In a previous interview with Ben McKibbens, the highly successful former CEO of Valley Baptist Health System in south Texas, we had the opportunity to discuss his 5 Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. With this in mind, I wanted to further discuss an interview I conducted with executive recruiter and career transition coach John Self.
Job transitioning can often be stressful—especially when unexpected. If there is one area you want to have success in, it is finding and procuring the job you need. “It really begins before you even have a concern about [losing your job],” Self says. He goes on to urge people to be proactive in preparing for an unexpected job transition.
6 Pieces of Practical Advice
- Keep your résumé up to date – By keeping your résumé up to date, you limit the guesswork and make it much easier to begin your job search. With an updated resume in place, you can immediately start using it for job prospects.
- Don’t store your networking contact info on your work computer – Always be prepared. Your networking contacts are valuable and you want to have access to them away from your current workplace.
- Never use your work computer to search for other jobs – There are many reasons to follow this rule: job searching would be a personal use, it hinders your effectiveness in your current role/job, and you could inadvertently alert your current employer that you are on the job hunt.
- Start building your personal career brand – “Executives and managers hoping to navigate the turbulent economy with a minimum of disruption must develop excellent career brand management tools.” – John Self. (Click here to read 9 elements to career branding by John Self).
- Use LinkedIn and take an active role in defining who you are – According to recent statistics, there are more than 400 million professionals on LinkedIn, which makes it an invaluable source for effective networking.
- Proactively build your network – Don’t wait! Build your network now. Connect to people you know and who are in your industry. You never know when these connections will come in handy.
Don’t let your chance fly by due to failed planning. Proactive preparation & planning provides potential. Use the advice of these two leaders and experience success with any job transition.
