Career stability requires perpetual planning, artistry and execution–on an accelerated timeline! While we are 7 months into 2012, we continue to see more job layoffs. Not a week passes without our phone ringing with a panic stricken resume shopper stating,
“My company is laying off…HELP!”
Executives and professionals are scrambling to get their ducks in a row at an alarmingly high rate. As I have said more times than not, “procrastination on your end is not an emergency on our end.” [Always with a smile.] If you are working on borrowed time, do yourself a favor and get your ducks in a row before your meter exp
ires!
- Find your old resume. Dust it off and courageously review it. What is missing?
- What do you want to do? Determine a realistic list of 2-3 positions that are of interest. Realistic targeted positions are the key words.
- What companies are of interest? Again, be realistic. If you call a resume writer and are asked questions #2 and #3, the last thing you want to say is, “I always wanted to become an archeologist, but somehow I ended up in sales. I know I’d be a great archeologist! But selling is my bread and butter.” Guess what? If you suggest to a resume writer that you may want to explore a 360 degree career path from your existing trail, you will be told to start off with career coaching and a deep dive into reality. Do yourself a favor and stick to the short term goal. You can always add soul searching after you land your new position. Unless of course you are not in a rush. Just calling keeping it real for our lofty thinkers!
- Choose a 2-3 job descriptions that match your realistic targeted position and realistic company.
- Sit on this information for one week before you make the resume plunge!
Having clarity and proper planning is essential. You are best served working on these steps even when you are blissfully content with your boss, pay, company, peers, commute, responsibilities, bonus, and perks! Think about it for a moment. Do you do your best work for your company when you are on a limited budget and limited time? Or, do you do your best work when you have a healthy budget and plenty of time? I know a few of you are procrastinators and you thrive on chaos! But, that is not reality when working on your quality career marketing tools. Your resume deserves your time, attention, and focus.
Plan your work and work your plan!
5 Comments.
Career coaching is the key to job search success if the job seeker has to make that switch from sales to archaeology. Job seekers shouldn’t be afraid to talk to an expert–it’s not therapy: it’s solutions-seeking.
Great post!
Always be prepared. If you are satisfied with your current status, you will be passed by people with a more competitive drive. Be ready to “go for it!”
Thanks for your posts Amy and Georg!
Thanks for pointing out important ways to move forward when you think you are stuck. They are helpful and I am going to try a few of them. I’ll check back and let you know how I did.
So glad this was helpful Stella! Yes, let us know how things work out for you!