Rise and shine. I understand you have a job search to conduct, a position to secure and a success story to write; that the company you’re in and the job you’ve had were good enough when you signed on, but that’s changed. What happened?
“When I got this job I had a college degree and three years experience under my belt; I was just beginning to realize that I had something to offer an employer. As I proved myself, my boss gave me stretch assignments and the space I needed to learn through experience. I took on tough projects and worked with challenging people under difficult circumstances. We learned to support each other and trust each other and we benefited from the results.
After five years I’m ready to move on. I’ve done all I can do here, not because I’ve figured it all out; I’m done because the company’s leadership has changed, and as a result its vision and mission have changed as well. I want to be part of a company that I can grow and I want to lead a team that makes a difference.”
Do your employers know you’re looking?
“No, I’ll keep it to myself because I want this transition to happen on my clock, not theirs. If I told them I was looking it would likely come across as a threat, an “if you don’t give me something, I’ll leave,” and threats backfire. If I wanted to stay, I’d say so, state what I wanted and make my case for why I deserved it. If my employers agreed it’s a good business decision they’d negotiate with me; and if they didn’t they wouldn’t. That’s business.
Two more reasons I’m not letting on that I’m looking: my boss would have a business obligation to replace me, and it would happen on the company’s time table, not mine. And no one, not my boss, co-workers or customers want to hear that in my estimation, where they work or conduct business isn’t good enough.”
How can you launch a job search when you can’t or won’t tell anyone you’re looking?
“I’ll tell plenty of people I’m looking. They’ll be outside the company, not inside, and I’ll be selective about who they are. I’ll focus on finding, connecting, or reconnecting with people I like and respect, people with whom I have something in common, and I’ll build on that foundation.”
Tell me more about “something in common”. How does that make a difference?
“When you have something in common; a business interest or outlook, a sport, hobby, political or religious interest, you share a point of view or view of the world that enables you to establish a mutual level of trust without having to rely on a lifetime of shared experience. With that trust you can talk about career goals and ways to help each other achieve them. That’s why I’m going to network and why networking will be essential to my finding the right match and getting the right job.”
It sounds like you know what you’re doing. What other advice would you like to share?
“Preparation and readiness is key. Be in a position to respond to opportunity, leverage it, and capitalize on it. Have strong references who can make your case as well as you can make it for yourself.”
Who are these ‘strong’ references and how can they make your case?
“They’ll be people who know me, who know my values, my track record and how I work; they’ll be people who are willing to speak on my behalf because I’ve demonstrated the capacity and energy to make a difference when it counts.”
