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"Whats
the job market like right now?" Its a frequent question
lately. Its real. Its a job market where companies are
interested in running efficiently, on ideas with merit and with
talent right for the job. In the long run, jobs opportunities of
today can be less risky, filled with opportunity to really make
a difference and benefit from a companys growth, not just
from its IPO. The downside of all this, there are not as many
jobs available as the continued shake out takes place.
Hey
we all fell into the hype. I thought Pets.com, Homegrocer.com and
eToys were brilliant ideas. Except that, in hindsight, I never used
pets.com (when the dog needs food, the dog needs, food) Homegrocer.com
(when the kids need milk, the kids need milk) and only used eToys
at holiday time (that was great, but not great enough to support
a business). Building infrastructure for niche markets just didnt
pencil out. You cant change consumer behavior overnight.
So
how do you survive as the new economy re-adjusts? Its not
easy, its not as fun as free coke and foosball, but in the
long run it could be more rewarding.
Take
stock
For
everyone who needs to work, whether youre in or out of a job
right now, stop and take a look at what youve done over your
career, what youre doing now, what you believe you want to
be doing. What are the central traits of the roles where you have
been most successful, happiest, and rewarded? Start asking people
you work with, you work for and those who work for you for feedback.
Its the quickest, truest way to get to the answer. There are
good self-help books, but there also are many that would lead you
to believe that everyone can be a CEO. You can get lost in the pursuit
of the wrong goals. Start small, get to the truth quickly and use
it to make your next move, no matter how small it is.
Own
your own career
Lets
talk professional help. There are recruiters, basically divided
into two kinds: contingent and retained. A contingent recruiter
works for both the candidate and the client. They will have you
send a resume, call you in for an interview and maybe some other
testing and then possibly send you out on an interview.
If
you land the job, the contingent recruiter gets a fee from the client,
not you. You will never pay a fee to a recruiter.
Retained
firms work for the client, not the candidate. If you contact a retained
recruiter, you will be asked to send your resume. Your background
will be reviewed and you will be contacted only if you are a fit
for a position they are recruiting for. If you do fit a search,
youll meet the recruiter and be one of the candidates being
reviewed for presentation to the client.
What
to you do if a recruiter calls? Return the phone call. Recruiters
maybe calling to see if youre interested in a position, or
maybe calling to see who you know. Be as helpful as you can and
add them to your network.
Ultimately,
it will always be up to you to get the job.
Are
you ready?
No
matter where you are, in a happy job, in a not so happy job, or
out of work, before you take on the task of making a switch, you
need to be prepared. Check how you sound when describing your career
history. You need to be honest, and positive about it all, even
if some of your history is less than stellar. Show youve learned
lessons, and have moved on. If you are laid off, take a couple of
days (or more) to work out the bad vibes so you can present yourself,
not your baggage.
Put
a resume together, the simpler the better, and dont get all
wrapped up in pretty formats, they dont e-mail well across
all platforms. Keep your resume chronological and leave out your
early work unless it is directly related to what youre doing
now. Dont go over board trying to keep it to one page, hey
you may have accomplished so much youre ready for two.
Heres
what I like to see:
- Company
- Job
title
- Dates
- Sentence
or two about the nature of the company and your work
- Bullet
point list of accomplishments
Network
- Make
a list of everyone you know and admire.
- Make
a list of all the companies you admire and would be interested
in working for.
- Right
a short statement about the kind of role you want to play within
a company based on the prep work youve done so far.
- Call
the people you know and admire, and see if its convenient
to meet or just talk by phone. Your
goal in networking is to learn as much as possible about others
and their work. By doing this, you are opening up your horizons
to opportunities now and in the future. Check your company list.
Can this person refer you to someone they know at one of your
target companies? Can they recommend someone else in your field
that may be helpful moving you towards your career goal?
- Send
a thank you note.
- Send
a follow up note once you land a new position.
Once
youve landed where you wanted to be, keep networking. Many
people were so buried last year, their networks suffered.
Career
management is the same in any economy. While its slower, less
"exciting" and maybe just a little unnerving, successful
talented people find work. The most critical thing you can do for
yourself is to manage your career at every turn. Dont get
complacent, make sure that you are finding yourself in roles where
you can succeed and then build on that success proactively.
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