Career Planning Guide

for IEEE Members

How to Achieve Greater

Satisfaction and Impact At Work
 Career Planning Guide
for IEEE Members
Version 3.0

Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................. 5

Step One: Self-Assessment ............................................................ 6

1. Assessing Current Job Satisfaction....................................................... 2
2. Identifying the Ideal Job .................................................................... 3
3. Making Your Current Job Better ......................................................... 4
4. Identifying Your Talents ..................................................................... 5
5. Analyzing Your Accomplishments ........................................................ 6
6. Identifying Your Competencies ............................................................ 8

Step Two: Setting Direction ........................................................ 11

1. Writing Your Vision Statement........................................................... 11
2. Setting Your Goals 12
One to Two Years 12
Three Years and Beyond 13

Step Three: Gap Analysis 14

1. Networking and Interviewing 14
2. Researching the Opportunities 14
3. Analyzing the Gaps 15
Competency Worksheet 16
Qualifications Worksheet 18
Job Environment Worksheet 20

Step Four: Planning Your Development 21

1. Growing in Your Current Job 21
2. Developing Yourself for Success in the Next Job
One to Two Years 23
3. Positioning Yourself for Long-Term Success
Three Years and Beyond 27

Step Five: Implementation 29

1. Revising Your Plans 29
2. Getting Support from Others 29
 Page 5

Introduction
What do you want from your work and your career?

Fun and fulfillment

Security/financial peace of mind
Challenge and growth
The opportunity to make a difference; the knowledge that what you do matters
The opportunity to use my talents to do what I do best
Opportunities
Great working relationships
Appreciation and recognition
The freedom to call your own shots/work independently
Balance
Impact in the organization
Influence over important decision

Whatever your career goals and interests, this planning tool will help you
achieve greater satisfaction and make more of an impact at work. Because
your career values and goals are unique, you are the only person qualified
to determine the course of action that will best suit your interests. This tool
will help you identify and tailor solutions to your unique needs, goals and
work situation. Do more than read this guide. You won’t be able to gain its
full benefits unless you thoughtfully complete all the exercises, and then
take action based on your learnings. The more you put into this process,
the more you’ll get out of it — so plan to spend at least two to three hours
working with this tool.

The content of this planning guide is based on the principle that sustainable
career vitality is only possible when your needs, as well as those of your
employer, are satisfied. If either your needs or those of your organization
are not met, you will undermine the long-term relationship with a
perception of inequity. If you feel cheated, you will consciously or
unconsciously give less than you are capable of giving. And if your
employer believes you are not meeting expectations, they may withhold
the opportunities and rewards that you need to achieve your personal
goals. Either way, the relationship erodes and sustainable career vitality is
impossible. Consequently, in this planning guide, we will help you consider
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how you can meet more of your own needs by meeting more of your
organization’s needs.

Once you have created your plan, we encourage you to think carefully
about the role of your manager in this process. The more they buy into
your plan, the more you are likely to achieve. Your manager needs and
wants to know how you will help the team achieve its goals (the win-win
proposition). The more you can frame your development goals in terms of
how it will help your manager and your team, the more successful you will
be at gaining their enthusiastic support.

Objectives and Process Steps

By the time you have completed this planning process, you will have:

1. Learned how to get the support you need to fully implement your plan.

2. Created a career development plan that will:

• Align your strengths and interests with the needs of your

organization;
• Increase both your job satisfaction and your contributions to the
success of the organization; and
• Enhance your employability.

This tool will walk you through the following five-step process:

Step One: Self-Assessment (p. 6)

Step Two: Setting Direction (p. 11)
Step Three: Gap Analysis (p. 14)
Step Four: Development Planning (p. 21)
Step Five: Implementation (p. 29)
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Step One: Self-Assessment

Job satisfaction is essential to your career success. Without adequate job
satisfaction your work will drain you of vitality, and you’re unlikely to do
your best work. In every job there will be some things that you like and
some that you don’t like. The ratio of good to bad aspects of a job will
determine how satisfied you are with that job. Taking time to analyze the
components of your job and how they affect job satisfaction is a critical first
step towards increasing your job satisfaction. The results from this first
exercise will affect the rest of your planning, so give it your best thinking.

