Career Management
Career
management is critical in today’s world for everyone at all levels in the
organization. While it was important in the past, it has become essential today.
Yet the nature of career management is drastically different today than it was
just 10 years ago.
Much of
this change can be attributed to the new contract between employer and employee.
Part of this paradigm shift affects our careers. It is no longer the company’s
responsibility to manage our careers. This responsibility falls to each of you.
Career
management has been complicated by the current trends in restructuring,
downsizing, rightsizing and outsourcing. No longer is the traditional upward
mobility available. Gone is the fast track. Today’s career progression is a
complex maze of criss-crosses and lateral moves.
The
traditional, vertical career path was straightforward with little guess work.
Today’s career paths are not so straightforward. Some are known as the network
career path (with horizontal and vertical movement), the lateral skill path
(with horizontal movement), and the dual career path (with movement for experts
on the technical side of the business not desiring managerial positions).
With the
loss of the traditional, upward career path, organizations have developed
alternatives to help employees. Two such alternatives are formal job
revitalization and broadbanding. Companies are attempting to “spice up”
employees’ jobs where promotions are not possible with job revitalization.
Broad-banding gives organizations an opportunity to increase an employee’s
compensation without an upward move. Both of these methods, however, require
that the employee contribute more to the organization and acquire new skills.
The key is to recognize the need for transferable skills as well as the
imperative to continually be adding value (to your position and to your
organization).
Career
management does not just happen. That is why it is called career management –
because your careers must be carefully managed. You can take certain steps to do
this. You must determine where you are going and outline a strategy whereby you
can get there – just as an organization maps out its strategy.
Career
management is the process by which career goals are met. This requires, then,
that you set career goals and objectives. You need to know where you are going
to know how to set your course.
In today’s bustling business landscape,
businesses are becoming more complex and technologically advanced, so much so
that employees have no choice but to constantly increase their technical
knowledge. To be effective in the workplace and to satisfy customer and
organizational needs, employees must be able to apply their technical skills to
handle an increasingly diverse, non-routine set of situations and events.
They must commit themselves to continually
learning to enhance their knowledge and increasing their skills. The real
challenges for today’s employees are:-
1.
Responding and coping with new and rapidly changing business environment
and organizational structures.
2.
Gathering and digesting more timely and relevant information.
3.
Handling technology and e-commerce.
4.
Quality – getting it right first time.
Job skills will continue to increase
exponentially, not in a linear pattern, leaving those individuals who fail to
adequately prepare and develop themselves continually out-of-work or with no
opportunities for growth and professional development.
The nature of careers is being affected
radically by:
economic changes
displacing large numbers of employees from old to new forms of employment, and
frequently leading to reduced employment status for those whose skills are
obsolete and who are unable to adapt to new businesses
new technology
resulting in the automation of formerly labor intensive processes, improved
communication and information, and the growth of new kinds of organizations,
occupations and jobs
changes in business culture
ranging from privatization, with resultant pressures for new forms of
regulation, to changes in organizational practices (such as refocusing around
core business activities) have raised awareness of corporate culture as a source
of strength, resourcefulness and flexibility.
In the current economic environment, education
is becoming increasingly critical to career success.
Career Management Portfolio
Labor Market Analysis
The trend in the employment rate
may have started to rise. The trend in the unemployment rate continues to
increase. The trend in the inactivity rate continues to fall. The number of job
vacancies has increased. Growth in average earnings, both excluding and
including bonuses, has fallen.
The employment rate for people of working age was 74.6 per cent for the three
months ending in August 2006, up slightly over the quarter but down 0.1 over the
year.
The number of people in employment for the three months ending in August 2006
was 29.01 million, up 120,000 over the quarter and up 255,000 over the year.
Total hours worked per week were 929.8 million, up 6.2 million over the quarter
and up 8.5 million over the year. These are the highest figures for employment
and hours worked since comparable records began in 1971.
The unemployment rate was 5.5 per cent, up 0.1 over the quarter and up 0.8 over
the year. The number of unemployed people increased by 45,000 over the quarter
and by 276,000 over the year to reach 1.70 million.
The claimant count was 962,000 in September 2006, up 10,200 on the previous
month and up 82,700 on the year.
The inactivity rate for people of
working age was 20.9 per cent for the three months ending in August 2006, down
0.2 over the quarter and down 0.6 over the year. The last time the rate was
lower was in the three months to April 1992. The number of economically inactive
people of working age fell by 64,000 over the quarter to reach 7.78 million.
The annual rate of growth in average earnings (the AEI), excluding bonuses, was
3.6 per cent in August 2006, down 0.1 from the previous month. Including bonuses
it was 4.2 per cent, down 0.2 from the previous month.
The average number of job vacancies for the three months to September 2006 was
608,100. This was up 9,700 on the previous quarter but down 4,400 over the year.
The sector showing the largest increase over the quarter was Finance & Business
Services which increased by 6,200.
The redundancy rate for the three months to August 2006 was 5.4 per 1,000
employees, down 0.4 over the quarter.
