What’s difference between career and new job?
You plan your career. You react when job seeking.
We are long time search consultants. It’s fun helping people through their career plans. Helping them find new jobs is not near as enjoyable.
Did you know? 81% of job seekers leave their career to chance.
Readers of this article are different. They are taking charge of their careers.
Planning your (leadership) career
Start with the end. What position would you like to retire from?
CEO, President, Divisional VP, Strategic VP, SVP Marketing (or some other Department), Owner, Store Manager, Franchise Owner (One or many franchise locations), etc. Over the years that end goal may change. That’s ok. What are your thoughts today.Plan your career in 5 year increments. Don’t worry about 20 yeas from now.
Quick story.
I knew I wanted my own company. To manage a motivated, energized team. How big a team? I had no idea? How many office? Domestic or international? What kind of company? Industry? I had not a clue.
At time I was at Boeing. Think building passenger jets, rockets, etc. I was so far down the ladder that middle management was in building 5 miles away. All I knew was Boeing wasn’t for me.
Sat down with my wife. She asked me all the above questions, darn. I hate getting asked questions I don’t have answers to. Especially from my wife! I’m old school. Guys were taught we were supposed to have all the answers. (Who ever started that garbage hopefully was at least tarred and feathered.)
Admitted I didn’t have answers. We backed up another step. If I was going to have my own company what skills did I need?
Oh, the usual stuff. Management skills, accounting, finance, strategic, marketing, sales, administrative, planning, operations, leadership, knowing where to go for legal help. And about 100 more. Heck, where to go to create a company. Start at federal level or state? How should I set it up?
Two of us wrote down all skills we could think of. I wasn’t smart enough then, to know what each skill involved. I did know that successful businesses needed all of them. Where did we start? We just grabbed easiest one on list and said let’s learn this.
You are already much farther along than I was. Start thinking about your career from today’s position.
6 quick questions
What would you like to be doing 5 years from now?
What skills do you have today. What skills will you need then?
How are you going to get them? Next employer? Classes? Hard knocks?
What role do you see yourself in?
Don’t worry about title. What would your position be like? Describe your dream organization? Size of company? Own your own? What would your role be? Running the organization? A division or subsidiary? Managing a team? How many employees?What kind of executive will you be?
Of jobs you have had, what did/do you enjoy most? What makes you proud? How do you lead? How would you like to lead differently?
Step back. What industry or business you would like to be in? After a year I knew I did not want to be a small cog in 100,000+ employee machine. I would have had to become some kind of specialist. I had no idea on specialties available, so I choose generalist route.
Pointer #1: Think about yourself. You already know what size and kind of organization you enjoy.
Write them down.What drives you forward? What drives you nuts? What motivates you? When do you feel on top of your work world?
Congrats. You are starting to plan your career!
Doesn’t feel anything like answering your phone to: “This is Rachel your friendly headhunter. I have wonderful career opportunity for you, with a great company.” Turns out you have never talked with Rachel before. Yes, she has job opportunity. Career opportunity? Unlikely.
Pointer #2: Get to know 2-3 headhunters. Make sure they understand your career plan and what the next steps are.
If headhunter just wants to talk about jobs they have now. Listen politely. If opportunities don’t make sense? Get new headhunter. That one only wants to find people jobs, to line their pockets.
You want headhunters that listen and are watching for your best interests. Not just today, but long term. Headhunters are in sales. Under heavy pressure by owners to place so many people every month. Very hard for them to step back to think about you.
Pointer #2: Always ask headhunter how many years they have been headhunter and how long they have been with this company.
Answers tell you how well established headhunter is. We all had to start somewhere. When it comes to your career you want experience backing you.
What’s most important? You are already doing it.
Your career trip has started. Hardest part was starting.
Can it change directions? Of course. Likely, you will change courses several times. I had 5 other jobs before I figured out what I wanted. Didn’t take long to know each job was not it. Sure took long time to find what I was good at AND enjoyed.
Pointer # 3: Make sure each career step adds to your skill set.
Ok, you kinda maybe, know where you are going. What’s next?
Go back to list of skills you will need in 5 years. Which is most important? Start looking for opportunities that will give you that skill.
Is skill you need today available in every industry? Every company? If so, your immediate career world is wide open. If skill you want next, is only in certain industries identify them.
Several highly recommended books can help you explore skills and expectations across different industries.
"Do What You Are" by Paul Tieger, Barbara Barron, and Kelly Tieger: Matches personality types with hundreds of specific careers, detailing the exact skills and work environments that fit different traits.
"Designing Your Life" by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans: Uses design thinking to help professionals map out different career paths, build mindsets, and prototype various industry roles.
"Secrets to Success in Industry Careers" by Michael J. Katz: An insider’s guide bridging the gap between academic skills and what is actually required to succeed in diverse corporate and technical industries.
Odds are you don’t need the above. You already have good idea on skills and experience needed to advance your career.
Identifying your company selection strategy.
Reach out to LinkedIn. Look for companies that specialize in skills you want. Go to their company web sites. Google is another good site to learn about companies.
When company sounds intriguing. Is company doing anything you can see yourself doing? If not, move on. If so, look at their job listings to see if anything interests you.
Look at bunch of different companies. You will quickly identify a pattern. The types of companies that appeal to you will have certain qualities and characteristics. Qualities and characteristics you may not even be aware of today.
Before applying to career opportunities.
-What do you want to know about the company?
Are they making money? Have products or services you can support? How do they talk about their employees? Customers? Tip: “About” sections on company web sites identify underlying principles and beliefs. Do they match yours?
Are there opportunities where you live? In area you would move to? Do they talk about career advancement? If website doesn’t, write down questions you want to ask employer. Tip: Company “Chats” can often answer this question.
Pointer #4: As you research potential employers, write down questions.
How those questions benefit you:
Answers will tell you whether you want to work for them.
Asking those questions will differentiate you from other candidates.
Now you are ready to apply. (Well almost.)
Before applying. Review their job description. Look for key words they use.
Does your resume include those key words? If not, look at sentences in your resume. Where can you replace your word with one of their key words.
Pointer #5: Be sure words in your resume sound like words their company uses.
Why?
More you sound like “one of them,” stronger your candidacy becomes. Every company has their company jargon.
Goal: Immediately have your resume stand out
When real people actually read your resume, and
When your resume is run through their Applicant Tracking software. (ATS)
Resume you submit? Typically goes through their ATS software before a person ever sees it.
Their jargon in your resume? “We need to talk with this person, they think like us.”
What’s their jargon?
Key words in sections on their website. Notice same words used a few times? That’s their jargon. Work those words into your resume. Substitute them for other words you have used.
This isn’t about “right or wrong” words. It’s gaining understanding of language that employer uses.
Include a cover letter?
Only to expand on specific point from their job description. A point where you are significantly better qualified than other candidates.
Ex: Their job description stresses ability to generate revenues.
You have just finished project where projected revenue was $100,000.
You sold $350,000.
At 4% higher profit margin than projected.
In first 4 months on market.
Won “Top Revenue Producer” award.
You immediately have employers attention. You have given them reason to read your resume. Now your resume will be read…carefully. Instead of 5-10 second scan.
You’ve been interviewed twice and have just received a job offer. Yeah!
Not so fast. Getting the offer is only first step. You will be evaluated on your ability to succeed. They are hiring someone to solve problem. You typically have 3-4 months to succeed. (See earlier blog article: https://insights.securemploy.com/p/you-ve-been-hired You’ve Got 90 Days to Prove Yourself )
Take careful look at job you are being offered.
First, can you do it.
Second, can you exceed their expectations? In their allotted time?
Third, is this really the job you had in mind?
If so, great. Not sure. Step back. May be great job with great company. But not so great, for you.
Your ability to be high potential employee will be decided in first 90 days. Divide expectation from position you are offered by 4 quarters. Can you exceed those numbers by 20% your first 3 months on the job?
If not, job is not structured for your success.
What are your options?
Ask employer how yearly expectation was compiled. Sometimes goals and targets are unachievable. Give them chance to revise their expectations.
What support will you have in meeting expectations.
About now prospective employer should be asking. “Getting cold feet? Don’t think you can do the job?
Your answer. “Whether I’m super star you need will be determined in first 90-120 days. Looking at the numbers, questionable whether I can exceed first quarters numbers by at least 20%. If that’s not attainable why would I want to accept the job?”
That answer should stop employer. Listen to their response.
Summary:
Optimal career advancement, requires
Careful career planning to assure each step of the journey is optimized for success.
There are 6 strategic questions to consider.
5 Pointers are guides.
Lot of resources to refer to if unsure on best way to identify goals Use them to speed your process.
Learn employers jargon from words they use in job description and on their web site.
Then insert those words into your resume and your 30 second career pitch. You want them to identify with you, based on using words they frequently use.Spend few minutes to customize your resume for each position you apply for. It can be as simple as inserting a few of their key words.
Getting an offer is great. To optimize your career be sure offer strengthens your skills. That you can exceed their KPI’s first 90-120 days.
Does this seem like lot of work? It should. Planning your long term career to assure you achieve or exceed your goals requires effort. But taken step by step it will happen. How badly do you want it?
Need some guidance? Reach out. Schedule call (free). We’ve guided 5,079 careers. Worked with 600+ employers and owners. Use us as part of your career team.
Tom Ferree is the founder of Ferree & Associates and SecureEmploy, organizations focused on helping companies find exceptional talent and helping professionals advance their careers. Since founding Ferree & Associates in 1977, Tom has worked extensively with hospitality companies, executives, and rising leaders across the industry. Through SecureEmploy, he shares practical career strategies, leadership insights, and real-world advice to help professionals grow their careers and help organizations build stronger teams.