1. Assessing Current Job Satisfaction

The following five things I enjoy most about my present job are:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Five things that are least satisfying about my present job are:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
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2. Identifying the Ideal Job

The nature of your work, and the environment in which you work, are
critical to both your satisfaction and your ability to add value. While one
type of work environment might bring out or even enhance your abilities,
another type may diminish or negate them. The purpose of the following
exercise is not to give you an impossible goal to shoot for, but rather to
clarify your needs in a way that will allow you to seek work and work
environments that are best suited for you.

What would represent the ideal job for you? What are the ten most
important aspects of a job for you? (See the list on the opposite page for
some examples)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Now prioritize these ten in order of importance.

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salary/rewards working with people influence convenience

convenient schedule working with ideas ownership prestige
autonomy working with things impact daycare
challenge variety independence travel
work-life balance whole tasks formal recognition
security/structure breaking new ground informal specialization
upward mobility visibility predictability innovation
clear direction being in charge ambiguity convenience
management support limited structure strict routine prestige
teamwork collaborative flexibility daycare
collaboration leadership supervisor’s style

opportunity for creativity

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3. Making Your Current Job Better

Compare the job qualities that you find most satisfying in your current job
(page 2) with those you envision in your ideal job (page 3). How are they
alike? How are they different?

What do you most want to change about your current job, to make it more
like your ideal job?

How would these changes impact your team or organization? How will they
help you add more value to your employer or customer?

What ideas do you have for making these changes a reality? Who can help?
How can you get them on board?

4. Identifying Your Talents

Before you can complete the worksheet to identify your talents, you need to
clearly differentiate between your talents and your skills. Your talents
represent those things that you do intuitively or can learn faster than most
people. A talent might be the ability to learn new languages. Skills
associated with the talent of languages would include mastering the
vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation for a specific language.

Your talents represent your innate strengths. Your skills represent your
learned strengths. It is important to differentiate between these because
skills can be learned, but talents cannot. Consequently, if you take a job for
which you have the right talents but not all the skills, you’ll probably be
okay – because you can quickly learn the new skills. On the other hand, if
you lack certain talents for a job, it will take you a lot longer than most
people to acquire the new skills you need to be successful.
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The issue is not that one can’t acquire skills in the absence of talents.
Someone who lacks a talent for languages will still be able to learn a new
language. But it will take that person four to 10 times longer to learn a new
language than someone who has the requisite talents. It’s a matter of
efficiency and economics. In a rapidly changing world, learners have a clear
advantage over the learned. When we are in jobs that are consistent with
our talents, our competitive advantage comes from our ability to learn
things a lot faster than our competitors.

To isolate your talents, think about the things you’ve done intuitively,
without having to be taught or reminded. Think about classes, subject areas
or skills where you found it quite easy to excel yet others really struggled.
(You probably had a hard time understanding why they didn’t get it the first
time, like you did.) Once you’ve identified the skills you were able to master
with less effort than most people, ask yourself, “What talent enabled me to
learn that skill so quickly?”

In the exercises below, try to list your talents separately from your skills.
For example talent for languages versus competence in Russian grammar;
mathematical talent versus skills in calculus; getting results through others
versus proficiency in establishing performance standards; dealing with
ambiguity and uncertainty versus mastery of specific marketing forecasting
methods; design and artistic ability versus skill in using computer aided
design tools; thinking on your feet versus demonstrating effective
presentation techniques; writing computer code versus programming in
c++; spotting patterns and trends versus mastering statistical methods
etc.).

What skills/subject areas have you found intuitively, or were able to master
faster than most people? What do people compliment you on?

What patterns emerge that would indicate the presence of a talent? What
are these talents?
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5. Analyzing Your Accomplishments

Another way to target your talents is to evaluate your major achievements.

Think of the three to five most significant things you have achieved --
accomplishments where you were able to overcome significant challenges
to make a real difference. These achievements need not be work related.
Make the list as specific as possible. For example, “Managed the
engineering department well for three years” does not zero in on exactly
what made the achievement significant. Strive for statements like,
“Increased department productivity by 30%” or “Procured a patent for an
original design that had a significant impact on the bottom line.”

For each achievement, describe the situation, and the challenge met or
obstacles overcome. Note the action(s) you took; exactly what happened as
a result of that action; the skills you learned; and the talents you
demonstrated. Use your résumé and/or brainstorm with colleagues and
friends to complete this worksheet.

