Relationship versus Resumes—Career Move Power Tool

Landing your “Dream Career” doesn’t come with a fool proof plan of execution. Many people wonder from job to job, trying to figure out how to get that “next break” or somehow expect the CEO of a major company to hand over keys to their corner office and a flex spending account.  But in the “real world” that simply doesn’t exist.  However, there is one effective tool that most tend to overlook, or do not know the power in using them.  We’re not talking resumes and cover letters, we’re talking forming relationships.  Not just knowing someone, but it’s all about who knows you.

Let’s first look at using your resume.  When it comes down to it, your resume is just among 100’s of 1000’s that float in cyberspace, waiting to get read, reviewed, selected and hopefully get a chance for an interview.  Relying on resume submission online ONLY, is a recipe for frustration, feelings of defeat and most times, a long wait in line.  All you are doing is sending your resume to people that you don’t know, and more importantly, do not know you.  That’s why building relationships with influential people in your industry is key to making career power moves.

Believe it or not, we all have people in our lives that know other people that know people who could be the next big step towards obtaining that dream career.  It’s been said we are all only separated by six degrees or steps (or fewer), from any other person in the world.  It has been tested and proven to be pretty accurate.  So if this is the case, you could possibly be only two to six people away from getting the career of your dreams.  To look at this further, take a look at an excerpt from a book titled, “The 5 best tools to find your Dream Career.”

“As I came to the end of my college years, I began to realize that a direct-mail, mass-marketing approach wasn’t working.  I recognized that people hire people, and that my resume was probably one of hundreds, if not thousands, sent in response to any given ad….I realized that I didn’t have the relationships I needed to even get on the radar screen of anyone in the sports industry. .. I had to build more effective relationships with the right people…I made a decision that was the start of putting into practice what has become (my) philosophy…I couldn’t expect (my dream career) to come to me, I had to pursue it—and pursue it daily.”

As the author states, getting your dream career will take YOU pursuing it DAILY.  It is not a hobby to do this, it is your JOB.  So taking it serious, is a part of your job description, and making it happen is your daily duties.  To get you a head start, I’ve listed below three (3) tasks you can do to build the power relationships you need:

1.       Find contacts through people you already know—get advice and get them to introduce you to them.  Know how to identify people who can assist you, and get some face time.  Ask if they are willing to mentor you.  (Sometimes, people have requirements for finishing their degree plans—Doctorate, etc., and could mentor you, or just have a passion to do so.)

2.       Research people in your industry and region. Find out who are important and influential people in your particular career industry (hospitality, mental health, etc.), that would be a tremendous value to you.

3.       Contact associations/organizations for networking sessions.  Local organizations have monthly, and sometimes more frequently, meetings, or networking opportunities where you can meet and mingle with people in your area, that have careers with companies you may be interested. Find out on their websites, or even better, call and talk with the most knowledgeable person in most organization, the Exec assistant or Receptionist.  (More on that in another article).  Get the scoop on when/who to talk to, and best way you can get in front of the contacts you need.

Tip:  Your contacts need to know your commitment and follow up is always vital.

 As you start to use these simple tasks, you will find it easier to accomplish.  Don’t be intimidated to meet and talk with the influential people you will need.  They are people just like you and I, and most times look for opportunities to assist eager and determined individuals.  I  hope you can see the importance of building relationships versus utilizing resumes only.  Having a value-based resume is a great starting tool to use, however it’s the relationships and bonds you cultivate, that will make all the difference.

Up Your Career

Up Your Career

My name is Anita Newson (Page) and I help individuals align their career and life goals by creating and utilizing traditional and non-traditional methods.  This is accomplished by, establishing and reaching milestones, building their portfolio and marketing their talents, as well as providing guidance in career development and gaining professional employment.