SWOT
Analysis
Executives have to learn how to manage their career well because they have
become as vulnerable to unemployment as lower-ranking individuals. Fortunately,
it seems that executives have indeed started to acknowledge the new realities of
the business and have developed new attitudes regarding their employment. For
instance, they are increasingly opting to transfer to another company if the
offer there is better, leave their current employer if it does not feature their
ideal corporate culture, and study alternative job prospects even if they are
not planning to change positions. Executives preparing to be interviewed for a
new job should make sure that they have certain qualities that will increase
their chances of being selected for the position. These include executive
presence, stature or social poise, ability to focus, charisma, ability to
articulate, and hands-on management capabilities.
Executives today face a different playing field than their predecessors. Before
downsizing and restructuring, corporations sought lifetime employees whose
commitment to the company was paramount. In turn, executives trusted their
employers to develop their careers and protect their tenures. However, as change
has become an accepted fact of life and re-engineering is no longer an emergency
exercise, top executives are ever more likely to be blasted into the ranks of
the unemployed with no safety net. It could happen more than once. According to
current U.S. Department of Labor statistics, today’s new college graduates will,
on average, have eight to 10 jobs in as many as three careers during their
lifetimes.
For communication professionals who have often spent a significant chunk of
their careers positioning themselves as key corporate players, these realities
mean a new set of criteria. Although communicators are still typically excluded
from the small cadre of management insiders who decide to re-engineer or
downsize, they are usually responsible for presenting re-engineering to
employees in a palatable, credible way. Communicators risk being suspected of
disloyalty when they caution top management against sugarcoating the facts, and
they must walk a fine line between crafting positive “spins” and compromising
their professional integrity. Although the need for high-quality communication
has never been more pressing, communication executives have seen their staffs
reduced or eliminated as a non-essential function. They are increasingly serving
as “general contractors,” orchestrating the efforts of outsourced writers,
artists, publicists and other tacticians.
What to Expect from a Search Firm
Executive search professionals help clients define what kind of managers they
need and advise them about the talent that’s available. Most of the time, we
recruit individuals who are employed elsewhere – not people “on the market.”
However, over the last two years we’ve noticed a fundamental shift in how
executives view their careers. It used to be difficult to pry a top
communication executive loose from a senior corporate position. Now, as one of
our partners says, “No one doesn’t take a recruiter’s call.” A survey of 1,880
executives that my firm conducted last year with Cornell University’s Center for
Advanced Human Resources explores why:
* Today’s executives are working harder than they want to. They’re also carrying
a heavier emotional load. Most managers work an average of 57 hours per week,
nine hours more than they desire. Since 1993, stress levels caused by 16
factors, including corporate politics, volume of work managed, time spent at the
office, red tape and time pressure have gone up an average of 25-30 percent.
* Executives are less committed to their present companies, even though they are
basically satisfied, receiving raises and promotions. The old social contract
between companies and their employees has expired: Neither unconditional loyalty
nor even doing good work guarantees a job. Unable to count on their companies
for permanent employment, nearly three in 10 executives say they will leave
their current positions as soon as they find something better.
* Executives are moving into high gear to change jobs. Although most executives
are relatively satisfied and say they have opportunities for promotion, they are
exploring the job market more actively than they did two years ago. More than
three-quarters of respondents revised their resumes, sent them to prospective
employers or went to job interviews. They also spent several hours per week
looking for new positions and contacted 29 companies about possible job
opportunities.
* Top performers are highly marketable. Despite re-engineering and downsizing,
companies are actively seeking management talent. In the past year, respondents
were approached by more than six companies and received an average of one job
offer. Three-quarters of survey respondents believe they have alternative
employment possibilities.
* Culture fit is a key indicator of job satisfaction and job search. If the
corporate culture of their current employers closely matches the culture of
their ideal companies, executives are significantly less likely to explore new
opportunities. The survey findings show that executives want their companies to
be market-driven, innovative, outcome-oriented and respectful. The greater the
discrepancy between executives’ ideal corporate cultures and the cultures of
their current employer, the more likely they are to be dissatisfied and to
explore new jobs. This culture fit discrepancy accounts for more than 60 percent
of executives’ job satisfaction levels and intention to leave the current
company.
* Most executives actively practice “defensive career management.”
Three-quarters say they try to stay aware of alternative job prospects – even if
they have no intention of changing positions. Nearly 80 percent do so as part of
their “career management strategy.” As the corporate world continues to
downsize, eliminating employees at all levels in the interest of productivity
and profitability, executives have become more aggressive about managing their
own careers. The survey results confirm that individual career management is now
widespread and systematic, and that executives spend a significant portion of
time directing their own career paths. The key to career success in the new
executive marketplace is not just networking or being in the right place at the
right time. It’s accepting the idea that it’s good for your career to change
jobs every two to four years. Corporations seek executives with a variety of
experience: 15 years with one organization suggests an inability to adjust to
new circumstances and lack of flexibility. Employers are less interested in how
many promotions you had at your last company than the various functions you’ve
managed. Recently we recruited a vice president of communication for a Fortune
1000 telecommunications/computer corporation. The client sought an individual
who had PR agency experience, marketing experience at a consumer products
company, and background designing and executing a global identity program,
preferably from an overseas location, on an outsourced basis. They also wanted
superior oral and written communication skills and boardroom presence.
