Is Your Head In The Sand?
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Most of us have been guilty of the “they’re so lucky” assertions. I hear it from careerists in regard to wishes for better opportunities and wistful envy of a colleague’s or friend’s advancements while they are left in what feels like the dust of opportunity and the waning light of their own careers.

Is Your Head in the Sand While Your Career Walls Crumble?

I’ve also witnessed a plethora of careerists, dutifully doing their jobs, even as the walls being to crumble around them, paralyzed by fear or uncertainty how to react. Instead of taking the reins of their search through self introspection, resume and interview prep and opportunity research, they stumble through the day, and try not to think about their jobs during their time away. They gradually begin to sink emotionally, and ultimately, financially, as their positions or careers wither.

This leads to the unfortunate pleas of the careerist, aching with urgency, requesting their resume be rushed to the finish line. After nearly two decades writing such stories, the stressful tenor of the professional paralyzed by the imminence of job loss or missing out an opportunity that is in their sights is all too familiar.

Ignite Your Career With the Power of Preparedness and Focus

If only they had prepared and kept on top of their career management portfolio. Without a fresh and strategic resume on hand, many careerists feel a frenzy when change comes knocking or when new opportunities ‘suddenly’ appear at their doorstep.

On the other hand, the familiar tone of an empowered professional seeing and acting, well in advance, upon the possibility of their company’s disruption by acquisition, marketplace decline or marketplace repositioning strikes another familiar chord. Or perhaps even, they are solidly entrenched, secure in their current role, but unhappy and wistful about what opportunities are within their reach.

What I’ve found–repeatedly, with no exception–is that the careerist who proactively prepares well in advance, for career and corporate shifts and change is the one that sings a song of joy when opportunities come knocking or feels a greater sense of calm when chaos erupts. This same careerist culls through the repository of their career wins and learnings to create a highly focused action plan, targeting their specific goals.

Action Begets Traction, and Maybe Even Your Dream Job!

Just today, I received the following email from a client who consistently (every couple of years) revamps his resume story to a) keep it updated; and b) ensure it is aligned with and focused on his future goals. The process this particular client recently underwent began in December and just crossed the finish line this week, four months later:

Hi Jacqui

As fate would have it, I got a call from a Sr Manager 2 days ago about a band 4 position in ABC company. I am currently a band 5 so this is a pretty big opportunity for me.

I just wanted to share the good news and say thanks again for being a critical piece of my career development equation.

You must prepare and invest months, and often a year or more in advance for career change – the same way you plan and invest in your college education, your MBA, your next vacation, your home and property upgrade and even your children’s futures. The cost of not doing so mounts as the weeks and months of stagnancy multiply.

The return on investment in doing so can mean not only fewer months out of work but also might equal a bump up (or even a catapulting of) your current salary and compensation, and even, a better workplace culture. The return on investment may even equal landing your dream job. I’ll leave you with another recent success story from a careerist who proves that, through deliberate prep and patience, dreams can come true.

Long time no talk. I wish I had some good news to share with you before but it was a long process. My job hunt has finally come to an end and I got my dream job!

She continued, describing how undergoing the resume process went beyond having a great resume and preparing herself for the interviews:

It also gave me a clear idea of what kind of job I wanted. I turned down a couple of offers because I knew they weren’t a good fit. Working on that worksheet was not easy, but it was worth it!”

What’s stopping you from taking that next step toward career momentum and long-term satisfaction?