Twenty-eight strategies for controlling your career destiny in 2008

Note: This post is longer than usual -- it's a "Deb Dib" career gift to you as you start the new year!

As we begin 2008 – in a time of historic political campaigns (as I write this post, Barack Obama has become the first African-American to win the Iowa caucus), the burst housing bubble, the sub-prime meltdown, record oil prices, global warming, continuing conflict in Iraq, a growing industrial presence in China and other emerging nations – the economy is in flux and career security is ever more fleeting.

Today’s career security is not about job search!

It’s about embracing change through a lifetime of career activism. Are you ready to become a career activist, market “Company YOU,” and create your own security and momentum? If so, here is your Personal Marketing Manifesto...

1. I will define, refine, and niche my personal brand and differentiated value proposition.
2. I will be courageous in doing a “gut-check” and staying true-to-brand, even if it seems that my brand is a bit too unique.
3. I will remember and trust that strong brands both attract and repel -- and that niching tightly to a brand makes decisions easier by drawing in strong supporters and repelling those that are unsuitable.
4. I will tie my brand and value to the bottom-line because I know that in the real world if my brand doesn’t translate to dollars (how my brand works at work), it’s not going to get me the job, the promotion, the compensation, or the career momentum I crave.
5. I will identify and understand the needs of my target market and will pinpoint my branded value message to my best prospects within that market.
6. I will understand, and will be able to discuss, my leadership style -- including vision and motivation -- and tie it to performance.
7. I will do the homework needed to develop and support my “presidential message” (differentiated value proposition) and will be able to articulate it in under 30 seconds.
8. I will develop a flexible and targeted list of my top-five brand-defining accomplishments, mapped to my tangible results and my leadership skills.
9. I will initiate and pursue “radar screen activities” to build my visibility, both on-line and off-line.
10. I will actively manage and update my digital presence, understanding that people will routinely use my Google results to make decisions about me -- often before they have met me.
11. I will use LinkedIn and other social networking sites responsibly (even Facebook and MySpace, although I likely don’t understand why -- or if -- I need to be on them!), inviting and connecting only with people I know and can honestly endorse as trusted professionals, not mere acquaintances.
12. I will seek to remain current and educate myself by reading relevant blogs and professional journals, listening to teleseminars, and attending conferences.
13. I will expand my horizons by reading or listening to information that is outside of my business realm -- because being well-read, well-rounded, and well-versed in other cultures and world events is a must in our global economy.
14. I will identify a passion or top skill (personal or business) and blog, speak, or write about it -- by joining a blog community, creating my own blog, answering LinkedIn questions, writing articles, speaking, and/or posting comments on related blogs -- creating a reputation as a thought-leader, and attracting like-minded individuals to my network.
15. I will build social and business capital by being a valuable resource to professional associates and colleagues in networking situations, with no regard for immediate self-interest. In all personal and business interactions I will ask how I can help, long before I mention my needs.
16. I will put a team of professionals in place to help support me in my efforts. These might include (but are not limited to) mentors, family, supportive colleagues, an executive coach / personal brand strategist / resume consultant, a business research / mailing service, a trusted recruiter, and even a secretarial service if needed.
17. I will develop a relationship with a few trusted recruiters before I need a job. I will be a helpful resource for them by recommending likely candidates if I am able to do so.
18. I will happily and competently perform the “tough” (high-effort / high ROI) activities needed to find the best job, with the best compensation.
19. I will be thick skinned, ready for rejection, and determined to follow-up and persevere. If I am in a job search I will stay focused and determined by holding to the sales professional’s credo that “every no brings me closer to a yes.”
20. I will negotiate my compensation package from a position of strength by researching competitive salaries and practicing responses before the offer and by having legal council and/or a salary negotiation coach in place should it become necessary.
21. Once in my new position, I will continue active career management and brand-building activities so that I am always prepared for -- and will attract -- new and exciting opportunities.
22. I will understand that hiring the best people I can, and developing them -- even if they are “smarter” than I am -- is good management and good career karma. I will welcome the challenge and satisfaction of working with bright, energized people who can make a difference. 
23. I will keep an ongoing job journal of projects, challenges, and impact, as well as 360 feedback, so that I am always prepared to interview.
24. I will actively pursue working knowledge related to those under me and those above me (peers, reports, stakeholders, and customers alike) – to be aware of the need for purposeful “generation integration” as Millennials, GenYs, GenXs, and Boomers struggle with the very different ways they communicate, think, and co-exist in teams, companies, and the marketplace.
25. I will review and update my web profiles and resume every few months so that I keep my marketing presence current and ready to attract and leverage opportunities.
26. I will be a role model within my company by remaining on-brand and contributing in ethical and valuable ways, helping my company to be a good corporate citizen and creating a world that is better, not worse, through my efforts.
27. I will be sure to thank anyone who has helped me along the way and will “pay it forward” by helping others in their career-building efforts.
28. I will have fun and enjoy the journey!

