In other words — Always be prepared to leave a job, because your employer is always prepared to leave you. More and more, many companies (not all, mind you) find themselves letting employees go for a number of different reasons.
Treading Water Is The Same As Drowning.
Many people today feel they are just 'one bad decision away' from losing their job or business. So instead of making decisions, they make NO decision. Or if they have to make a decision, they take the least offensive, least impactful, least expensive, and most spineless way out. Most of the time, that's the wrong thing to do.
What happens? You ensure management is happy while you infuriate your staff, vendors, and smart clients.
Who thinks big and takes chances? Apple.
- In 1998 — they launched the iMac without a floppy disk drive ("How will we transfer files?).
- In 2007 — they launched the iPhone - no experience (joining the fray with huge, entrenched leaders).
- In 2010 — they launched the MacBook Air without a DVD drive ("How will I watch movies?").
- In 2016 — they launched a new MacBook Pro with 4 USB-C ports ("How will I connect my stuff?).
Each time the media made fun of them and pundits attacked. One year later, everyone embraced the change and moved forward. The result? One of the biggest companies on the planet with a product line admired by all.
To move up and to be noticed by the people that matter, you need to be bold and sometimes stick your neck out. You might hit a home run (most of the time) and sometimes, you might get it cut off (rarely).
That's why I suggest to my clients that they all have INSURANCE. For example:
- An up-to-date résumé, done by a professional, ready to be distributed at a moment's notice.
- A polished and professional LinkedIn page, with recent professional headshot, testimonials, etc.
- Actively networking and connecting with movers and shakers outside of your sphere.
- Learning new things about your industry, taking classes, reading books and writing about what you learn.
- Attending events (industry symposiums, charities, etc.).
- Finally, hire a coach — they help you perform at your peak and help you make the tough decisions.
Once you have those things in your back pocket, it's not that hard to make the tough decisions that need to be made.
Here's a powerful scene with John Goodman (it's a bit rough with the language — but you'll get the gist):
Basic Résumé Structure For Success.
Many of my clients frequently ask me for my opinion on the do's and don't's of a good résumé. Let me begin by saying résumé advice is highly subjective. Everyone has an opinion and everyone will find fault in your advice. I am going to go out on a limb and let you in on what I think is a basic, generalized format (IMHO):
Contact Info: Name, Cell, Email, Address, LinkedIn URL (this is new - make it like www.linkedin.com/in/richgee)
Summary Statement: 1-2 sentences that clearly define who you are and what you're looking for. Feel free to add a few bulleted items - not a lot. It needs to be powerful and slightly provacative.
Experience: Company/Location/Duration
Education: Keep it short and sweet. Add in any related experience, workshops, seminars, etc. That's learning.
Activities: One line, make them interesting. A good hiring manager is looking for enthusiasm and fit - give it to them.
Optional: If you have room - add a testimonial or two from important people you've worked with. You can grab them from LinkedIn. I have a client who had two testimonials from the presidents of both companies they worked for - I told her to showcase them!
Length: 1 Page - New to the workforce - 1-2 years out of school. 2 Pages - Normal - 3-10 years in the workforce. 3 Pages - Experienced - 11-30 years in the workforce. 4+ Pages - C-Level Executive.
Format: Font: Helvetica - don't play with serif fonts (my opinion) Columns: 1 inch either side - give it space Leading (space between lines): 1.2 - give it space Size: 10-12 point - normal reading font size Footer: Your name and 'Page 1 of 3 Pages' (it helps) Delivery: PDF (Word attachment if asked) - it keeps the format
Again - this is my opinion and can be seen on most résumés. Remember, most recruiters and hiring managers are going to initially spend 8-10 seconds scanning your résumé. The more you make your résumé unique, the harder it will be to absorb key info and they'll toss it into the circular file cabinet. Keep it simple, concise, and easy to read/scan.
If you are in a specialized industry, you will (of course) modify what I've listed above.
- Creative - add a bit more color, font use, even a subtle graphic (photo).
- IT/Engineer - add more areas for tools/software etc.
If you have any more questions, call me anytime. - Rich
3 Ways To Update Your Career GPS.
It's about time. The recession is over, things are looking up, companies are hiring, executives are coming out from hiding in their offices and cubicles. For all intents and purposes, many of us have held our collective breaths for the past 2 years for this moment. It's now time to take stock of who we currently are, where we are in our career, and where we want to go.