Focus On Reinvention, Not Recession

So the economy is slowing down and business confidence is falling as governments step into bail out financial institutions.   

Does that just mean doom and gloom? For some people, maybe. But for forward-thinking individuals it's a tremendous opportunity to reinvent themselves rather than worrying about all the headlines of recession and downturn.

As many firms go through the painful process of reinventing themselves to meet the demands of a new market place and economy, reinventing yourself and your career is exactly what you should be focused on right now - regardless of whether you have been impacted by restructuring and redundancy.

Here are 5 tips about reinventing your career during a tough market:

1. Stay informed (within reason)
You need to know what is going on in the market-place so that you can evolve to meet the changing needs of the market. But you don't need to read every doom and gloom prediction that's written.

Overdosing on apocalyptic news stories and dire predictions does nothing more than paralyse you with fear - which in turn means you end up doing nothing. 'Doing nothing' is a bad strategy when everything around you is changing so fast.

2. Stay focused on your strengths
Firms in most sectors are rationalising their business to focus on their areas of strength - the core activities where they are uniquely placed to offer the most value to the market.

That's precisely what you should be doing right now: focusing on reinventing yourself around your key strengths and unique talents and then offering them to organisations (your own or others) that can benefit from them. 

3. Focus on fun
Yes, you read right - "fun"

Trying to reinvent yourself into a role that you think you ought to or that other people think "would be a good idea for you" is not a good idea. Any change process involves hard work, hitting brick walls and enduring set-backs.

If you're chasing something which you have little enthusiasm for, then you have little chance of overcoming those set-backs or scaling those brick walls. So focus on indentifying roles which involve activities which you enjoy. Jobs which will utilise the skills which you enjoy using and enable you to work with the people you enjoy engaging with.

4. Experiment much more
Some people know they want to change themselves and their careers, but they just don't know what to change themselves into.

Well here's a secret - you don't need to know. The only way to find out is to start the process of experimentation. Go shadow someone, volunteer your services, go out and try lots of types of roles. And then start noticing what you're drawn to - what you're drawn to is usually a good sign of the type of thing you should be transitioning into.

5. Stay focused on the dream
Most people have some kind of dream. A vision or grand plan for the future lifestyle which they want. It's something that excites them yet scares them at the same time. Now is the time to take notice of that dream. A tough market is an opportunity to tap into that dream - reinvention is the vehicle to help you get there much faster than you had imagined.

So tell me, what's the dream you've always kept to yourself?  How can you use this reinvention process you're embarking on to keep you on track for that compelling vision? Can you in fact go ahead and do it now?

'Reinvention' sounds like a very grand term - something that is the reserve of politicians, actors and showbiz personalities. But that's really not the case. We're all reinventing ourselves throughout our lives and our careers. Reinvention is part and parcel of your growth and development.  In terms of your career, all you're doing is moving from one chapter to the next.

In the globalised and interconnected world we now live in, restructuring is part of everyone's career and so we will all have far more chapters to our careers than previous generations.  Which of course means you potentially have many more stories to tell your grandchildren when you retire.

So treat the current events in the economy as an opportunity to begin that next chapter of your own career. An opportunity to write your own story instead of letting your employers or the headline writers write it for you.

By Sital Ruparelia, Cross posted on the 6 Figure Career Management Blog

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[florida executive search]

Five Important Steps To Follow For A Successful Job Search
From Florida Executive Search

Part 1: Job Search Planning & Preparation
I have:

a clear understanding of the job search process and have developed a job-search strategy.

a clear understanding of the opportunity that interests me -- and that I am qualified for.

outlined a clear career path/track for myself.

identified my strengths and weaknesses.

developed my unique selling proposition, which will help me distinguish myself from other job-seekers.

identified my key accomplishments from all school and work experiences.

identified my core transferable skills.

identified the main industries/companies that interest me.

researched the companies that most interest me.

a clear understanding of the importance of marketing skills when job-hunting.

developed and strengthened my network of contacts and know the value and importance of networking in a job search.

gathered a key list (including contact information) of references.
Part 2: Cover Letters
I have:

read about the basic strategy and importance of using a cover letter.

reviewed the basic structure of a dynamic cover letter.

examined examples of strong, dynamic cover letters.

used action verbs to describe my accomplishments.

focused my cover letter with specific information.

addressed each cover letter to a named individual.

tailored each cover letter to the specific needs of each employer.

clearly stated how I can meet the employer's needs.

demonstrated my knowledge of the company.

kept my cover letter to one page.

not rehashed my history, but highlighted specific critical points.

not stated anything negative.

avoided the three most common cover letter mistakes.

edited and proofread each letter carefully.

requested action (an interview) from the employer.

Part 3: Resumes
I have:

a clear understanding of the different types of resumes.

developed a list (3-4) of key accomplishments for each work experience.

used bullets and short phrases to describe my accomplishments.

avoided the usage of "responsibilities included" or "duties included," "responsible for."

provided as much contact information as possible on my resume.

composed a "summary of qualifications" or "key accomplishments" section.

reviewed samples of strong resumes.

avoided using personal pronouns ("I," "my," "me") in my resume.

considered using transferable skills (especially if I am a transitional player or recent college grad without much experience).

not listed any personal information (age, marital status, etc.) on my resume.

not lied or provided any false information on my resume.

not listed any references directly on my resume.

Proofread my resume carefully and eliminated any errors, typos, and misspellings.
Part 4: Interviewing Skills
I have:

read about and reviewed different types of job interviews.

prepared answers for the most common interview questions.

practiced answering different types of questions.

taken advantage of mock interviews.

prepared several questions to ask the employer during the interview.

a clear understanding of the position I am interviewing for.

prepared for the possibility of an initial screening interview by phone.

read and reviewed the importance of dressing for success.

taken a practice run so I know how long it will take to reach the interview.

prepared myself to give a firm (and dry) handshake, to make eye contact with the interviewer(s), and to show enthusiasm for the job and company.

researched each company so that I can showcase that knowledge in the interview.

a clear understanding of the salary negotiation process.

researched salaries and have clear expectations about salaries.

prepared a "closing" for the interview that expresses my desire for the job and inquires about the next step in the interview process.
Part 5: Follow-Up
I have:

chased down every potential job lead.

kept my network of contacts informed of my job search progress.

followed-up each cover letter with a phone call or email to the employer requesting a job interview.

written thank you letters to every person I interviewed with at each company.

phoned the employer about a week after the first interview to check on the progress of the job search.

written acceptance or declining letters to all job offers.