It Still Comes Down To Who You Know

Person-to-person networking continues to be job seekers’ most successful tool. We recently analyzed job data on the nearly 60,000 individuals throughout North America to whom we provided career transition services over the past three years.

Traditional networking was the source of new career opportunities for 41% of job candidates last year, while Internet job boards accounted for 25% of new positions landed.

Source of New Job
(59,133 job seekers)

The job search is changing and some approaches are losing ground to others, but classic, systematic networking continues to be most effective way to find suitable employment. Certainly technology plays a growing role. But online social networking may not always be separate from traditional networking since one so often leads to the other. A job seeker uses the Internet to track down former associates or acquaintances and then reaches out to them in person. And, just like a cold call, the Internet is a way to make an initial contact with a prospective employer.

As revealing as the data may be, a job search is usually a more complicated and multi-layered process. Job candidates are encouraged to use as many tools as possible, every kind of research, any former contacts, and every opportunity to reach out to people who may be able to help. So in practical terms successful job candidates rely on a mix of approaches to find the new position most suitable for them.

Nevertheless, from year to year the data say that traditional networking is nearly twice as successful as any other job search method. Time and time over, the data proves that people tend to trust people they meet.

Worried About Work

Increasingly, I’m hearing that employees are worried about work and, as a result, many are stressed and tense. One of the most common reasons for this worry is a lack of confidence in being able to meet expectations. While workloads have increased as a result of layoffs and cutbacks, managers can go a long way in reducing stress and boosting confidence. How? First, invest time by engaging in regular career discussions. Next, ensure employees are equipped with the tools and have access to the resources needed to excel in their jobs. Then, look for ways to develop them so they're ready for what's next.

Many leaders these days are asking employees to do more, to do it in new ways, or even to do something entirely different. It’s a matter of enterprise-wide agility to sustain performance in volatile market conditions. Jobs and responsibilities are changing, business models are being redesigned, and generally there are just fewer people to do more work. Individuals need to be developed to rise to the next level of required performance. Companies that invest in talent to meet present and future needs have a strategic advantage – an agile, ‘ready-now’ workforce that can respond to changing needs.

With so many competing pressures and responsibilities, as well as constant change due to market realities, career management discussions can end up on the back burner for both managers and individuals. Having such discussions with employees can be a great first step in getting employees more broadly engaged. But managers need to be equipped with the tools to discuss career opportunities and create an environment where employees feel valued and want to grow in their roles. If successful, the outcome will be greater job satisfaction, commitment, and even advocacy – all essential for a healthy bottom line. If unsuccessful, workers will continue to feel stressed and pressured, which will likely harm the organization’s culture and overall performance.

Managers are in a great position to help employees find meaning in their work. When employees are passionate about what they do and really believe they are adding value, most find greater satisfaction in how they contribute to the organization’s success. And employers benefit by building a highly engaged workforce that outperforms the competition.

Are your employees worried about work? When was the last time you talked with them about their careers?

Burning the Midnight Oil

Employees are working longer hours. And I have no doubt that most senior leaders are doing the same. According to MetLife Inc., many companies have increased employees’ workloads and put a higher priority on productivity since the recession. Our own research confirms this is the case. Three-quarters of employees say they now work more than 40 hours a week.

The findings reflect the pressures people are under to do more with less and shoulder heavier workloads in today’s workplace. Is pace sustainable, or even desirable? Companies run the risk of burnout and turnover.

And consider the impact on you and your peers. As BusinessWeek reports, fully 25% of executives at large companies say their communications -- voice mail, e-mail, and meetings -- are nearly or completely unmanageable. So, employees working longer hours, doing more work, while at the same time leaders are finding it more difficult to keep up with communications? Sounds like a recipe for disaster if left unattended.

Wireless technology and smart phones most certainly are factors contributing to both longer work hours and the unmanageable communications overload experienced by leaders. We have created a 24/7 workplace, with managers and employees always plugged in. Today, many employees stay connected and plugged in -- accessible all the time and available at a moment's notice.

