Career Development
Job Search For The New Decade:
Seven Secrets to Embracing Change and Building a Fulfilling Career
By William Ellermeyer
a career, a life and a pension-moving only occasionally to another company. Today’s fast-paced, global workforce no longer resembles that old-school fairytale, an environment that demands continual awareness of opportunity, ongoing skill- building, entrepreneurship, interim and part-time work and ”portfolio careers.” Those who can adapt to the new pa-
O
radigm will see a host of benefits. While the lifespan of a typical job is much shor- ter, the work is frequently more fulfil- ling. Electronic communication, social network and network support groups make networking and managing your career faster and simpler than your parents ever dreamed. And while you’ll still need a stellar resume, it’s just one tool; and not the end all in job search.
nce upon a time, you typed up your resume, submitted it to a few select employers and worked hard to build
Here are Seven Secrets to Embracing Change and Building a Fulfilling Career:
1. Relationships Rule. Today’s most powerful people are ty-
pically the best connected. Relationship building is essential. Focus on quality, not quantity. Meeting 100 people is less useful than truly connecting with 10. The key to successful networking is to bring somet- hing to the table. Networking is more of a ”give” than a ”get,” and you must be willing to help people with no thought of get- ting something in return. Think of something you can give to each person you meet, whether it’s an idea, an event, a book title, an article, a contact or
simply a friendly smile. Remember to expect nothing in return. If you do this with everyone you meet, you’ll greatly increase your likeability and visibility in the marketplace. Those people will be more inclined to hire you, refer you and help you in any way they can-and they’ll be happy to do it.
2. Know Your Brand. Create a core message that is short, fo-
cused and honest. It should include your skill sets without sounding like a sales pitch. It must make your objectives clear in an interesting, conversational style-so memorize the content, but not the precise wording. Let the message become your ”unique selling proposition,” which you will use in networking as well as in actual interviews. Your brand is a reflection of what people know and expect from a re- lationship with you. The crucial element is that your core message be brief and compelling enough to grab attention in a networking situation.
3. Give Your Resume a Millennial Makeover.
Your clean, clear, focused resume must
showcase your experience and accomp- lishments in no more than two pages. The- re are times you’ll still rely on the classic paper resume, but more often than not you’ll need to adapt yours to be com- patible with electronic communica- tion tools, including social media and websites. A blog with a couple quo- tes about you from influential people in your industry can pack a stronger punch than even a well-crafted resu- me. Companies and executive search
firms are increasingly turning to profiles placed on LinkedIn and other business- based social media sites. LinkedIn wears
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www.blackeoejournal.com The Black E.O.E. Journal
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