ORCMS Career Blog

I’m on a mission.

The more I work with people to help them develop their career, the more strongly I believe that there is NO REASON why anyone in our culture should not be doing work they absolutely LOVE.  In fact, I will go so far as to say, “If you don’t LOVE your job, quit!”

Now I realize that this is a radical statement, and that most people will ignore me.  Some might even get angry.  But I’m willing to stand firm in my mission until EVERYONE IN AMERICA finds their perfect career.  Even in this economy.

As a Career Consultant with an international outplacement firm I work with lots of people who have recently been laid off or downsized.  Once they get past the initial shock of not having a job, many of them tell me that getting laid off is actually a blessing.  They haven’t been happy in their current position for a long time.  Many haven’t been happy for years.  They have wanted to make a change, but they’ve become complacent and comfortable.  NOW they have an opportunity to do what they’ve always wanted to do.  Some decide to change careers.  Others retire or work for non-profit organizations.  Some stay in their industry and find a company whose corporate culture is more in line with their own personality.  Losing a job can be devastating, but for many of my clients they also find it life-giving.

That’s why I’m on this mission.  Wouldn’t it be better if you quit now and go find your perfect career before you are forced to?  What if you had a chance to do some UP-PLACEMENT before your company forced you into outplacement?  Well, you have that chance NOW.

I’m on a mission to help everyone in America find their perfect career.  So, if you don’t love your job, quit. Take a risk and see where it leads you.  I bet you will be happier for it!

Here’s a link to an article about what kind of salary one could expect to make as a blogger and/or a Web 2.0 consultant.  @MarshallK conducted this research in his “ReadWriteWeb” blog last week.  The information may be a bit anecdotal, as the survey group was limited, but this kind of information really isn’t showing up anywhere else at this point.  If you love writing, this may be the career position for YOU!

A study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), concludes that “employees are clearly not benefiting from management efforts to support their careers.”  (From 2000 HR Trendbook)  Out of 1000 employees interviewed, nearly half said their employer’s approach to career development failed to meet their needs.

Here are some of the statistics:

• 44% said their career aspirations are supported by a system for career development through their employers.
• Nearly half (38%) felt that their employers are only concerned about the career development of their “high potential” employees.
• 30% feel their employer is not committed to helping them achieve personal career goals.

Why does this matter?

Well, it matters for both employers and employees.  The coming years will see a shortage of talent in the workforce due to retirement of Baby Boomers.  Most companies have not yet developed a succession plan (42%) or only have an informal plan in place (29%) to meet their needs.  If employees are not given assistance to enhance their career within their current companies, they may find it necessary to move to a different company that provides these services.  Failing to provide programs for retaining and developing employees is a clear case of myopia.  Companies who do not step up to this challenge will find it difficult to keep their brightest and best employees.

It matters to employees, because in today’s work environment you can plan on changing careers every three to 5 years.  You are responsible for “You, Inc.”  Nobody else will manage your company (”You, Inc.”) for you, so the smart money is on managing your own career development.

There are several things YOU, as an employee, can do to enhance your own career from both inside and outside the organization.  Here are a few great suggestions:
1 - Consult your HR or Training department to find out what is offered through your current company. SHRM says that “a lot of unhappiness over career development programs is a communication issue.”
2 - Look elsewhere for career development opportunities.  Check out the local chapter of your professional organization to see what certification or continuing education classes are offered.
3 - Get a degree.  Your employer may offer some form of tuition assistance for this.  Check your employee manual or ask your HR department.
4 - Change companies.  Chances are good that your company’s competitors care more about their employees than yours does.  Why not take a look at working for them?

Are you one of the 44% of employees who feel their employers do not support your career development needs?  If so, what will you do to enhance your own career goals?

When you have completed the search for yourself on the Internet you may need to clean up anything that doesn’t fit your “personal brand identity.” If there are pictures on your MySpace or Facebook account that you would not want an employer to see, take them down. If your pictures on Google Images isn’t what you want, get them removed. If you have any articles written by or about you that don’t serve to promote you AS YOU INTEND TO BE PRESENTED, it’s time to take some serious action!

There are two potentially negative options for what you may find on your personal Google search:  a) nothing (this is bad!), or b) negative (this is damaging!).  I once worked with a supervisor who was demoted because of her pictures on MySpace.  We worked for a rather conservative company, and the pictures of her drinking with friends (obviously drunk) did not fit the corporate image they wanted to portray.  Can they do that?  I’m not sure of the legalities (I’m no Lawyer), but my recommendation is that it is better to be safe than sorry.  It’s not just the “rich and famous” who need to be aware of their public presence.  It’s ALL of us!

Here are some questions that will help you make your Internet presence match your desired target:

• What is your Unique Selling Proposition?  (Your USP)
• Can you state it in 10 words? (If not, it’s probably not focused enough)
• Does your Internet presence clearly portray your USP?
• What (specifically) do you need to add?
• What (specifically) do you need to delete?
• Who will help you do these things?

