YES, there is… even in today’s digital world of recruitment. You see, in every marketplace, there are buyers and sellers. In the traditional job market, the one that our Department of Labor measures for us, job seekers are the sellers and their potential employers are the buyers. The commodity is productive work and the competition is fierce. It doesn’t matter if you are an operations manager, an internal HR professional, senior finance executive, or a key player on the IT team—ANY experienced and valued professional job seeker—ALL should want to become a valued partner in the business of their next employer.
Next Week’s Session, Thursday, June 20th… Embracing The OTHER Job Market, our introductory and overview session where we’ll look at the basic philosophies of your Careerpilot. A great place to start for “tire kickers and other first-timers!
In the OTHER Job Market, buyers and sellers hold equal responsibility for the recruitment process. When employers have a need for someone to fulfill a specific role, often the most desired candidates are employed individuals with the credentials they seek.
Thus the employer must sell their Company to potential employees in the marketplace in order to attract the best of the lot. Once identified, they simply select their choice and buy their services.
On the other hand, if an individual is under-employed, seeking a change, or actually unemployed, they must be visible to potential employers who are seeking their services. Creating this visibility is about strategic, personal market planning and execution—in can be marketability without rejection!
Personal Marketing is a contact sport.
The Evolution of a JOB…
| NEED IDENTIFIED
|
Replacement jobs often redefined. No definition to a new need. | No competition |
| WORK ANTICIPATED
|
Discussion leads to decisions on JOB definition | Often job parameters are set based on market feedback |
| JOB REQUISITION WRITTEN AND APPROVED
|
Job Requirements must be defined… expectations creep into the recruitment process | Internal candidates often get priority in employment process |
| JOB is “open”
|
Job Requirements are often refined based on market feedback | Internal AND external candidates compete for the same jobs |
| JOB is published
|
Job requirements and qualifications define the screening process | MAX competition!! |
Standing-out in the “sea of unwashed faces”
Create an expectation of who you are and what you can do for your next employer by clearly positioning and targeting your collateral materials, both written and verbal. When stating your career objective, clearly state your appropriate work and make an offer of your services.
Here are some tips on becoming a valued partner…
Walk the talk. Nothing speaks louder than results…. From the recruitment perspective, the best indicator of one’s potential for success is one’s prior experience and results gained. A partner helps others within the organization achieve their goals. And results require actions, not just words. The better the results you get, the more likely you are to be invited on to ‘the team.’
Deep knowledge… You must have a true understanding of every aspect of the business, how all the moving parts work together, the obstacles ahead, and intimate knowledge of the competition in the marketplace. In other words, you’ve done your homework and understand your potential employer’s need. And you must be able to articulate your understanding to anyone involved in the decision-making process in a manner that demonstrates that you truly get it.
Two of the many ways of accomplishing this image are to…
- Keep a file of relevant articles to share with key decision-makers, take advantage of the approaches that email and social media have to offer… create and maintain top-of-mind awareness.
- Further, create a set of ‘white papers’ that express, from your knowledge and experience, your perspective on relevant issues to your Profession or industry of choice.
Listen well. ..Everyone loves to feel that they have been heard and understood. One attribute of leadership is being known as a good listener. And if you can reiterate and articulate what has been said, you will be valued as a partner in the decision-making process.
Remember, as a job seeker, NETWORKING is your way to share knowledge, ‘branding’ yourself as a valued resource. It is also your best source of confirming the subjective information you seek to supplement your research of factual information about a potential employer.
Big picture thinking…Having a strategic vision requires you to see all areas of the business, internal and external. This is a valuable trait well beyond the C-suite. If you only have a deep understanding of one area, you are more likely to be tactical in your decisions, rather than strategic. You must be able to foresee problems from the stakeholders’ perspective in order to offer the most highly valued and comprehensive solutions.
Tying all of this together, the best way to be treated like a valued partner is to act like one. The more you demonstrate your value, the more you will become recognized as the new go-to person in the organization.
***
The one thing you’ll need to know, and understand HOW to execute, for the rest of your career…
Never be a job-hunter again!!! It’s OK to be an interested, available and highly marketable professional. Always seek a good CAREER “FIT.”
Now, go find yourself an employer!
MYCAREERpilot 