Today’s Career Management Game is very different from that of just a couple of years ago. The social contract between employee and employer has been eroding for at least a decade, and the latest recession has been the last straw; companies have laid off 25-year veterans in droves.
One of my clients had been employed with his company for thirty-five years, lastly as CFO. It never crossed his mind that his job would be eliminated, but it was—and he was not remotely prepared to face the fact that he might never find another job. He didn’t have a current resume. His networking skills were non-existent. He hadn’t interviewed in twenty-five years. By the time he came to see me, he felt desperate, without a way to turn.
This is a classic example of how The Career Game is played today. My client felt that the company owed him a career because of his lengthy service. The company, in turn, felt that he was too expensive to keep and that they owed him nothing.
My client eventually went on to another CFO position fifteen months later, but not before learning some hard lessons and new strategies which we can summarize this way:
· Be prepared.
You can be prepared by staying on top of what’s happening in your industry and particularly your employer. Monitor the competition as well and follow trends like mergers and acquisitions, and customer buying patterns. If there are merger rumors within your organization check them out immediately. Waiting on the sidelines won’t position you to be picked up by another team.
· Keep your Playbook updated.
You will create your Playbook when you complete the exercises in this workbook. Your Playbook is then a guide to use and refer to throughout your career. As the marketplace changes, so will the play you’ll being executing. Your continued competitiveness depends on it! ·
· Stay in touch with your network.
Your network is your lifeline to the “outside” world. You may have a tendency to become very cocoon-like when you have a job. We all do this because we want to feel secure and just the thought of being laid off scares us. So, we forget about our network and let it die. Fight the urge to ignore your network. Set a goal to stay in touch with twenty-five of your “A” contacts. These contacts are former managers, colleagues, and search firm executives.
Today, the Career Management Game demands flexibility and courage. Flexibility is necessary because The Game changes quickly. Being flexible helps players change their game plan when necessary. It helps players change direction when situations call for it. It takes courage because we must now take ownership of our careers and our actions. Accountability takes courage. Are you ready for the challenge?
