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More than a job: Make
your career dreams a reality
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Expert Excerpt |
| Job Search Advice |
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If you know
that you are going to leave your current position, or if you're
concerned about possible layoffs, downsizings, and reorganizations,
start your search campaign now. Don't wait until you've already
left your position or the company has abandoned you. If you do there
will be too much downtime and too many missed opportunities. You
must take control of your career or your career will take control
of you! |
| Find Strength Within Your Community |
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"No man is an island." This is perhaps one of the most vital
concepts to your career —today, tomorrow and in years to come.
Everyone needs support, and you must find the resources that will support you. Maybe it's your family; maybe it's your friends; maybe it's your college buddies. These are extremely valuable sources of support that can help you evaluate opportunities, make decisions, and proactively manage your career. If you don't manage your own career, it will be managed for you by your employers. This, in turn, places you in a tremendously vulnerable position. Take control of your own destiny! |
| The Purpose of Interview #1 |
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The only purpose of interview #1 is an invitation for interview
#2. With the tremendous complexity of today's job search market,
it is extremely rare that you will be offered a position after just
one interview. Chances are you will be back interviewing with the
company on several occasions before an offer is extended. During interview
#1, your challenge is to impress the interviewer, sell your skills,
competitively position yourself against other candidates, and get
your name on the short list of prospective candidates returning for
the next stage in the company's interview process. |
| Geography Impacts Compensation |
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Do you think the cost of living in Gadsden, Alabama is less than New
York City? Is the cost of living in San Francisco more than in
Greensburg, Pennsylvania? The answer to both of these questions is
a resounding "yes!" When reviewing each opportunity, in addition to salary, you must also consider geography and its resultant impact on your cost of living. How much does an average house cost? Are private schools affordable? What is the annual tax burden? What about auto insurance? These are all important considerations in evaluating your compensation needs. |
| Bypass the Human Resources Department |
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Whenever possible, approach a hiring manager and NOT the HR Department.
HR professionals are generally not hiring managers (unless it's
a position in HR). Rather, be sure to target your resume to the
appropriate decision-maker (i.e., MIS Director). These individuals
have the power to make a hiring decision and get you through the HR
hiring process. When an advertisement directs you to forward your resume to the HR Department, do it. However, attempt to get the name of the hiring manager for your department and then also send a resume and cover letter to that individual. This "double-hit" method can be extremely effective. |
| Alternatives to Instant Cash |
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When you're negotiating your salary or compensation package, sometimes
things other than base salary should be considered. Stock options,
bonus, golden parachutes, and other long-term financial incentives
can be very valuable if you are relatively confident that the company
will do well. You must closely evaluate the opportunity as well as
the dollars. Or what about an extra week's vacation? Is that worth more to you than another $1000 or $2000 in salary? Consider the unlimited value of a comprehensive health insurance plan fully paid by the company. It should never be just about the money...It's also about the perks. |
| Accumulating Career Resale Value |
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This executive growth strategy is clearly defined as "seeking and
accepting a job offer based on its ability to score future job offers."
It is a foolproof method meant not only to secure employment but also
assure continued career growth in spite of a recessionary climate.
It requires discipline even in prosperity. Candidates are traditionally defined by the functions they perform and the environments in which they are performed, i.e. Controller in a manufacturing setting or Director of Sales in consumer products. If these candidates are good career planners, they change jobs based not necessarily on vertical promotion, i.e. Director of Operations to CEO, but on securing alternative opportunities perhaps requiring sacrifice that will ultimately ensure more options. Most of my top executives have sometime in their careers taken lateral positions or even stepped down with pay cuts knowing that eventually this diversification would increase their resale values toward greater opportunity - or at minimum solidify their movement with ease during an economic downturn. They move from OEMs to end-users; they've mastered their skill in telecom and now want to add IT knowing that, much like investing, diversification reduces volatility in rough markets. |
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