By not heeding the lessons of other industries, when hundreds of thousands of people were laid off in technology with little notice more than, “Can I speak with you for a minute,” they were completely unprepared to look for work. No resume. Their professional contacts in disarray. They were, as they say in 12 step, “at bottom.”
As a person who has been a search professional for more than 30 years, I’ve learned that the person who gets ahead professionally isn’t always the smartest (there’s ample proof of that) or work the hardest . . . although those are two great attributes to have. The person who gets ahead actually is the one who remains alert to opportunity. Sometimes those are internal to an organization. More often, they are external.
Many people were hurt during the last recession by thinking that if they worked hard, played by the rules and their boss liked them, they would be protected from layoff.
What can you do?
1. Keep your resume up-to-date. Every 3-4 months, update your resume. If you don’t want to take the time to do that, jot down a summary of your accomplishments during the quarter.
2. Stay in contact with your professional references. When you lave a job, make sure you have home and office numbers, as well as personal and professional email addresses to reach them. When a person is close to receiving a job offer, it sends a poor signal to the employer when references are not ready in advance. Also, member that you may remain in a job for several years but your boss may change, move or be transferred. Getting as much contact information as possible will allow you to re-establish contact quickly and easily when it counts.
- Maintain and expand your professional network regularly. A quick note to the recruiters you worked with before telling them about what you are now doing. Joining professional organizations. Writing for industry publications. Joining social network groups and websites (more about this in another article) will help you connect with others.
- Don’t be embarrassed about what you do. Feel free to talk about yourself and your work with anyone. It is amazing how people sometimes find work Don’t assume that you can only speak with people you met as professional contacts. Speak to anyone. You never know who their friends are, or who their spouse or partner is and how they might be able to use someone just like you.
I know that I have met many wonderful people and been able to help them staff positions or find new careers by just talking about what I do with complete strangers. You can too.
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2006 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
If you have a question that you would like me to answer, email it to me at:
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For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com .
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
