Peter Lutz
lutzpf@gmail.com
(908) 672-9150
www.linkedin.com/in/peterlutz
From: "The Job Quest" <mmcool1@gmail.com>
Date: Jun 9, 2011 10:15 PM
Subject: The Job Quest
To: <lutzpf@gmail.com>
The Job Quest |
| False Illusions in Career Management Posted: 09 Jun 2011 04:58 PM PDT
I haven't yet heard those words come from my five-year-old daughter regarding the Tooth Fairy. She still believes in the fantasy and magic and wonder of a tiny winged lady who takes little children's teeth and gives them money. And you can well imagine the excitement in this house when that first tooth came out Sure, it's an illusion, but it's harmless fun right now. The illusions that adults cling to, however, can be more of a problem. Do you still have any of these beliefs?
Those ideas represent outdated schools of thought. They may have been true in the past, but now, just like the Tooth Fairy, they are illusions. They are particularly insidious because people used to be able to rely on them. However, doing so now can set you up for a career management crisis. Let's look at them one at a time: 1. I'll work 40 years at this company and then retire. Who of your peers has done that? (Family businesses don't count.) I'll wait while you think about that… So can you name me 20 of your colleagues who have successfully worked 40 years at the same company? 10 colleagues? 5? If you were able to name any, that's pretty amazing. 4.4 years was the average tenure that employees stayed with their companies, according to January 2010 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Just a few years shy of 40 2. I don't need to network — I'm not leaving my job. Unfortunately, that's not always your call to make. News of layoffs are still seen even as we are hearing of job growth. Plus, you never know what may happen in the future. Say your boss, whom you really like, gets a promotion, and your new boss is just awful. Bad situations have a way of causing folks to consider looking for other employment. Regardless of your current circumstances at work, you should always be prepared in case things go south. 3. I can just send out my resume to any opening that sounds somewhat close. You know that little recession we've been having for a few years now? Yeah, a result of that is there are now about 2x as many unemployed workers and 27% fewer hires than what there were before the recession started. This means that hiring managers and recruiters are still being inundated with candidates. With so many to choose from, they can be picky. Close doesn't cut it. 4. I know I just got laid off, but I've never had a problem getting a job. I'll take a couple months off and then I'll look for a new job. Umm, yeah. Just re-read #3 up there. Do you still think that's such a good idea? Also, how would you explain the gap in your résumé? "Uh, I spent the summer on the beach perfecting my tan so I could look great for interviews!" Sure, that answer shows how you pay attention to things that matter The rules for job seeking and career management have changed significantly. Don't hurt your efforts by hanging onto false, outdated illusions.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Job Quest To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment