The Secret Strategy to Become a Career Advancement Winner!
If you're serious about your career advancement . . . if you
want to come out on top as a winner . . . then there's a very
simple secret strategy to becoming a success. It's so simple
that a lot of folks overlook it or forget about it. They prefer
to take the easy way out by using old-fashioned career
advancement methods that don't require any intelligence.
I'm referring to the bulk approach of posting electronic resumes
on a few job websites like monster.com. Or mindlessly answering
lots of ads. Or indiscriminately mailing dozens of resumes. And
then waiting for the phone to ring.
This is the easy way to go . . . especially if you have months
and months to wait for a job offer to come along. But the only
guarantee you get from this career advancement approach is
disappointment and disillusionment. And even if you do wind up
with a job offer, you're under pressure to accept it because
there's nothing else on the horizon. In short, you settle for
whatever comes along.
This is NOT serious career advancement. The secret strategy that
most people avoid when trying to do it the right way is called
"homework!"
That's right! Simple, basic, straightforward homework. There's
no way around it if you're serious about getting ahead. You must
have your ducks in a row before you go into the career
advancment marketplace. Here's how:
1. Prepare a list of your strengths, capabilities and assets.
This is not your work history. Rather it's an insightful review
of what you bring to the table that will benefit your next
employer.
2. Identify and recruit personal contacts who can advise you and
who may have useful information about the kind of company your
interested in. You want to turn these helpful contacts into
"career partners" who are committed to working with you over the
course of your campaign.
3. Research and list organizations in the geographical area of
your preference that you would be interested in going to work
for. Research and list the names of the hiring decision-makers
you need to talk within these selected companies. These are
typically the men and women who could be your next bosses.
4. Develop a compelling communication plan to position you as a
highly attractive job candidate.
Armed with this homework, you're now ready to take some action
steps like preparing a short assertive resume that positions you
with the very specific capabilities you bring to the table. Then
you can use your career partners to help you get introductions
to the hiring decision-makers you've targeted . . . or at least
access to insider information that can benefit your
communication strategy.
Your thoroughness in preparing your career search homework will
pay big dividends! It can dramatically shorten your job search
campaign and put you in the enviable position of selecting your
next job.