Accomplishment #1

Situation and related challenges:

Actions taken:

Results achieved:

Skills learned/used:

Talents demonstrated:

Exposure (How well was the accomplishment received by your group/

managers/customers):
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Accomplishment #2

Situation and related challenges:

Actions taken:

Results achieved:

Skills learned/used:

Talents demonstrated:

Exposure (How well was the accomplishment received by your group/

managers/customers):

Accomplishment #3

Situation and related challenges:

Actions taken:

Results achieved:

Skills learned/used:

Talents demonstrated:

Exposure (How well was the accomplishment received by your group/

managers/customers):
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Accomplishment #4

Situation and related challenges:

Actions taken:

Results achieved:

Skills learned/used:

Talents demonstrated:

Exposure (How well was the accomplishment received by your group/

managers/customers):

Accomplishment #5

Situation and related challenges:

Actions taken:

Results achieved:

Skills learned/used:

Talents demonstrated:

Exposure (How well was the accomplishment received by your group/

managers/customers):
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6. Identifying Your Competencies

Now that you’ve given some thought to your talents and skills, you are
ready to complete an inventory of your competencies. (Your competencies
reflect a combination of talents, knowledge, skills and behaviors that you
use to get things done.) To help you create a more complete list of your
competencies, refer to the accompanying inventory adapted from a list
created by the U.S. Department of Labor. If you have come across a list of
skills or competencies from another source that you feel better serves your
purposes (e.g., from your current organization), feel free to use it. It is the
exercise of analyzing your competencies that is most important.

Indicate whether your demonstrated proficiency in each competency area is

high, medium or low.
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Competencies High Med Low

Resource Management
Knowledge workers must be able to schedule time, budget funds, arrange
space, or assign staff. Assess yourself against the following competencies:
Budget management
Coping with deadlines
Establishing objectives
Scheduling
Forecasting
Personal organization
Time management
Communication and Interpersonal High Med Low

Competent employees can work well with team members and teach new
workers; serve clients directly; negotiate with others to solve problems or
reach decisions; and work comfortably with colleagues from diverse back-
grounds. Assess yourself against the following competencies:
Negotiation
Customer relations
Recognizing value of diversity
Seeking and receiving feedback
Teamwork/collaboration
Selecting people/interviewing
Listening
Establishing work relationships
Speaking/presentations
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Leadership High Med Low

Top performing employees must exercise initiative and provide their own
leadership, instead of waiting for leadership from above. Assess yourself
against the following competencies:

Anticipating problems and taking action without waiting to be told

Following through/ accountability

Holding others accountable

Initiating change/improvement

Developing self/self-directed learning

Persistence

Influencing and persuading

Supervising/coordinating the work of others

Developing people/mentoring/coaching

Dealing with pressure

Delegating

Motivating others

Responsibly challenging the status quo

Championing change/new ideas/innovation

Providing feedback/initiating difficult conversations

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Step Two: Setting Your Direction

Now that you have a clearer idea of who you are and what you need to
truly enjoy your work, it’s time to create a vision and some goals for
yourself.

1. Writing Your Vision Statement

Your vision statement describes in general terms how you will add value for
others. It is future oriented and may be somewhat idealistic. Below are
examples of ineffective and effective vision statements:

Vision Statement: Example #1

Become the Vice-President of Research for the Company.

This statement is ineffective because it says nothing of the value the

individual plans to create for others. Furthermore, it is limiting because it
depends on a specific slot on the organizational chart becoming available
at the right time. What happens if the position gets eliminated in a
reorganization?

Vision Statement: Example #2

I will enhance the competitiveness of the company by shaping its
technological direction.

Vision #2 is more effective because it specifies the value to be created

and is much less limiting. It also provides more flexibility because one
can shape the technological direction of a company in many different
organizational roles.

Vision Statement: Example #3

I will be issued more patents than any other engineer in the company.

Vision #3 falls short in terms of the value it creates. Patents for the sake
of patents may serve the egotistical needs of the individual, but are
unlikely to further the interests of the organization.

Vision#4
I will contribute to the organization’s success by developing technologies
that reduce this country’s dependence on fossil fuel.

Vision #4 is much more effective. It not only describes the value to be

created for the organization, but also the contribution to society-at-
large.
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Writing Your Own Vision Statement:

Write down your vision statement for the future, how will you add value for
others?

1. In the next few years:

_______________________________________________

2. Over the course of the next 5-20 years:

_______________________________________________

2. Setting Your Goals

A goal describes the specific next step/milestone toward the realization of a

vision. Writing your goals down is important, because if a goal is not written
down, it’s probably nothing more than a wish. Writing your goals down also
helps you to clarify and refine them. The following activity will guide you
through the process of writing your goals, and hopefully achieving them.

Answer the following questions as honestly as you can.

Given my strengths and those things that are important to me, what are
my professional goals? What do I want to begin doing in:
One to Two-Year Goals:

target job (which could be your current job)

type (and size) of company
How will I add value?
How will I make a real difference for your customers? (Remember, if
you’re employed by a company, that company is your primary
customer.)
salary
location

Three Years and Beyond:

target job
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type (and size) of company

How will I be adding value?
How will I make a real difference for your customers? (Remember, if
you’re employed by a company, that company is your primary
customer.)
Salary
location

Reality Check:

When you identify potential jobs, it’s important to focus on jobs that will
allow you to utilize your talents and satisfy your career needs, as well as
help you grow in directions that make you more employable. Also,
remember that skills are easy to learn, but talents are not easily learned.
Consequently, the jobs you identified should be aligned with your talents. If
you have the needed talents but not the skills, you’ll probably be okay —
because you can always learn the skills.

Review your short-, and medium-term goals:

Do they lead you in the direction of your vision? Yes ___ No ___
Will achieving them make you more employable? Yes ___ No ___
Will achieving them increase your fulfillment? Yes ___ No ___
Are they consistent with your talents? Yes ___ No ___

If you answered “no” to any of the above four questions, please revisit and
modify your goals to align them better with who you are and what is most
important to you.
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Step Three: Gap Analysis

You have:

• Analyzed your current work environment and described your ideal

workplace
• Identified your strengths (both innate talents and learned skills)
• Spelled out a vision and some specific goals

To help you determine whether your goals are aligned with your strengths,
and whether the environment is in sync with your ideal, you may need to
learn more about your targeted jobs. If you feel you need to gather more
information on your targeted jobs, consider the suggestions listed in Steps
1 and 2 below. If you are confident that you have all the information you
need to make an informed decision, skip 1 and 2 and proceed with step 3
on the next page.

1. Networking and Interviewing

Besides discussing your plans with colleagues and friends, schedule

informational interviews with professionals currently doing the jobs you are
interested in. You needn’t tell them that you are specifically aspiring to that
job; you can just let them know you are interested in learning more about
the position. Some questions you might ask are:

• What is the purpose of this job? How does it contribute to the success
of the business?
• What kinds of challenges does the job present?
• What past experience have you had that helped you do this job?
• What opportunity does this position hold for growth?
• What kind of formal education is needed to do this job?
• What talents and skills are essential to success in this job?
• What are any negatives about this job?

Joining a professional association is a great way to network with people in

your business who can help you understand the different career
opportunities available. Talking to fellow professionals can have many
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benefits. Among them are:

• Providing feedback on your resumé

• Supplying an alternative approach to your job search
• Furnishing industry information
• Providing learning experiences
• Adding to your network contact list

2. Researching the Opportunities

If the above networking efforts do not yield the information you need,
libraries, professional associations and recruiters can be valuable sources of
information. Reference librarians can usually direct you to resources that
might describe job responsibilities. Professional associations will often have
information on the job descriptions and requirements of positions their
members hold. They may also direct you to books and articles on the
subject. Some questions you may want to answer are:

• What kinds of organizations do I want to work for? (size, location,

type, industry)
• How can I make contact with them?
• What qualities do these firms look for in employees?
• What jobs are available for engineers in these firms?
• What type of work environment do these firms offer?

Recruiters can be a useful source of information about the availability of

the kinds of jobs you’re interested in, the qualities firms are looking for in
prospective employees, and general salary ranges.

3. Analyzing the Gaps

Once you have gathered the necessary information, you should have a
much clearer idea of what your targeted jobs require in the way of
competencies, and what they will offer in terms of challenges, growth
opportunities and work environment.

The following three worksheets provide an opportunity to identify

competency gaps, as well as job criteria that may not be up to par. After
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completing these worksheets, you should have a snapshot of any areas

needing attention.

On the following worksheet list each goal, record the competencies

required to do that job, and then check off those competencies you already
possess. (A list of your competencies can be found on pages 8 through 10.)
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Competency Worksheet
Target Job Required Competencies Competencies You
Possess/Lack
(talents, knowledge, skills, be-
haviors)
One to Two Years:

Three Years and

Beyond:
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The worksheet on the previous page should have helped you identify your
competency gaps or development needs. Remember, if the competency you
lack is knowledge or skill based, you can acquire the knowledge through
training, observing others, talking to others, reading, etc., and you can
develop the skill through practice and feedback. However, if the
competency you lack is talent based, and if it is also central to your success
in the job, then you may want to set your sights on finding a job that is
better suited to your talents. On the other hand, even if the competency
gap is talent based, you may still choose to pursue the job if the required
competency is not central to success in the job. If you choose to go this
route, you will need to identify ways to manage your weakness (i.e., talent
deficiency). Innate weaknesses can be managed by partnering with
colleagues who have the talents you lack; using technology to compensate
for the weaknesses (e.g., spell check); or redesigning the job to minimize
the demand for the talents you lack.

Now look on the following worksheet at your target jobs from the
perspective of the educational qualifications needed.
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Qualifications Worksheet
Target Job Qualifications Required Qualifications You
Possess/Lack

One to Two
Years:

Three Years and

Beyond:
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Having completed both the Competencies and the Qualifications

Worksheets, you are ready to take a look at the type of work environment
these jobs may offer.

For example, what are the:

• Travel requirements
• Opportunities for working independently
• Opportunities to work in teams
• Opportunities to be creative, innovative, entrepreneurial.
• Time commitments
• Opportunities for challenge and growth
• Financial and other benefits
• Opportunities to work with people, ideas or things
• Levels of predictability, security, ambiguity, uncertainty, change,
flexibility
• Work schedules and hours
• Policies and procedures governing the workplace
• Opportunities for promotion
• Visibility
• Dominant cultural norms and managerial styles

On balance, if the work environment has too many significant negatives,

you need to ask yourself if those negatives are negotiable. For example,
travel or work schedule might be negotiable, but cultural norms and
managerial styles are likely to be fixed. If there are negatives in areas that
you really care about, and they are fixed, you should probably reconsider
the target job and/or the target company.
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Job Environment Worksheet

Target Job Work Characteristics Desirable Undesirable
and Environment

One to Two
Years:

Three Years and

Beyond:
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Step Four: Development Planning

This step is possibly the most challenging. You know what your target jobs
are, and the competencies you will need to succeed in those jobs. You are
now ready to develop a plan of action that will lead you toward these
aspirations. What can you do to acquire the new skills you will need? How
will you manage any relevant talent deficiencies? What can you do, both on
and off the job, to start acquiring and demonstrating the necessary
competencies?

1. Growing in Your Current Job

Development Plan #1 is for expanding both your contributions and

satisfaction in your current job. Your current job is your springboard to
future opportunities, so all career planning begins with the current job.

Development Plan #1—Improving the Current Job

Revisit the job analysis you completed on pages 2-4. What changes could
you make to your current job to make it more meaningful? What could you
do to make a greater difference in the current job?
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Improvement
desired:
Action Target Actual
Needed Completion Achievement
To the job
Date Date
To the value
you add
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2. Developing Yourself for Success in the Next Job

Development Plan #2 is for your short-term goals (one to two years).

List the target jobs you have identified for the one to two year time- frame. Then
look at the worksheets you filled in on pages 16 and 18. Note the competencies
and qualifications needed for these jobs, and those where you fall short. Now,
think carefully about what you are going to do to bridge these gaps. Can you gain
informal self-directed activity, or do you need some formal continuing education?

The following worksheets list both the competencies you need to gain, and the
things you can do to develop these competencies. Fill them in as you investigate
formal activities (on-the-job activities, courses, tutorials, etc.) and less formal ones
(reading books, experimenting with new software, off-the-job activities, etc.).
Then, to take this a step further, commit yourself to a target completion date and
keep track of how you do by filling in the actual completion date. This commitment
should keep you on your toes.
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Sample Development Plan—Short-Term Goals

(1 to 2 years)
Competencies or
Target Actual
Qualifications Learning Activity
Completion Achievement

C++ Take IEEE self-study

course
May 05
Attend lecture at Com-
puter Society Confer-
ence in L.A. June 05

Ask manager for oppor-

tunity to work on a new
June 05
project requiring C++

Read “Secrets of Suc-

cessful Speakers” Feb 05

Present paper at com-

puter conference (Ask
April 05
John to review presen-
tation prior to confer-
ence and give me feed-
March/
back. Ask Sarah to at-
Public Speaking tend my session and April 05
give me feedback.)

Present budget propos-

May/
als to work team and
Simple budgeting pro- solicit feedback on my June 05
cedures presentation skills

Take in-company
May 05
course on budgeting

Volunteer to do team
budget at work May 05

Volunteer to do the
budget for winter
July 05
scouting jamboree

Manage this by working

Selling Ideas
more closely with Kim Ongoing
(Talent Deficiency) who is excellent in this
area
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Development Plan #2—Short-Term Goals

(1 to 2 years)
Competencies or Target Actual
Qualifications
Learning Activity Completion Achievement
Needed
Date Date
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Development Plan #2—Short-Term Goals

(1 to 2 years)
Competencies or Target Actual
Qualifications Learning Activity Completion Achievement
Needed Date Date
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3. Positioning Yourself for Long-Term Success

Development Plan #3 is for your long-term goals (three years and beyond).

Development Plan #3 requires some insights into the future. Foreseeing the
future is not easy to do with any degree of accuracy, but just as strategic
business planning requires educated guesswork, filling out your mid-range
career plans will force you to do some research and investigation that can
only save you time and eliminate surprises later on. While it certainly won’t
be the last word, it will at least set the stage. And as you update it
periodically, you will be able to gauge your progress and planning ability by
the level of revision needed.

As far as your medium-term job goals are concerned, it might be difficult to

specify all the appropriate activities at this time. However, as time elapses,
review these goals and action plans and update them to reflect the
emerging reality.
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Development Plan #3—Medium-Term Goals

(3 years and beyond)
Competencies or Target Actual
Qualifications
Learning Activity Completion Achievement
Needed
Date Date
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Step Five: Implementation

Once you have created your plan, the most important part of the task
remains ahead of you. Whatever it is that you have identified to do…START
DOING IT— NOW!

1. Revising Your Plans

As you implement these professional development plans, you must be

ready to adapt them to changes in your circumstances. For example, your
own changing expectations and outlook may cause you to revise your plans
along the way. A new and exciting technology may open the doors to new
opportunities. Or you may find yourself challenged by management
responsibilities that come your way. Consequently, you need to review your
plans from time-to-time, and decide if they still seem realistic, reasonable
and appealing to you. If not, don’t hesitate to revise them.

2. Getting Support from Others

The more support you can get from others, the more likely it is that you will
accomplish your goals. Get this support by:

a. Sharing your plans with others and asking for feedback on your plans.

b. Telling people about the competencies you are striving to develop,

and asking them for feedback on your progress. Turn to your
colleagues into coaches.

c. Finding someone who wants to develop the same competencies, and

pairing up to master the competency together.

d. Getting your immediate manager involved. After you, your

immediate manager is likely to exert more influence on your career
than anyone else. Your immediate manager can help you with
resources, feedback, coaching, and opportunities to work on new
things that will stretch you and increase your visibility.
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Here are a few tips for getting your manager involved:

• Take the initiative to ask for your manager’s help or input.

• Don’t leave your development discussions to be done as part of
the formal performance review process.

Performance reviews focus attention on the past rather than

the future.

• Ask for regular feedback and always treat it as gift.

• Frame your development plans and action ideas in terms of how
they will help you expand your contributions to the success of the
team and the organization. Your manager does not need to know
how developing certain competencies will help you get another job.
(Setting up a win-lose proposition is clearly not in your best
interests.) Neither is your manager likely to be too interested in
discussing your next promotion. (Once again, a win-lose
proposition.) But your manager needs and wants to know how you
will help the team achieve its goals. (The win-win proposition.) The
more you can frame your development goals in terms of how it will
help your manager and the team, the more successful you will be
at gaining his or her enthusiastic support.

e. Finding ways to reciprocate. Return the favor by helping others.

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