude of messages, such as “this presentation is boring” to “I have better things to do than pay attention to the speaker.”
Taking your cell phone with you is part of the workplace culture, and being accessible to clients or customers often is part of the job. It’s when you cross the line of when it’s appropriate to be accessible that you run into career barriers instead of career advancement.
Our cell phones are now our answering machines, so pay attention to your voice mail greeting. And, don’t forget your ring tone. The sound your phone makes when a call or message comes through is communicating something about you to coworkers, management and hiring decision-makers. Keep things professional.
Pay attention to the way you communicate and the decisions you make about when and how to respond to text message and e-mails while in meetings.
Play it smart by silencing your phone when in meetings, and be sure your phone is powered off before going into an interview. Perceptions have a powerful influence over future career moves.
The positive aspects of smart phones outweigh the problems they can create for you in a business setting. Just think about what those around you will think when you choose to use your device.
What’s your view of smart phones at work?
