Take Control of Your Career

According to the Economic Policy Institute, during the Great Recession (official time period is December 2007 – June 2009), over 8.4 million jobs were lost and the unemployment rate is currently at 6.7% nationally, down from 10% at the peak of the recession. Many debate whether the real unemployment rate was closer to 15% or more once you include the underemployed (reluctantly working part-time because of limited position) and those who were not being counted any longer because their unemployment insurance ended.

Whether you continue to be employed or have become a part of the heart wrenching statistics by downsizing, you need to continue to “own your career”. What does it mean to “own your career”? It means you are ultimately the person who is responsible for making things happen when it comes to your career and you have to expect the unexpected and plan for it. There may be limited positions in your area, but there are things you should constantly being doing whether you are gainfully employed or looking. Consider the following:

Reassess your career map: You say you do not have a career map, sure you do (at least I hope so). A career map is simply your career goals and objectives with associated timeframes. You may have an “official” career map you created through a paid service or you may simply have your objectives listed in a journal. The important step is that you should have one and if you do not, it’s time to create one. You cannot get where you want to go without clear directions. Reassessing means evaluating whether you are where you want to be in your career and if you are not, are there other avenues or experiences you can seek to help you get there. One thing to remember as you reassess your career map, there is nothing wrong with taking a detour along the way as long as you know you are working toward your final destination.

Engage your network: I know many of you have said, “I have and I do engage my network.” My question to you is how often. Chances are that you have contacted people in your network periodically and say “I am looking for my next opportunity, please let me know if know or hear of anything.” That is a good start, but engaging your network should go beyond the “hi and call me” platitude, you must ask specifically what you want. I suggest you say, “you may not be aware, but I am looking for my next opportunity in xyz, in this particular industry/company. Do you know of anyone I can contact or would you mind introducing me to xyz as I seek my next opportunity?” This is actively engaging your network.

Obtain mentors and coaches: Great mentors and coaches are invaluable resources throughout your career. Mentors and coaches are your sounding board and your career advocates and cheerleaders. It is not always who you know, but who knows you. Not only should you have at least one mentor and/or coach, you should also be a mentor or coach to someone else. Karma is a great thing, which leads me to tip #4.

Contribute to your profession. Charles W. Eliot said, “Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for those who would be useful and happy in their usefulness. If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because you are choking the source of development, which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.” The unspoken gift of service is that you receive so much in return when you give of yourself to a specific situation or cause. Contributing to your profession can take on many forms, volunteering at a conference, serving on a regional leadership board, mentoring, publishing case studies or teaching to name a few. When you give to your profession, you are connecting on so many levels, not to mention contributing to advancing the profession as a whole – how cool is that!

Continue to learn: Being a student of knowledge is essential in our technology-on-demand age. Knowledge is power and there is always something new to learn or relearn in order to stay current, effective and competitive. There are so many avenues to stay on top of new developments, best practices and innovation. If you have not signed up to receive industry newsletters, podcasts, webinars or webcasts, you are doing yourself and your career a disservice – the majority of these resources are free. I recommend you start today.