Managers need to take the lead to ensure employees are managing their time effectively, as well as find ways to better manage their own overloaded schedules and inboxes. Technology affords a new flexibility by allowing individuals to work wherever and whenever, but it may also become a "collar", making it more difficult to assess appropriate workloads and work/life balance. Take time to regularly talk with your employees to review project lists, priorities, deadlines and role expectations. Seek input on improving efficiencies that can help reduce excessively long hours. Adopt best practices for time management and communications prioritization demanded by the new “always on” technologies.

Workloads are increasing and employees are working longer hours. Acknowledging and addressing this reality will go a long way to building a strong manager-employee relationship. Managing one’s own time as a leader can provide the model for others to follow.

Is it time to address your workload and help your employees to do the same?

Do I really need a resume at my level?

Yes, you do. You never know when the perfect new opportunity might come along. Don’t wait until you need it. Keep your resume updated so you have your most important marketing tool ready.

According to our research, 59% of workers update their resumes less than once a year and nearly one-in-five haven’t updated their resumes in over two years. Whether you are currently in an active job search or satisfied in your current role, we recommend always keeping your resume current.

When thinking about your resume, remember it is meant to catch the eye of a hiring manager. It’s important to address the needs of a potential new manager, addressing relevant skills and functional experience. Use this tool as a way to convey your competitive advantage and the value you bring to a prospective employer. Be cognizant of current resume trends and frequent blunders and you will have a much better chance of success.

Here are three best practices for updating resumes:

1. List accomplishments and proof of performance. Focus on success metrics that can be quantified or qualified whenever possible. Highlight skills and how you have used them to be successful in the past.

2. Focus on most recent experience. This is your industry and functional experience garnered mainly from the last two years. Remove information that is no longer important to your career goals.

3. Keep the format fresh. Use contemporary styles to ensure it appears current and relevant. Make sure you cover the basics: name, contact information, objective statement, employment history, skills and experience, and educational accomplishments.

Once you’ve updated your resume, consider sharing it with a few trusted colleagues or your coach for feedback. Or, if you’re utilizing a resume writer, be sure you’re informed about what to look for in a competent resource.

When was the last time you updated your resume?

The Surprise Meeting

You’ve been meeting your numbers. You’re within budget. Your recently trimmed team is focused and flourishing. Then your boss arrives for an impromptu meeting. You’ve been let go!

Anger, shock, denial. All of these reactions rush through your brain. How could this be?

The reality is that it can happen to any of us at any time. A change in business strategy, a merger or acquisition, or even a divestiture or restructure and… bam! You’re joining the ranks of the unemployed. No one is invulnerable.

While there is no secret recipe to dealing with the emotional response to job loss, it can’t hurt to always be prepared for what the future may hold for your career. It is up to you to be prepared.

Here are some best practices to help you stay one step ahead:

1. Take time off to re-assess your career and determine what you want to do next. Immediately following the loss of a job, many people are not completely prepared, are still too emotional, and have no comprehensive plan to launch an employment search. Assess strengths, identify goals, focus on the future and create an action plan before moving forward.

2. Use your network wisely. Successful networking means gathering and sharing ideas. A helpful attitude and a genuine desire to be a useful contact or resource for others will make you a valuable connector of people, ideas, and information. Our research shows that networking is the #1 method for sourcing new opportunities.

3. Be Prepared. Most employees can typically expect to be displaced from their jobs at least once during their careers. Keep your resume up to date. It should describe you at your highest level of accomplishment. It should tell the story of your career, how you can help contribute to an organization, and provide solutions to their needs.

No one is really emotionally prepared for the surprise meeting that involves losing one’s job. But you can be active in managing your own career.

The Unhappy Promotion

Let’s face it: you are good at what you do. In fact, you are so good that you keep getting promoted. While the promotions were exciting and re-affirming to start with, you may now have been promoted so far away from what you enjoy and do well that you are no longer happy in your career. This is a story we see time and again with many of the executives we coach and seems particularly frequent with those who previously held roles as technical professionals or individual contributors.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, maybe it's time to consider moving back down the ladder – perhaps scaling back, a lateral transition or a new venture that will help to bring back your spark. It’s a matter of doing some self-assessment… what is it that you value, do well, are interested in and find immensely satisfying?

Valuable insight can be gained from assessing what work you most want to do and what work environment would best suit you. To achieve this insight, you can systematically analyze your career experience and ask yourself: What was satisfying? What was not?

Career satisfiers are those things that get you excited to get up and started in the morning. What parts of your career are the most fun, exciting, fulfilling and meaningful? On the other hand, career dissatisfiers are those aspects of your career that you simply tolerate, including duties and responsibilities that you would rather avoid if you could. Don’t limit your analysis to just the tasks you complete at work. Consider also the organization and its culture, too.

As Jack Welch, former CEO and Chairman of General Electric, said so well: “What is important yesterday may no longer be important today.”

How satisfied are you with your career?

Who's driving your career?

Recent research paints a very telling story of how employees are feeling about their work. According to Right Management polls, the majority of employees today: report their workloads have increased due to layoffs; have not used all their allotted vacation; are voluntarily leaving their jobs for greener pastures; and are being approached by other firms with job offers.

If there is one lesson to take from the downturn, it is that we cannot take anything for granted. This means that you need to be in the driver’s seat of your own career and be proactive with its management – no matter what the economy is doing and irrespective of your level of leadership.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article on how to conduct a stealth job search when you are still employed. But regardless of your level of interest in pursuing job opportunities, there are some things you should be doing on an ongoing basis to actively manage your career. Make no mistake about it: it’s a good career practice to take advantage of opportunities to showcase our skills. Social networking tools such as LinkedIn are terrific resources to not only highlight strengths and accomplishments, but, just as important, grow and manage networks. Keep your “status” updated so your fellow networkers know what you are working on and have a sense of how you add value.

Also, you never know when the perfect new opportunity might come along. Don’t wait until you need it. Keep your resume updated so you have your most important marketing tool at the ready. Highlight in your resume and during interviews how interpersonal and work skills will align with the company’s culture. Share examples of how your motivation or interpersonal skills helped you to overcome barriers or solve problems. Look for opportunities to share how your values are aligned with those of the organization.

As a final word of advice, whether you are pursuing a new opportunity or diving deeper in a current role, be sure to build and maintain a strong professional network. Networking, time and time again, proves to be the best source for identifying new opportunities.

When was the last time you questioned what direction your career was taking?

Control Your Own Destiny Because No One Else Will

Is it really possible to have any control over your own career’s direction given all the variables affecting your professional choices? Your career is, for the most part, the sum of your own choices. We make choices and decisions every day that impact the future of our careers. But often there are also events outside of our own direct control that influence the choices we make.

In our youth, we probably considered the careers or professions of those close to us by evaluating their success and wealth. Our environment played an important role in forming our first ideas about careers and sest the wheels in motion as we began our journey on own career path. But even with all of the preparation in selecting a university or a study program, we weren’t necessarily sure we would make the right choices to lead us to the promised land of career happiness.

What often happens is that one’s career path includes the selection of traditional courses such as Business Administration, Economics, Accounting or Marketing, and is then influenced by many other factors, such as friends and teachers, internships, political and social environment, and economic trends. Given so many varied circumstances – outside of our own direct control – were we really directing our career “destiny” or just going along for the ride?

When you accepted a new job with “X” company, you made a choice that impacted your life's journey. When you joined a professional association, you made a choice. When you accepted a new assignment in your role, you made a choice. When you decided to play it safe, you made a choice. The present is the sum of our choices, driving us toward the future.

We have to give up the position that we are victims with little or no control over our future. There are events and circumstances that are out of our control, but we all have the ability to make wise choices. Your professional life belongs to you. Your future depends on you. Don’t yield control to external forces.

Do More But Don't Discount Doing Less

In a downturn, the need to manage more proactively can take a definite upturn. With the game of winning new business much tighter than it was before, a manager has to step up and use all his experience and expertise to give his team the edge. Controlling costs, driving productivity, developing team skills and keeping the team focused are all among the responsibilities that a manager must take more firmly in hand.

But a manager also has to know when to keep the reigns loose. As our experience and research shows, promoting employee learning and development can have a significant positive impact on two essential drivers of productivity, employee engagement and retention. Even during a downturn, managers should help employees learn on the job by varying work responsibilities, offering stretch assignments, implementing job rotations or providing opportunities to run with new projects or initiatives. For managers, sometimes doing more can mean doing less.