Are
You Career-Minded?
By
Hugh Munro
Generations
ago, we were accustomed to having schools, the church,
government, and our employers plan out our lives and
look out for our best interests. These assumptions were
so pervasive in society that skeptics and paranoids
began echoing the Orwellian decree, "Big Brother
is watching you!"
Well,
nowadays, not only is Big Brother not watching
you, he's also quite preoccupied with his own problems.
Employers
used to plan career paths for their employees, providing
them with training and development opportunities, and
focusing on promoting from within. Up until the late
1980s, loyalty was the best attribute an employee could
offer in addition to a strong skill set. It wasn't unusual
for a person to spend 20 or 30 years, or even their
whole career, with the same company.
But
we now live in an age where society expects us to take
much more responsibility for our own lives than ever
before. This is why you must train yourself to be a
career-minded person: someone who's constantly evaluating
their current job situation against their career goals;
someone who's en route to meeting their career
objectives by making mid-course adjustments along the
way. Being career-minded is not a mindset; it's a way
of life.
As
a recruiter, it's my job to evaluate people to see if
they're right for the roles my clients ask me to fill.
I interview between 750 and 1,000 people a year, so
I have a great perspective on the candidate marketplace.
Many of the people I meet have the qualifications my
clients are asking for, but they hire me to give them
more than that. They want potential superstars: people
who will fit the culture of the organization; people
who are always thinking about success; people who are
career-minded.
Here
are four easy ways to become a more career-minded person:
1.
Take responsibility for your own career by having
a plan.
If
you don't know where you're going, you're never going
to get there. Career-minded people have an idea of what
they'd like to be doing or where they'd like to be professionally
five years from now. Setting goals today helps you figure
out what you ought to be doing tomorrow to achieve them.
Review your career history to determine what's missing
from your personal portfolio to be qualified for the
job you want in the future.
2.
Maintain the "always-on" job search.
Career-minded
people always think about winning their next role. This
doesn't mean you're distracted in your current job or
disloyal to your current employer, but you've got to
constantly assess the value of the work you're doing
in terms of its ability to prepare you for bigger and
better things in the workplace. Question whether your
current job is taking you in the right direction, or
if it's taking you towards a dead end. Also, keep your
resume up-to-date and circulate it to people for their
feedback. Your goal is to remain top-of-mind for whenever
a lucrative job opportunity comes along.
3.
Work with recruiters to manage your career.
Career-minded
people will work with a few well-chosen recruiters.
They're the ones who will take interest in your plans
and be your best long-term career allies. Select recruiters
that specialize in your specific job market and are
interested in developing long-term relationships with
the best prospective candidates in their field of expertise.
Most recruiters are "mandate driven," and
the faster they can fill roles assigned by their clients,
the better. So, sit down with them and market yourself
beyond your resume - they know a candidate's resume
only tells half the story, anyway. Be candid about your
professional goals and objectives, too. This way, recruiters
can recommend you to clients for roles consistent with
your long-term plans.
Also,
touch base with your recruiter regularly. Let them know
when you move homes or change jobs so they always have
your latest contact information. Call them when you're
considering a new job offer or a promotion and use them
as a sounding board to confirm that the move is consistent
with your plan.
4.
Engage in networking.
Whether
it's through industry associations, volunteer board
commitments, or social events, networking is the best
way for career-minded people to get engaged with their
business community and initiate mutually beneficial
relationships with their peers. The advantages of networking
are endless, and go beyond simply meeting new people
and passing out your business card. For example, networking
events are a way to learn about other people's success:
how did they get where they are now, and what was their
career strategy? They're also a way for you to rub shoulders
with potential employers and make lasting impressions
on decision-makers in your field. After all, some of
the best jobs are obtained through positive referrals
from people you meet at networking events.
Gone
are the days where you could rely on other people to
map out your career for you. Now, it's all about strategically
planning your own professional future and packaging
yourself as a career-minded individual with tangible
and desirable skills on the job market. After all, this
is your career: you own it, you shape it, and
only you can control it.
Forget
Big Brother. It's time for you to make your own breaks!
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IQ
Insight is published by IQ
PARTNERS Inc.
IQ
PARTNERS helps intelligent companies hire better,
hire less and retain more. Our services include
Executive Search, Qualification & Assessment,
Employee Development & Retention, Career
Management, and Contract HR Services. We specialize
in Marketing, Communications, Media, Technology
and Financial Services, and operate at the mid-to-senior
management level. IQ PARTNERS has offices in
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