Job satisfaction: We all want it, but we’re not exactly sure how to secure it.
That’s because we believe our satisfaction is dependent on factors we don’t control, like the work balance at our current company, or the specific tasks our supervisors delegate to us. And while it is true that some of the job satisfaction factors are outside our control, that doesn’t mean we have no control at all!
Not satisfied in your job? Here’s a quick exercise many career coaches use to help you get to the core of what it is you should be doing with your life:
What Drives You?
1. What did you dream about doing when you were a kid?
2. What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about making money?
Make a list of the above. You should start to see commonalities in terms of general skills. It should come as no surprise, but those general skills will probably be related to your biggest strengths.
What Are Your Natural Talents?
1. What do people most appreciate about you and what you do?
2. What are the unique skills you have that people comment on at work or at home?
3. What areas do you excel in? For example, are you always being thanked for your insight, objectivity, organizational skills, etc.?
What Are Your Work Values?
1. What do you value in your work?
2. Do you appreciate the ability to work independently, or is a team environment something you value more?
3. Do you prefer constantly learning new skills, or do you value having the opportunity to really fine-tune one skill?
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Your combined answers to the questions above can guide you in your job search and will help you figure out if you’re on the right path or way off course.
The good news is that even if you discover you’ve gone astray, you’ll now have a roadmap to get you back on track.
Find information on successfully changing careers.
With job creation numbers remaining modest and unemployment rates holding steady, landing your dream job may at times seem like a Sisyphean task. Sure, hand-delivering a box of chocolates to the hiring manager is one way to make your application stand out, but that’s not necessarily the best way to go about getting your resume to the top of the stack.
As a Managing Partner overseeing executive recruitment, candidates frequently ask me how to stand out in a job interview and build their personal brand. My response is simple: go the extra mile. This means tossing out a generic resume, upping your networking game, and thinking creatively.
Tailor your resume to match the position and company culture.
From tech startups to advertising giants, traditional resumes no longer make the cut. Tailor your resume to not only match the position for which you are applying, but also to align with the company’s culture. For example, consider using an infographic to visually illustrate your skills and accomplishments. And while a creative presentation is important, when it comes to your qualifications and accomplishments, stick to the facts. In the age of Google, it only takes a few seconds to spot “creative embellishments” and have your resume sent straight to the reject pile.
Build your digital brand and use it to network.
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital calling card; what does it say about you? Think beyond the basic profile and consider what you say in public forums, too. Establish yourself as an industry thought leader by curating industry news and adding insightful comments. Be strategic with your LinkedIn connections and don’t be afraid to ask colleagues and clients for a recommendation on LinkedIn. If you are currently employed but interested in a new position, reach out individually to the contacts you trust can keep your intentions private, let them know you are exploring the possibility of a new challenge, and ask for advice. I have found that people are genuinely interested in helping others when asked.
Stand out in your job interview.
Your interview is not a time to rehash your resume’s bullet points; it is a time to sell your personal brand by harnessing the power of storytelling. Come to your interview prepared with two or three anecdotes that demonstrate your soft skills, including teamwork, leadership, and creative thinking. Do your research: understand the company’s culture and be prepared with thoughtful questions to ask about the company’s future direction. Demonstrate how your leadership and ideas will be invaluable to building the company’s future. Speak with confidence, passion, and determination; there’s no substitute for human interaction, and an interview is your moment to shine.
Posted by Michael Johnson
Like many college grads, I finished school without a job lined up right away. I’d originally planned on going into international relations, but an internship at the United Nations showed me how wrong that path was for me. (Big egos and bureaucracy? No, thanks.) As my living expenses piled up post-graduation, though, I knew I had to act quickly—applying to jobs I wasn’t even sure I wanted had so far been fruitless. So, I put on my business-casual suit, printed off my resume and walked into the doors of a temporary staffing agency.
Although it wasn’t my first choice at the time, temping ended up being the best decision I could’ve made for myself. After months of wandering, I gained motivation, experience and a steady paycheck. And ultimately, that was instrumental in leading me to where I am today. If you find yourself trapped in a seemingly endless job search, consider the following.
1. It’s Easier To Find A Temp Job Than You Think
Securing a temp job’s often relatively quick and low-effort, especially if you go through an agency like I did. To get started, all you really have to do is prepare a resume and cover letter—ideally tailored to the type of position you’re looking for—then reach out to set up an appointment with a nearby agency. Once you meet with your designated recruiting agent, you can share some specifics about your workstyle, skill set and what kind of position and organization you’re looking for.