Another client, a global professional services firm, wanted us to help recruit
an international director of marketing and communication. Desired background:
four years at a Fortune 500 corporation as vice president of communication, with
responsibility for media relations, publications, branding, special events,
internal communication and crisis management; two years as a line manager in a
marketing company; agency experience and a journalism degree.
In both searches, our client ultimately traded off some background requirements
for personality. We find that the most important factor in finding a new
position today is emotional intelligence. Now more than ever, it’s the
intangibles that will ultimately land an executive the job – no matter how good
his or her credentials. Even in today’s overheated job market, don’t assume
you’re a prime candidate just because a recruiter contacts you. Moving past the
interview to a job offer takes more than a first-class resume. As one of our
clients says, “They all look good on paper.” Some of the qualities clients look
for include:
Executive presence, like art or pornography, is hard to define but clients “know
it when they see it.” First impressions are key: Managers with executive
presence speak without a significant regional accent and use strategic silences
to appear thoughtful. Grooming (men: dark, expensive suit, white shirt with
French cuffs, Hermes-type tie, manicured fingernails; women: dark suit or dress,
high-quality accessories and jewelry) is an important aspect of executive
presence. So are your looks: Although there are exceptions, most corporate
leaders are tall (6 + feet for men, 5[feet]6[inches]+ for women) and lean. They
have good posture. For men in any industry except entertainment, retailing and
computers, facial hair and jewelry (watch, wedding ring and cufflinks excepted)
are a no-no.
Recently, we recruited a new vice president of public affairs for a Fortune 1000
energy company. On paper, our top candidate had it all: communication expertise,
management skills, law degree, Washington experience. On the phone, he was
well-spoken and dynamic. However, the light clicked off when he arrived for an
interview wearing a polyester suit and carrying a Naugahyde briefcase. Despite
his accomplishments, it was clear he wouldn’t fit. The executive who got the job
had a similar background and looked the part.
A top communicator must have stature, or social poise. Executives who have it
are always onstage but never pretentious. They arrive on time and move crisply,
but gracefully. They make the first move to shake hands (strong, two shakes).
They’re able to lead 30-45 seconds of initial small talk (weather, football,
travel schedule) with ease and they use the client’s first name periodically
when making points – but not so much that they sound like a salesperson. What
they don’t do is appear flustered or “out of control.” They don’t blurt or butt
into questions. They don’t dig around for writing implements, business cards or
plane tickets, nor do they call their office constantly. If they drop something,
they pick it up gracefully, without scrambling. They give the impression that
someone “smaller” – secretary, assistant, etc. – is handling the details of
their life.
The ability to focus is a key element of stature. Top communication executives
are always balancing scores of issues, projects, personalities and outcomes. But
when they handle one, they give it 100 percent of their attention. They lean
forward slightly when they sit – a mark of attentiveness – and they listen
carefully.
During a search for an executive at a major consumer products company, we
knocked a candidate who had the right experience and presence off the list
because he interrupted our 45-minute interview three times to answer his mobile
phone. Two of the calls concerned home plumbing repairs.
Communication professionals know that how you say it is often more important
than what you say. Articulate executives don’t simply speak clearly. They also
respond with a framework for an answer rather than answering questions directly.
If asked, “How would your boss rate your performance ?” articulate executives
don’t say “very good.” Instead, they say, “My boss would rate my performance on
three criteria: profits, market share and sales growth. Here’s how I
accomplished results on each of them…” Articulate executives speak in bullet
points and avoid larding their conversations with jargon. The ability to explain
a complex issue in simple language is something clients always look for in
personal interviews.
An executive’s charisma refers mainly to his or her ability to appear
interested, caring and concerned. Charlotte Beers, chairman of Ogilvy & Mather,
defines it as “Wit, humor and the ability to express joy.” Remembering names,
cordiality and empathy are all important. Charismatic executives usually like to
have people around them and mention others in conversation. They walk the halls
of their companies and they chat easily with employees at all levels. They say
“we” more than “I.” They avoid conceptual language and talk about people, using
several key phrases: “I understand…” “I feel…” “I sense…”
While it’s difficult to assess charisma in a one-on-one interview, recruiters
look for subtle cues like giving credit to team members or subordinates.
Optimism is also a strong predictor of charisma. When one of our top candidates
spent more than half an interview complaining about her current boss and her
company’s misguided strategy, she fell to the bottom of the list.
Hands-on executives can do the job that they are managing other people to do.
Thriving in a team-oriented environment, they avoid excessive delegation. To be
“close to the action,” they meet with customers regularly, use computers
extensively, place their own phone calls and sometimes fly coach. Sometimes it’s
difficult to find a hands-on executive who has executive presence, but they do
exist.
In an age of constant change and declining corporate loyalty, communication
professionals can build and strengthen their career clout by taking
responsibility for their own job progressions, planning to change jobs every two
to four years, and honing their interpersonal skills. If your current employer
can’t or won’t help you polish your knowledge base and experience, find one that
will. Survival is up to you – not the company.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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