When is the last time you conducted an Internet search for yourself?  My kids tell me it’s kind of a tacky thing to do, but I HIGHLY recommend it! In fact, take a minute right now and pull up Google or Yahoo (or whichever search engine you prefer) and type in your name.  Look for publications, pictures, videos, webpages, and anything else that will inform someone about YOU.

What did you find? Does it describe the person you want your current and future employer to know?  At this point there are three possible answers:  1) “yes”, 2) “I can’t be found”, or 3) “NO, this is not good!  I KNEW I shouldn’t have allowed those pictures to be taken in Cancun!”

If your Internet presence is exactly as you wish it to be, go ahead and move on to the next tip.  For those of you who, like me, need to make some improvements . . . read on.

In 1997 TomPeters wrote an article for Fast Company titled “A Brand Called You.”  In that article he argued, “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

The article was written a decade ago, but is more important now than ever!  The Internet has made it possible for us to become our own “brand”.  Remember, a brand is a “promise” of what can be expected from the product or service offered by a specific company.

What is YOUR brand?  What is YOUR promise?  When you conduct an Internet search on yourself, does what you find enhance and promote your brand?  Does it accurately portray YOUR promise?  If not, you had better take the time to improve your internet presence in order to make it do so.

When did we lose the idea that we are supposed to “dress for success?” We still should pay attention to the way we dress, regardless of our company dress code! Here’s why. . .

We counsel our clients to dress at least one step above the conventional dress code when interviewing for a job. If our clients are planning on working in a software company, we STRONGLY encourage them to wear shoes and a collared shirt . . . even though most of the people in the building will be wearing flip-flops and a t-shirt! It’s MUCH easier to remove a coat and tie if you find yourself overdressed than it is to sit through an interview with hiring managers if you are under dressed!

Tip #12 is simple.  Cut your hair. Wash your clothes. Pay attention to your personal grooming. Dress for success! When YOU take yourself more seriously, so will the people you are trying to impress.

In 2006 a poll was conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).  The poll found that nearly 40% of ALL managers found their current position through some form of networking. Networking is simply THE MOST EFFECTIVE means for finding a career. It ranks above every other method, including: Internet job postings, newspaper want ads, utilizing recruiters (or “head hunters”) and even going directly to the company.

However, most of us are not strategic about HOW we network.  We don’t have a plan.  We don’t have any idea who to meet, or where to meet them, or what to say when we DO meet them.  Here is my “quick and easy” method for turning your networking from a hit and miss technique to strategic dynamite! Use these tips and you WILL improve your ability to network effectively.

1. Make a “hit list” — WHO do you need to meet?  (Could be specific names, positions, companies, etc)
2. WHERE do they hang out?  (What networking events to these people attend?)
3. Where do people who KNOW THEM hang out? (If you want to eat fish for dinner but can’t get to the fishing hole, you should make friends with a fishmonger!)
4. WHAT will you say when you meet them? (You will only have about 30 seconds to make a contact at a networking event.  Use it wisely!)

When you DO have your networking meeting (not the meeting at the networking group, but the meeting following it), here are three questions you want to make sure you ask:

• What can I do for you?
• Who else do you know that I should talk to?
• How shall I keep you informed of my progress?

Keep networking!  It will enhance your career.

My good friend Clara Flory (85 years old at the time) used to say to me, “God gave us TWO ears and ONE mouth.  That’s why we should listen TWICE as much as we talk!” I was a young man at the time and listened politely to what she had to say, but I didn’t fully understand the importance of her comments until later.  Much later.  I wanted to impress people with my vast knowledge.  I wanted them to think I was “smart” and “eloquent”.  When I was unsure if my constant jabbering achieved that goal, I would talk more or louder and listen less.  Now I look back with slight embarrassment.  I jumped to conclusions.  I made assumptions that led me to be unproductive.  I thought I was “solving” problems.  Now I see that I may have created more problems than I ever solved. If I had only listened to Clara.  If I had only LISTENED!

I’m sure this has never happened to you.

Growing up my grandmother had a sign on her kitchen wall that read, “I would rather remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt.”  (Abaraham Lincoln)  I have a feeling that “Honest Abe” had a Clara Flory in his past as well.  I wonder how long it took for him to learn this valuable lesson!

During the months of June and July, I intend to write posts on “tips for improving your career.” These are tips I’ve collected over the years. Some are short, others are longer. Some require a good deal of time, others can be implemented in a few minutes. They come from recruiters, job seekers, HR professionals, career coaches, and hiring managers. Follow the ones that make sense for you. Even if you only follow a few of these tips, I GUARANTEE that by the end of the month you will see improvement in your career opportunities! Good luck. Now, let’s get started.

Tip Number 1 - SHOW UP

Woody Allen is attributed with the saying, “80% of success is just showing up.” If that’s true, then a large percentage of workers today (at every level of the organization) are VERY UNSUCCESSFUL! Many people show up late, or call in sick. Even when they do show up, many of them are not “really” there. They are just going through the motions. If you want to make yourself stand out from the crowd, SHOW UP. Really and truly BE there — physically, psychologically and emotionally. Be there on time and ready to perform.

By showing up you will begin to improve your career in many ways. You will stand out from your co-workers. You will see improvement in just a few short weeks! Try it. You’ll see.