After gathering that info, your recruiter will search for open opportunities that seem like a good fit and pitch your resume to those companies—usually at no cost to you. You’ll probably still have to spend some time drafting cover letters and interviewing before you get an offer (like any other job), but any way you slice it, you’re looking at serious savings in both time and effort.
As a bonus, there are usually many companies looking for part-time workers, leaving you with plenty of time to dedicate to job applications. Just clarify to your agency recruiter how many hours a week you’re willing to work from the get-go, and they’ll likely be able to find something that fits with your schedule.
2. Temping Pays The Bills (Without Making You Miserable)
When faced with the financial strain of unemployment, people usually go one of two routes: panic and accept a job that they know they won’t like, or stick it out in the hopes that something better will turn up before the next rent check is due. But you don’t have to choose between being broke and being miserable—temping is a perfect alternative for this scenario.
When you go through an agency to find a position, you have a significant amount of say in where you’ll be placed. So if you get matched up with an organization you think you’ll despise, you can pass without feeling guilty. The great thing about recruiters at these agencies is that they move fast—it’s in their best interest to fill open jobs ASAP, so they can often find you multiple opportunities within a span of two to three weeks. (Although your mileage may vary depending on the circumstances.) That way, you can find a good balance between the income you need and the experience you want.
3. Temping Gives You The Kick In The Butt You Need
To recycle a line from your high school physics textbook, an object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Translation: Even if you have plenty of time to apply to jobs when you’re unemployed, it can be hard to muster up the motivation to do so when your pace of life has slowed down so much.
On the other hand, if you get in the habit of sticking to a routine and spending your time meaningfully, you’ll naturally be in a more proactive state of mind—and you’ll probably feel a whole lot more self-worth.
It might seem counterintuitive, but this is a scenario in which less time spent searching results in greater productivity. Think about it: If you’re lounging in your pajamas at home all day, scouring job sites with trashy TV on in the background, there’s a decent chance you’ll spend more time goofing off than actually working on applications.
That, in turn, can lead to feelings of guilt, self-doubt and hopelessness. If you come back feeling accomplished after a solid day at the office, though, there’s a much better chance that you can maintain the confidence and drive needed during a job search.
4. Temping Exposes You To Variety
The impermanent nature of temping means that you’ll be able to try out more jobs in a shorter time period than you would otherwise, making this the perfect choice for folks who don’t know what they want to next or are looking to broaden their core competencies. If you fall into either of those camps, make a short list of the types of positions and companies you want to try out, then tackle them in order of highest- to lowest-priority.
As you get more and more experience under your belt, you’ll naturally figure out what you like and don’t like in a job. Not to mention, working in a number of different spaces, positions and even types of companies will help you pick up some new skills along the way—which can be invaluable in setting you apart from the crowd when you eventually start searching for something more long-term.
5. Temping Is The Ultimate Form Of Networking
Industry-related meetups or company happy hours are one thing, but there’s no better way to get to know somebody than by working with them. If you end up at a few different companies as a temp, you’ll probably work closely with a variety of people who will get to know you on a deeper level. When somebody like that can personally attest to your work style, strengths and biggest wins, they make a much more valuable reference than a random LinkedIn connection.
And who knows? Those folks may even be able to hook you up with a full-time opportunity, whether it’s at their current organization, a friend or family member’s company or a different workplace further down the line. As long as you do a good job and use the time to network like a pro, you’ll be able to open up a whole new world of opportunities for yourself.
Becoming a temp might not be what you dreamed of doing as a kid, but it’s still a perfectly respectable option—and in many cases, a surprisingly strategic one. Plenty of people (myself included) have used these positions as a springboard to launch into successful, long-term careers.
And while it’s common to feel like settling for anything less than your dream job is a failure, the truth is that deviating from the standard path (even if it’s scary at the time) can sometimes lead to an even better outcome. Take it from me: The skills and experience I gained at my temp job helped me kick off my first full-time position, a lifelong career in HR and eventually, a seat at the executive table.
The best things in life may be free, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire. That’s especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills. What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn? We’ve highlighted our favorite takeaways.
1. Time management Effective time management is one of the most highly valued skills by employers. While there is no one right way, it’s important to find a system that works for you and stick to it, Alina Grzegorzewska explains. “The hardest thing to learn for me was how to plan,” she writes. “Not to execute what I have planned, but to make so epic a to-do list and to schedule it so thoroughly that I’m really capable of completing all the tasks on the scheduled date.”
