Five years ago in the summer of 2005, I realized that my 23 year
career in broadcast media, radio, was about to change dramatically. I
could feel the winds of change blowing in my “corporate culture”.
Internal changes started to happen yearly and sometimes twice a year
with regard to sales commissions and how we packaged and sold our
products and services. New management was brought in, people shifted in a
very stable management structure.
It just felt weird. I started my personal transition process, in my
head, simply by thinking about why I was feeling like it wasn’t working
for me on many levels anymore and I wanted and needed it to be working.
First, I had to honestly assess if there was any more mobility
opportunities where I was, and then I had to look at myself, with regard
to what I really wanted to do and if I was qualified and prepared to
do it. I spent almost a year, going on interviews, both locally and
nationally, exploring other industries and employment jobs to try to see
what resonated with me. As I look back it was really a smart process
and revealed a lot about me. Back then jobs were much more plentiful and
there were a lot of them in my business. Today, I would not have those
same choices and options.
Here are some of the lessons that I learned about the career
transition process, that you can apply to today’s employment situation.
1) Identify what you want to do and what you are qualified to
do. Look at all your “transferable skills”, all those jobs you
have done that define all your skill sets.
2) Don’t rush change, trust your process. Opportunities will
present themselves, but they may not be all the right or best decisions
to make. Qualify the opportunities, based on your situation.
3) Be prepared and honest when presenting yourself.
You really can’t fudge the truth with creating resume writing. Know what
your strong assets are and lead with them. Don’t hide your liabilities,
but don’t lead with them, we all have “stuff”, or we wouldn’t be human.
4)
Evaluate your current skill levels. The business world has changed
and what’s now required to get hired has changed. Review your
personal,professional, technology and social networking proficiency. If
you need to upgrade somethings, take some local courses through local
chambers, schools, professional organizations, online.
5) Personal Branding and your image sets you apart.
Personality, mindset, energy, attitude, image are all important today to
stand out and get noticed. Again, evaluate where you are with regard to
your professional image, online and offline networking, sales,
communication skills and being a part of your community. Upgrade,
improve, tweak, grow whenever and wherever you can.
Don’t wait until you are out of work or laid off. If we have learned
one huge lesson from the current employment scenario, it’s pay attention
to and keep changing with change.
Career Transition is happening all the time, even when you are
working and employed. Keep moving and changing. Keep adding value for
what you do. Stay relevant and current. Think
about how you can become more indispensable!
I found this great post,
“Get Ready to Become a Changemaker”? by Bill Drayton and Valerie
Budinich.
“We are on the cusp of a fundamental change — a worldwide change in the
skills everyone needs to succeed, in the nature of organizations, and in
how businesses must be led.”
How are you and how can you be a change-maker for yourself?
Thanks to friend, coach and professional development trainer, Deborah Shane, for this excellent post. See Deborah's original post here.
Andy Robinson,
Executive Career
Coach
Co-host, Career Success
Radio Show
A leading authority on
career success; 15-year executive coaching
veteran
Contact:
[email protected],
239-285-5575
Visit the Premier Interactive Career Development Community
www.CareerSuccessCommunity.com