Career Insider’s Tip Sheet

07 Oct Career Insider’s Tip Sheet

Want a thriving career? One that will withstand organizational restructures, mergers, acquisitions, and all the other landmines that can complicate?

Here’s a hard-earned lesson for a great many – but one you can apply today.

Whether you are six months into your first job – or ten years into your career – you need to make sure you are constantly assessing your market and your market potential.

Remember – YOU are the brand. Few think of their career in those terms but your brand is dependent on the same factors that drive any product – it must appeal to potential consumers; it must be unique; it must offer substantial potential value; and it must address an inherent need in the market.

I would add one more factor – your buyer has to know it’s there. No great brand becomes great without a marketing campaign that touts its assets.

What does this mean to you?

Career and industry insider tip – find, at minimum, one recruiter you can build a relationship with. And then nurture that relationship. Whether they are contingency or retainer recruiters – EVERY recruiter makes money by sourcing quality candidates. EVERY recruiter is on the lookout for talent. EVERY recruiter will be interested in a dialogue with a professional that has potential upside – if not now, then somewhere down the line.

This doesn’t mean constantly floating your resume – in fact, there is a risk in that type of approach – but it does mean the career strategist is smart enough to recognize that the professional who has the greater number of options will generally control the situation.

If you depend on just your company to carve a path then you’ve effectively limited those options. Companies change – profits shift – margins diminish. And even the greatest of careers can be interrupted.

It’s YOUR career – it’s YOUR brand. Market it.