2. Empathy “You can be the most disciplined, brilliant, and even wealthy individual in the world, but if you don’t care for or empathize with other people, then you are basically nothing but a sociopath,” writes Kamia Taylor. Empathy, as business owner Jane Wurdwand explains, is a fundamental human ability that has too readily been forsworn by modern business. “Empathy — the ability to feel what others feel — is what makes good sales and service people truly great. Empathy as in team spirit— motivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy, to go bigger, because they feel something bigger than just a paycheck,” she writes.
3. Mastering your sleep There are so many prescribed sleep hacks out there it’s often hard to keep track. But regardless of what you choose, establishing a ritual can help ensure you have restful nights. Numerous studies show that being consistent with your sleep schedule makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, and it helps promote better sleep in general.
4. Positive self-talk “Ultimately it does matter what others think of you,” writes Shobhit Singhal, “but what you think of yourself certainly does, and it takes time to build that level of confidence and ability to believe in yourself when nobody else does.” On the other side of positive self-talk is negative self-talk, which Betsy Myers, founding director of The Center for Women and Business at Bentley University, believes can slowly chip away at your confidence.
5. Consistency Whether you’re trying a new exercise routine, studying for the LSATs, or working on an important project, Khaleel Syed writes that consistency is vital to maintaining any kind of success.
People often stop working hard when they reach the top, he explains, but to maintain that top position, they must work harder and be more consistent in their work.
6. Asking for help “I once was told in a job interview, ‘You can’t have this job if you can’t ask for help when you need it,'” Louise Christy writes. “Naturally, I said I could.
Later, I found out that the previous person with that job had screwed up big-time because he was in over his head but couldn’t admit it and didn’t ask for help.” She explains that knowing when you need help and then asking for it is surprisingly difficult to learn and do because no one wants to be perceived as weak or incompetent. But a recent study from the Harvard Business School suggests doing so makes you look more, not less, capable. According to the study, when you ask people for advice, you validate their intelligence or expertise, which makes you more likely to win them over.
7. Knowing when to shut up — and actually doing it “You can’t go around whining about every other thing that seems not-so-right to you in this world,” writes Roshna Nazir. “Sometimes you just need to shut up.” There are many instances when keeping to yourself is the best course. “When we are angry, upset, agitated, or vexed,” writes Anwesha Jana, “we blurt out anything and everything that comes to our mind.” And later, you tend to regret it. Keeping your mouth shut when you’re agitated is one of the most valuable skills to learn, and of course, one of the most difficult.
8. Listening Along with shutting up comes listening, says Richard Careaga. “Most of us in the workplace are so overwhelmed with things to do — instant messaging, phones ringing. I mean, our brain can only tolerate so much information before it snaps,” Nicole Lipkin, author of “What Keeps Leaders Up At Night,” previously told Business Insider. One tip for active listening is repeating back what you heard to the other person. “It makes things so much easier when everyone is on the same page,” she said.
9. Minding your business “It takes ages to learn and master this,” writes Aarushi Ruddra. Sticking your nose into other people’s work isn’t helpful and wastes time and resources, she says. “You have no right to put forth your two or four cents, even if you are the last righteous person standing.”
10. Mastering your thoughts to do what you want to do and accomplish what you want to accomplish, you need to consciously direct your thinking, writes Mark Givert. “The challenge is that we are the product of our experience and all of our thinking is the result of this,” he says. “However, the past does not equal the future.
When you’re interviewing for a job, it is going well, and the company likes you, it’s a powerful sensation. The feeling is mutual on the other side of the desk. When an interviewer meets a candidate whose energy and experience are just what you are looking for and you start to think “This person could benefit us a great deal,” you go through the same stages.
You get to know more about your candidate as you continue the conversation, and you begin to visualize this individual in the position.
The candidate starts to picturing his/herself in the job. The conversation get looser and more friendly. Finally, a job offer is extended and you hope they accept. Usually, she/he does. Once the agreement is struck, you rejoice!
By the end of a hiring process, your future manager wants to hire you as urgently as you want to be employed. For this reason, it is important to watch your manners and professionalism at the end of the recruiting process. Don’t make a last-minute blunder that will cost you the job offer!
Here are five tragic, late-in-the-game interview mistakes job seekers make that cost them the position:
- Announcing that you need a three-month sabbatical mid-next-year, that you can’t start your job for six weeks, or that you can only work from home.
