Be Proactive
“You’re Fired!
Can’t you just hear Donald Trump saying that?, The intrepid business tycoon passionate about seemingly everything he does including firing people on his reality show is a stark reminder about how competitive our lives and careers can be.
As I research all things career management, it is readily apparent to me that nothing motivates, and paralyzes people like suddenly having to conduct a job search. Searching the Internet, it quickly becomes apparent that there are thousands of websites and people ready to enhance your résumé, prepare you for an interview, show you the latest on online job search tools, and talk up personal branding. So, where do you start?
Isn’t the best time to consider all job search related issues long before you are forced to put them into action?
Proactive career management is taking meaningful action every day.
Proactive career management is taking meaningful action every day that advances you towards your career goals. To get started, there are two definitive books that I suggest as important reads for anyone just getting started on their career path, or for anyone who needs some new direction on this issue.
The first one is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey. Published by Free Press, 1989, 2003, and 2004. Habit one in Covey’s book is: be proactive. Here is small sample of Covey’s wisdom on what proactive people will do:
Be a model, not a critic.
Choose response based on values, not feelings.
Speak with positive language.
Create circumstances.
Work on things you can influence.
Keep commitments.
Acknowledge mistakes.
There is no question that your mindset is completely different when you feel secure in your current position versus when you are under the pressure of being out of work, or even after you’ve made a decision that the time to move on from your current job is now. Why react to circumstances when you could turn the tables and gain control of, and create circumstances? When there is no pressure to do so, you can carefully consider every issue related to your future. This is the time to consider the following questions:
How well do you know yourself and the values that drive you?
What are your near-term and long-term career goals?
What are the obstacles that prevent you from achieving these goals?
What can you do to overcome these obstacles?
Have you considered the benefits of personal branding?
Being proactive versus reactive is the path less traveled.
Being proactive versus reactive is the path less traveled. Discovering your authentic personal brand and communicating that brand consistently in all your actions is an important and proactive step in gaining control of your career and securing your future. Which brings me to my second book recommendation. Career Distinction: Stand out by building your personal brand, by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixon. Published by Wiley & Sons, 2007.
Career Distinction lays out for the reader the fine details of personal branding. It makes the case for thoroughly understanding yourself and how building your unique brand will bring value to your audience. Standing out from the crowd and being constantly sought out by potential employers is the payoff for putting these ideas in action. See my book review here.
The tasks outlined in Arruda’s book may seem daunting. After all, your job and family life no doubt consumes a majority of your time. Being proactive; however, suggests that this work be done all along the way. As with any complex project, it is best to break it down into manageable pieces. The most important thing is to get started.
Consider hiring a career coach.
Consider hiring a career coach. The right coach can help you with important elements of proactive career management. Your coach can assist you with assessment tools and provide valuable insight into the following areas:
Understanding yourself and your core values.
Developing your authentic personal brand.
Preparing traditional job search tools.
Building an online and personal networking strategy.
A career coach, like a personal trainer at the gym, gives you someone to work with, provides you a sounding board, can act as a mentor, and can keep you accountable. A good coach will guide you through the work, but the work must be done by you. Like at the gym, doing the work produces the results you seek.
Over time, with practice, your skills at proactive career management will become second nature. You will progress towards securing yourself in your current position, develop an internal and external network, and be superbly prepared for a job search in the event that one becomes necessary. Moreover, you will be well positioned for advancing towards your career goals. In time, you should expect to have potential employers looking for you! You will be in control of events and moving in a direction that is consistent with your authentic personal brand.
Boost My Career 