Keeping one’s ongoing market value high and one’s name in the forefront of decision makers is no mean feat in today’s job market. Yet, with the constant change in the way jobs get defined and the way the job market is emerging, especially in high-tech, one must learn how to be a career acrobat. To most, this may sound like a daunting task, yet there are some fundamental rules that can help those who want to stay on the leading edge of their profession and who want to remain a high-demand rara avis:
- Be clear what you want to be. A hands-on technical contributor, a team lead, or a manager (including an executive). Each role has its pros and cons. There is no utopian panacea in the career space. But there still are dream jobs to he had.
- Most managers fail to understand the basic nature of their role. Just because you were promoted to a managerial job for being a great individual contributor, does not mean that you will do well in that role. Being a manager requires a very different skill set: a good balance between managing technology and leading people. Nearly 80 percent of the managers do not know how to do this effectively.
- Regardless of what track you want to pursue you must master one domain of your expertise. This is your personal mastery; your Major. As you decide to climb the ranks you must develop expertise in leadership skills–this now becomes your Minor.
- If you decide to climb the management ranks you must learn how to switch your Major and Minor. As you move up, you must focus more on leadership, relationships, and the business (previously your Minor) and less on technology (previously your Major) that drives the business. This is also a difficult transition for many. Focusing on conceptual skills accelerates this development. As you rise it is these skills that give you the edge.
- Proactively manage your career. This is done by constantly keeping your attention on the emerging jobs (inside and outside your own company) and actively seeking assignments that keep your résumé marketable. Use the forward-looking approach to career management by proactively managing your résumé.
- When looking for a new job, instead of approaching it as a hireling, position yourself as a must-hire candidate for the few selected companies that interest you. You can do this by focusing on your value proposition that goes beyond just your technical abilities; show how you will impact their business and forcefully articulate it throughout your campaign.
- Make the interview process a two-way street. Find out as much about the company as those from the inside are trying to find out about you. Talk to customers, suppliers, and stakeholders. Use this information to develop insights that will simply blow them away.
- Once you are on-board prepare a “100-Day Plan” and get going on bringing your (and your boss’s) agenda on track. Relentlessly get plugged into the tissue of the organization.
- If you have a misstep, admit to it, own it, and learn from it: “Success consists of jumping from failure to failure without admitting defeat.”—Winston Churchill
Good luck to you!