There are numerous resources to help you pursue these strategies. Here are just a few:

CareerHub’s experts have partnered on a series of four e-books on resume writing, cover letters, networking, and interviewing. (Immediately downloadable at no cost.)

For help with personal branding, and a list of certified personal brand strategists, visit Reach Communications Consulting and the Reach Branding Club. For information on using branding in your daily career management, read Career Distinction -- be sure to sign up for the automated personal brand assessment included in the book, and take the fun, no-cost assessment that measures your on-line identity.

Download the recordings of the 24 sessions of the Brand You World Global Telesummit held in October -- great commuting or workout listening that will immerse you in the many functional and fun facets of personal branding!

Read Jason Alba’s (of JibberJobber fame) I’m on LinkedIn, Now What??? as well as the companion blog. (look for I’m on Facebook, Now What??? coming later this year). Check out Harvard and Wharton newsletters -- HBS Working Knowledge, and Knowledge at Wharton for trends and best-practices in business. Read Career Journal (from the Wall Street Journal) every day for the latest in executive career issues and job search.

For an array of career assessments, visit Susan Guarneri, “the Career Assessment Goddess from the beautiful North Woods of Wisconsin” or Nancy Branton's People Potential Group websites.

For something out of the box in your job search -- try an executive agent – Debra Feldman "the Job Whiz" is a great one and has been featured in Forbes for her work. For a snail mail campaign (in the age of massive e-mail and spam filters, snail mail can be a better avenue to decision makers) try Mark Hovind at JobBait or for top-notch e-mail campaigns, try Bob Bronstein at Profile Research -- both offer ethical, reputable assistance and precisely targeted lists.

For a huge compendium of job-search sites and information, visit Susan Joyce’s Job-Hunt.org. For excellent for-fee executive job listings with a treasure trove of career resources (and a cool non-traditional CEO – Kathy Simmons -- her blog is called “Barefoot in the Boardroom”) check out Netshare (also try ExecuNet and the Ladders).

For current career-industry experts’ “insider info” read the CareerHub blog and the Alliance Community Blog (written by Kennedy Information’s Career Management Alliance members).

Over one hundred years ago William James said, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” How will 2008 look for you if you alter YOUR career “attitude of mind” and thus your career management activities? Are you ready for success?

Happy New Year, dear CareerHub readers!

(Disclaimer: There are countless other books, services, websites, and providers that can help with your career-building activities. This list of resources is not meant as an endorsement by me or by CareerHub. But these are the resources I consistently recommend to my clients, with great success.)

Posted by Deb Dib, The CEO Coach

"Unabashedly passionate about helping visionary, gutsy, fun leaders with a conscience build great careers, mold great companies, and even change the world a bit!"

Comments

[Simon]

I especially like the part about paying it forward, as I am a firm believer in what comes around, goes around. This is especially true in most any business, be it home based or otherwise. Having support from your piers can go a long way and make things happen!

http://www.homejobsite.com

[Deb Dib]

Simon, thanks for your positive feedback. Like you, I've never been sorry when I've gone out of my way to give someone a leg up, or advice, or a favor. People have always done that for me and I can't imagine not doing so for others. Being collegial rather than competitive is a nice way to work :-)

Deb

[Heather Mundell]

Deb, this is a TREASURE TROVE of ideas and information. Thanks for compiling it! I especially appreciate that it's not only a list of tasks but also a reminder about the mindset that will best support us when we are career activists.

I will be sending this to my clients!

[Deb Dib]

Heather, thank you! Mindset is so important, and so often forgotten. I notice that your recent blogposts on CareerHub and on life@work -- http://dbcs.typepad.com/ -- have touched upon that -- I really like your prespectives.

Deb