- Bombing your reference and/or background check. Most employers will not overlook details in a reference-checking and employment verification process. If they run into gaping holes or information that doesn’t agree with what you told them, that will cost you.
- Going silent. Some candidates hear “We want you to join us — look for our offer in the mail” and will not hear the rest of the process. Two and a half weeks later a hysterical recruiter is messaging him/her constantly, asking “Where are you?” Only to get the reply, “I went to Vegas with my buddies to celebrate my new position,” only to find out that he/she is no longer a candidate for the role.
- Pulling the organization into a bidding war. This is risky because some employers will play ball and others won’t. it is a business tactic, but you have to be prepared for a company that will not play the game. The hiring manger may say “We’re happy for you — we’re delighted that you are so much in demand right now. We don’t want to hold you back from taking that offer. We cannot match or exceed that offer.” You cannot blame them if they rescind the offer. If you agreed that a certain salary would get you on board and they offered that salary but now you are saying that other employers will pay you more, they may say “All the best to you!” and move on to another candidate.
- Last but not least, you can lose a job offer if you fail a drug test, employers that use drug testing as part of their recruiting process have a strict no tolerance policy.
Double-check your references, your employment and educational histories before you apply for a job — not afterward! Make sure that you are ready to pass a drug screening. Keep track of the interview pipelines you are in and keep the lines of communication open in case you are contacted by the company – especially as you get close to receiving a job offer!
If you have special situation like a vacation in the near future or the ability to work from home, address those topics before you get the job offer.
Once the interviewer likes you and you like them, you are way more than halfway to the finish line in your job search. Be careful not to mess it up at the last minute!
At Ventureready LLC we prepare professional cover letters and resumes for every career, and Career Coaching to prepare for any interview.
Rewiring your career may be a smart move, experts say, and offer 4 tips to get you started.
Changing jobs seems like a relatively common and simple feat. You leave your project manager position at one firm and pick up a similar gig, maybe closer to home, with better benefits or pay. Changing careers, though, sounds more daunting. Moving from the publishing industry to, say, health care—is it even possible, and if so, how would you do it?
Shifting careers, or re-careering, is possible, experts say, and a wise way to stay competitive in today’s job market. Two fields that hold particular promise for growth are health care and IT. Dr. Eric Darr, interim president of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania, says opportunities abound in these areas. Harrisburg is a private institution focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Darr says the student body includes everyone from recent high-school graduates to students in their 30s, 40s and 50s looking to reskill and “readjust their careers.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care practitioners and technical occupations are projected to grow 26 percent from 2010-2020, while computer and math occupations are projected to grow 22 percent during that time.
How to Make the Leap: 4 Key Tips
So the opportunities are out there, especially in health care and IT. But how do you seize them? Consider these sage bits of advice:
- Conduct informational interviews with individuals working in the field you want to pursue. Meeting face-to-face with people already in your desired area is invaluable, says Mark Gasche, senior director of career services for Empowered UCLA Extension. This is a chance to ask critical questions about salary or potential barriers to entering the field, Gasche explains. Afterward you’ll feel better or worse, he says. If you feel worse, then it’s a challenge to your initial plan. If you feel better, then you’ll be armed with more knowledge about how to continue.
- Consider careers that will be safe from outsourcing. Darr says predicting which fields will be outsource-proof can be tricky, “But if you are in health care and the job is to work with patients and analyze data, those things are not going to be outsourced because they can’t be.”
- Don’t stop working. “Today you can take courses and certifications at night and on weekends. You do not have to drop out of the system in order to participate,” says Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, vice president and managing director at the Apollo Research Institute. Many companies give support to workers pursuing education while they work, she notes. If you pursue education or training at a higher-education institution, be sure to select one that doesn’t relegate adult education to second-class status, Darr says.
- Volunteer. Wilen-Daugenti suggests that if you’re not working, volunteer for an organization in the area where you want to be hired: “In our ongoing career research, an individual noted that he was volunteering in an IT position at a key hospital so that he understood the systems and when a job opened he would be the first pick to be hired.” Volunteering lets you test the job and learn the systems, while people in the firm get to know you and your capabilities, she explains.
Kristina Cowan
Changing jobs seems like a relatively common and simple feat. You leave your project manager position at one firm and pick up a similar gig, maybe closer to home, with better benefits or pay. Changing careers, though, sounds more daunting. Moving from the publishing industry to, say, health care—is it even possible, and if so, how would you do it?
Shifting careers, or re-careering, is possible, experts say, and a wise way to stay competitive in today’s job market. Two fields that hold particular promise for growth are health care and IT. Dr. Eric Darr, interim president of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania, says opportunities abound in these areas. Harrisburg is a private institution focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Darr says the student body includes everyone from recent high-school graduates to students in their 30s, 40s and 50s looking to reskill and “readjust their careers.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care practitioners and technical occupations are projected to grow 26 percent from 2010-2020, while computer and math occupations are projected to grow 22 percent during that time.
How to Make the Leap: 4 Key Tips
So the opportunities are out there, especially in health care and IT. But how do you seize them? Consider these sage bits of advice:
- Conduct informational interviews with individuals working in the field you want to pursue. Meeting face-to-face with people already in your desired area is invaluable, says Mark Gasche, senior director of career services for Empowered UCLA Extension. This is a chance to ask critical questions about salary or potential barriers to entering the field, Gasche explains. Afterward you’ll feel better or worse, he says. If you feel worse, then it’s a challenge to your initial plan. If you feel better, then you’ll be armed with more knowledge about how to continue.
- Consider careers that will be safe from outsourcing. Darr says predicting which fields will be outsource-proof can be tricky, “But if you are in health care and the job is to work with patients and analyze data, those things are not going to be outsourced because they can’t be.”
- Don’t stop working. “Today you can take courses and certifications at night and on weekends. You do not have to drop out of the system in order to participate,” says Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, vice president and managing director at the Apollo Research Institute. Many companies give support to workers pursuing education while they work, she notes. If you pursue education or training at a higher-education institution, be sure to select one that doesn’t relegate adult education to second-class status, Darr says.
- Volunteer. Wilen-Daugenti suggests that if you’re not working, volunteer for an organization in the area where you want to be hired: “In our ongoing career research, an individual noted that he was volunteering in an IT position at a key hospital so that he understood the systems and when a job opened he would be the first pick to be hired.” Volunteering lets you test the job and learn the systems, while people in the firm get to know you and your capabilities, she explains.
Kristina Cowan
![Career-Planning-Guide[1]](https://www.ventureready.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Career-Planning-Guide1-174x300.jpg)
Whether your decision to make a career change at midlife is influenced by boredom and ennui in your present work, financial reasons, or wanting to follow your true passion, the first important step that you should take is to acknowledge the fact that you are making a decision that doesn’t fall short of life-changing. There are, after all, lots of factors to consider; all the more so if you already have a family to raise, as you would definitely have to consult them as well.
If you are looking for some midlife career change ideas worth remembering, then you need only to read the advice we have listed below. Not only could this help direct you towards the right direction that your life should take from this point onwards, but it could also clear any doubts that you still have about going on with this truly important life decision.
1) Take some time off
You would definitely need a lucid, stress-free mind to make such a critical decision so be sure to invest time in thinking about your future prospects and plans. Preferably, this should be done alone, in a place where you are certain you can find peace and solitude. It won’t take long for you to discover that, with a mind that is at peace and unburdened by everyday problems, you won’t find it hard to begin looking at things more clearly and positively.
2) Be realistic
One of the most overused, banal sayings about the topic of career change is that you should “do what you love”. While this is something that most of us would, as much as possible, not want to label as mere wishful thinking, it’s simply not always the case in real life. This is why when weighing your decisions, you should always lean more towards something that would be feasible, without sacrificing the things that ignite your passion. This is why “Learn to love what you do” could prove to be the better maxim.
3) Be open to taking career assessment tests
These tests are specifically designed to help people who want to get the career that they’ve always wanted, so never hesitate to take them. They would surely help you get a better view of all the options that you have, as they are tests that involve finding out your skills, personality strengths and weaknesses, and, ultimately, your real passion. What’s good about these types of tests is that they are also available as self-assessment tests online, and you can take them anytime you want.
4) Take action
By this time, you are probably already quite aware and confident of the things that you’re good at This is why if you decide to do something or embark on a new endeavor, always make it a point to equip yourself with the necessary knowledge and skills to start taking action as soon as possible. Experience, after all, is the best teacher. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck at the planning and analyzing part. Most of the time, it’s only when you dive into the water that you begin discovering new opportunities and possibilities.
5) You’re not alone
Seek the help of others, may they be your friends or professionals. Your loved ones are always there to support you. You are not limited to your social circles as well, because there are trained professionals such as career coaches who are ready to help give you other good midlife career change advice, which could very well demystify and reveal opportunities that you hadn’t thought of and noticed before.