Career management?? You may ask, “What is career management?”  Well Wikipedia defines it as:  The combination of structured planning and the active management choice of one's own professional career. The outcome of successful career management should include personal fulfillment, work/life balance, goal achievement and financial security.
First, let’s pull out 3 key things mentioned in the definition—structured planning, active management, professional career.

1—Structured planning—Each job you have, class and training you take, certification you earn, personal, professional connection you make with people you meet, should all be building upon a strong foundation that’s getting you closer to your ultimate goal—Your dream career. (Notice, I didn’t say dream job—there’s a difference between a job and a career.) Sometimes you WILL have to get a “job”, but that should just be another method to your madness, getting you closer to the end results you’re looking for.
I remember it like it was yesterday.  My “plan” was to get a part-time job to finance my goal of becoming a certified grant writer.  I’d helped to write grants before, and felt I was good at it. People requested my consultation for writing grants, so I wanted to become a “professional” in the field.  After obtaining a good part-time job where my boss was supportive, yet demanding, I started to focus on my daily duties, and help to grow the department where I worked.  “Life” started to take over—family and ministry responsibilities, etc.—then I was asked to re-open our church child development center, and my “plan” went out the window with earning a decent pay for my hard work.  That was ten years ago, and I still don’t have my certification.  Moral of the Story: Never lose focus of your “WHY”.

2—Active Management—A continuous process to ensure long-term career success. This takes time to build.  Once that strong foundation is established (setting goals, looking at what you need to reach each goal, and create a timeline for it, etc.), obtaining those goals and developing new ones will become second nature.  Each job you have/do, should strategically be a stepping stone to where you want to be—and remember, the sky is the limit.  So don’t make some great accomplishments, and then think you’re done.  Keep your momentum, keep moving toward whatever ultimate goal you want—CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or CEO of your own—your options are countless and up to you.

3—Professional Career—We’ve all had to work a “job”—that could be in a high profile company or at the local car wash.  NEVER DISPISE YOUR DAY OF SMALL BEGINNINGS!!!  Work your job, do whatcha gotta do, even if it’s shining shoes.  (I’ve been there, done that, literally)!  If that’s your dream career/job, you better be the best shoe shine queen on the east coast!!! You better make ‘em see their face in those shoes—OKAY???!!!  Who knows whose shoes you may end of shining, and they make you an offer, you can’t refuse!  You can have a bi-coastal shoe shine shop on all military posts nationally, and even internationally.  The point is, BE A PROFESSIONAL WITH IT!!! Be the expert at it—create new formulas and methods that no one else is doing.  BE THE PRO in your career!!!

When you’re serious like that, you can move on to what I like to call the 3 M’s in career management— Movement, Monitoring, Migrating.
Movement—Establish/Set Goals—takes action on your part.  You have to ‘move’ and take action to #1 write your vision/plan, and make it plain. Use visuals (vision board, pictures of you on vacation, house/car you want, jar of credit cards cut up). Write those goals down, and look at them daily.

Monitoring—Tracking your progress is vital—It’s meant to encourage you, and allow you to see if you need to re-establish timelines, or take a different course of action all together. (Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results—job, relationships, finances.)  You will be able to ‘monitor’ if you’re being stagnate or allowing your career goals to be incorporated into your daily lifestyle.

Migrating—Changing course.  Sometimes, like stated previously, you may discover something you’re doing isn’t working (working more hours, but having to pay more for childcare when you work, now you’re just working to pay childcare).  If you’re working just to pay the daycare bill, then you need to change jobs, get a promotion at that job, change your mindset/goals altogether.  ONLY YOU can say if it’s time to adjust.  Nothing’s written in INK, write in pencil, so you can erase and make corrections/changes.

Career Management/Development is the key to helping you achieve personal goals—traveling, starting/expanding your family, buying a house.  Since having a career takes up a big amount of time you spend, it only makes sense to “invest” in it.  Just remember, Career Management is just like financial management—disciplined investment, made on a regular basis, yields a greater reward.  So, Up Your Career!