Always remember that if you really have a positive outlook and the willpower to undergo such a major change, then you can practically do and get anything that you strive for. By simply keeping these tips in mind, even if you encounter setbacks (and more often than not, you most assuredly will), you can always shake off the mud from the battleground of life and triumphantly continue on until you reach your goal.
By Steve Bohler
![careers-advice-puzzle-shows-employment-guidance-advising-ass-showing-assistance-[1]](https://www.ventureready.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/careers-advice-puzzle-shows-employment-guidance-advising-ass-showing-assistance-1-300x247.jpg)
Over is the new up in many jobs and industries. Learn how to use lateral moves and other off-the-ladder opportunities for career catapults and avoid getting derailed.
Are you looking for that next career challenge but unsure how to get there? Climbing the corporate ladder might not be the only way. Today more than ever, a career detour just might lead to your career destiny. At every level — including the top — professionals, managers, and executives-in-waiting commonly zigzag through several lateral lurches before stepping up to their destination position.
Why has lateral become the new way to the top? The recession is partly to blame — the hierarchy in many companies flattened and compressed during the recession, effectively eliminating rungs that were previously part of the expected climb.
Because of this reality, it has become more important to “think sideways.” If you don’t plan ahead by considering lateral rotations as part of your career development plan, you may end up stuck on your current ladder rung indefinitely, unless you find a way to take a larger-than-usual step up. Yet paradoxically, exceptional advancement is less likely if you haven’t taken the time to boost your experience and confidence with lateral moves.
Here is a helpful analogy: “If you’re stuck in a traffic jam and it may be hours before you’re able to move forward, it makes sense to change lanes and exit on a side road where you can more quickly navigate around it. Sitting in the traffic jam and fuming doesn’t get you anywhere.”
For advice on how to effectively turn a side step into a step up, TheLadders asked several career-development experts to weigh in:
- Make It Make Sense. Without a strategic career path, lateral moves can become merely a merry-go-round. You must proactively plot your own career plan to make sense of diagonal and lateral moves. “Your employer won’t do it for you, so the first thing to know is that it’s up to you to pursue and land opportunities that advance your career agenda.
A great place to start is to envision your next “up” move, and then reverse-engineer the qualifications you need to make a serious run for that position. assess your current experience and skill set to determine what you might need to get where you want to go.
Ask yourself: Am I lacking hands-on operational experience? Proven expertise in a business skill, such as client retention? A working knowledge of a relevant slice of technology? What skill set would tee up my success in that position? By comparing the skills required by your next-step job to the skills you currently have, you’ll quickly see the gaps that a lateral move can fill.
- Do What Needs to Be Done. Your informal self-assessment will likely uncover areas where your skills could be stronger to get you to the next level. Determine specific strategic actions that will help you reach your career goals faster.
If you are a project manager who wants to become a department manager, you might need two things: a stronger network outside your department so that your reputation is already established with your potential new peers, and broader exposure to customers and clients so you can show that you can drive growth as well as get work accomplished.
In this case, she suggested considering a short-term rotation to cultivate relationships with other departments and functions, or working on an assignment that puts you and your team on a customer-facing project.
- Volunteer Strategically. It can be difficult to find time for volunteer projects in the midst of your primary career responsibilities. But strategic volunteering can be a powerful way to rapidly expand your network of influencers and to backfill business skills.
To spin community service into an opportunity for lateral rotation, join an organizational committee whose volunteers complement—yet don’t duplicate—your existing network. Look to your current skills for a logical toehold (for example, if you work in marketing, join the marketing committee).
Your end game is to transition to an assignment that builds your business skills, once your credibility is established. So a marketing exec, needing operational and financial management experience, might volunteer to co-chair an annual appeal. Such assignments tee up result-driven case studies for employees to bring back to their day job, illustrating business skills that prove their qualification for general management.
- Ensure You’re Still Learning. While sometimes taking a few steps sideways — or even back — can help you move forward, not all lateral moves or career detours will take you in the direction that you ultimately want to go. The trick is knowing which will and which won’t.
It can be detrimental to take a detour if you’re unlikely to learn anything new in the next position. “If you are switching to gain different skills or expand your network in the company, then a sideways turn could be helpful.” “However, if you are switching into a role where you cannot leverage any of your existing skills, then you should hear an internal alarm go off.” To help avoid a dead end, evaluate any lateral move in light of whether it will expand your skill set or neutralize what may be viewed as outdated or “legacy” experience.
Career detours can be beneficial if they round out your overall experience and practical education. “Some detours enhance your understanding of an industry or related industries—for example, industries that are vertically integrated.” “When determining whether a career detour is beneficial, consider how you will use your newly acquired skills for subsequent roles.”
- Decide for Yourself What ‘Up’ Means. Part of effective career planning is knowing what’s right for you. If you reach a career crossroads where a move feels wrong based on your own goals and vision—whether it’s sideways, up, or down—listen to yourself. Not everyone’s path makes sense as a vertical trajectory. “We often enter the workforce thinking it’s a straight path to the top.” “Usually it’s not.”
A senior leader who knew that the next available step up on his organization’s traditional ladder would force him to spend more time traveling — something he dreaded with a young son at home. But after he spent time redefining what career advancement really meant to him, he discovered that his current post gave him the flexibility and true advancement opportunity that he wanted.
“He chose to stay put, to recognize that growing in his current role would not be a detour, but sacrificing his personal values would be.” “He’s been happily succeeding personally and professionally ever since.”
- Leverage the Lattice. Whether your lateral move comes about by design or decree, there are ways you can maximize time spent horizontally. One advantage of latticed moves is that they allow you to experience different viewpoints and perspectives.
“Instead of looking down my own ladder, I’m going to look across the lattice of the organization,” said Halley Bock, CEO and president of Fierce, Inc. “Rather than asking for input from people who share my perspective and experience, the question becomes how to embrace and leverage the different vantage points, including those of different generations.”
Offering lateral moves as an alternative to straight-upward movement can be particularly important for the younger workforce, according to Bock. “The opportunity to work among different teams can give variety and depth to employees’ work experience,” said Bock. She added that Millennials bring a strong desire to share their experience and make a difference—so offering multiple avenues to learn and grow can be essential for retaining top young talent.
- Create Your Own Promotion. With the collapse of mid-management roles in many companies, an employee with 10 to 15 years of experience may suddenly find there’s no next level in sight—their leaders may be in the same age range with no plans to retire or leave any time soon. In cases where you can’t expect a promotion, it may be time to orchestrate your own with a few key strategies:
- Identify the pain in your organization and how you are uniquely suited to help calm that pain from your current position.
- Build a business plan for a new role, department, or service you might lead.
- Communicate with key players in your organization to let your intentions be known.
- Take your efforts as seriously as you would a new job search.
It takes creativity, persistence, and confidence to create your own next step, “but if you’re truly hungry for advancement in a flat world, make it yourself.”
By Robin Madell
![e036361d5fffaf0d3a7e615af321e0f2[1]](https://www.ventureready.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/e036361d5fffaf0d3a7e615af321e0f21.jpg)
As you age, you will want to change the types of jobs you seek, the personal brand you introduce, even the way you present your resume.
Whether you are 22 or 62, a job search may be in your future. But the 20-something’s job search strategy should look very different than the 60-something’s — and so should everyone’s in between.
Especially in this economy, people of all ages are in the market for a new job. Some people are looking to improve their pay or title, some want to change their career paths and some have been involuntarily plunged into a job search due to downsizing. No matter what the catalyst, a job search should be carefully calculated and cultivated, with a great many factors taken into account. One of the most important, but often overlooked, is the impact the job seeker’s age can and should have on the process.
20s: Getting a Foot in the Door
Job seekers in their 20s are long on enthusiasm and education but short on experience. Family and financial responsibilities tend to be limited, so it’s a good time to take chances. It’s also a period during which you can take some time to figure out the ways in which your talents and skills can best be applied.
“Seek out positions where you can learn from others, but be a valuable resource through your fresh perspective, youthful exuberance and the fact you have minimal responsibilities to tie you down.
One of the biggest mistakes 20-somethings make is waiting to start their job search until after they have graduated from college. A job search should start once you have declared your major. This is when you should begin to build a professional network in the way of professional societies, relationships with key professors and with possible employment opportunities through internships.
In the end, there are few things that trump experience, and younger job searchers may have the luxury of being able to gain that experience by working for less or even no pay — at least for a while.
“Having your college degree is great, but experience gets your foot in the door. Do volunteer work within your field. Seek internships, paid or unpaid, if you have to.
30s: Shaping Up
In your 30s, you need to be thinking long-term. At this point, each job is shaping your career.
Think about the next job on your resume. Does it make sense in your career path? If it doesn’t, don’t make that move. Your resume tells a story.
You also may have started a family at this point, so benefits and the demands of the job — not just wages — will be more of a consideration.
Unlike your 20s experience is less important than demonstrating your skills, but there’s still room to take risks.
In your 30s, you’ve built up confidence in your skills and should look for roles that showcase your abilities and allow you to take some professional risks. At the same time, however, you’ll want to scrutinize your work/life balance since you probably have more personal responsibilities in your 30s. You may also want to consider the kind of work you’ll be doing and how your contributions will make a difference with the employer. The benchmark at this stage is to establish respect in your abilities and begin branding yourself as an expert.
40s: What Does Your Career Story Say?
In your 40s, you have laid a firm career foundation. Now is the time to think about your impact and legacy.
A key driver for a voluntary job search in your 40s is often the degree of job satisfaction and personal and professional recognition coming from your current position. For the 40s and beyond, I think you start looking for a job that has impact. By 40, you start defining yourself not just by who you are but also by what you do. This increases as you get older.
At this point in your career, you need to be able to show potential employers that you have effectively managed your career.
Look at the arc of your career over 20 years, and hopefully you see a forward progression of accomplishment and bigger roles. Companies have 20 years of data on you, so they will be looking at this arc, as well. You are getting more expensive; are you worth the cost?
At this point in your career you need to invest more in your job search tools — your resume, personal brand and interviewing skills — to ensure all tell the correct story of your career progression and demonstrate you are worth the price you request.
50s: Find Meaning
As many can attest, looking for a new job in your 50s is not easy.
Job seekers in their 50s may be seen as too expensive. Going for a lower-titled, lower-paying position may be seen as a way to get their foot in the door, but employers often hesitate to hire overqualified candidates for fear that their hearts won’t be in the job or that they will leave the company the minute something better comes along.
Even with these challenges, there are several strategies that can be used to counteract some of the bias against older workers. First and foremost, emphasize accomplishments and experience while de-emphasizing age. Leave the year you graduated from college off your resume and, unless relevant to the job you’re applying for, only show an employment history for the last 15 to 20 years.
For job seekers in their 50s, first-hand experience with age discrimination moves from potential and theoretical to real and immediate. The 50-something job seeker has a professional lifetime of experience to offer a potential employer. And, if circumstances allow, this is the time to be thinking about taking on a position that has real meaning.
Fifty-plus is a time when … what you do has to have meaning — not necessarily a big title but actual ‘meaning. [A new job] should be interesting enough so that you learn something and challenging enough so that it calls on all the skills and experience you’ve acquired. By this time, the rewards are more in the work than in the paycheck.
60s: Be Flexible
Baby boomers who thought they were going to retire at 59½ to 62 are now dealing with the aftermath of the collapse of their job security and the collapse of their retirement funds and are saying, ‘Now I have to work ’til 68 or maybe 70. “But employers aren’t interested in that.”
When it comes to 60-somethings, employers have fears related to potential length of service, technological obsolescence and skyrocketing insurance costs.
At this stage in your career you must use your personal brand to combat those perceptions, but be flexible to different working arrangements like consulting and part-time work. Career experts say job seekers in this age category should be proactive, emphasizing the experience and work ethic that come with age, while demonstrating the flexibility and hunger to succeed that are often attributed more to younger workers.
Speaking of flexibility, experts add that 60-somethings should have it in spades and should demonstrate their willingness to be flexible in their personal brand and resume. Consider consulting, part-time work or freelancing, as opposed to a traditional full-time, benefited position. Pursue consulting work now, and adding those titles and positions to your resume will help.
In your 60s, it’s a whole different ballgame. “This may be about part-time work more than full-time work. You’ve been there and done that.”
Experts added that it’s key for older job seekers to emphasize the experience, wisdom and dependability that (usually) come with age.
Companies value institutional knowledge and deep industry expertise. Do you have this? Use the gray-hair factor as a selling point.
Whether you are 22 or 62, a job search may be in your future. But the 20-something’s job search strategy should look very different than the 60-something’s — and so should everyone’s in between.
Especially in this economy, people of all ages are in the market for a new job. Some people are looking to improve their pay or title, some want to change their career paths and some have been involuntarily plunged into a job search due to downsizing. No matter what the catalyst, a job search should be carefully calculated and cultivated, with a great many factors taken into account. One of the most important, but often overlooked, is the impact the job seeker’s age can and should have on the process.
by- Debra Donston-Miller