Happy New Year, Now What?
“A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.” Author Unknown
HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER
Title: New Year’s Resolutions
Competency: self development
Who benefits: you
Consultant Usage: background material for career coaching
What’s it about? It’s the first week of a new year. If you are like about 40% to 45% of American adults, you are in the first week of a New Year’s resolution. And if you are one of those who made a resolution or six, please note that 25%-30% of all resolutions are broken in the first week. The good news is that nearly 50% of you who made resolutions will still be keeping at least one after 6 months!
I thought I would dedicate my January postings to helping you keep your resolution(s), if you made any. Today I would like to start with the gorilla of all resolutions, the job change. Did you resolve to look for a new one?
Well if you are in the mood to look around, please consider the following:
1. Before you do anything rash, first consider “How to Survive in an Unhappy Workplace”.
2. A companion article that will at least act as a brain stimulus is “Why You Should Fire Yourself“. While at first blush the article appears to be written for high level mucky-mucks, I truly believe that even those of us who are only mid-level mucks can benefit from thinking about what the author is saying.
3. Now if you are still determined to go look, there is a fascinating article about “How to Get a Job Without Experience”. The author’s point is best made with those who are not currently employed or are working part time. However, with a little creativity, even the fully employed can employ this tactic.
I am a big believer in getting a job without the “desired” experience. My first job in the private sector was with a Fortune 25 company. At the time the unit I interviewed with was top heavy with Ph.Ds (not that there is anything wrong with that). I was one of eight finalists. The other seven were Ph.Ds and had private sector experience. I was an MA with only public sector experience. I didn’t try to compete with them. That would be futile. I played against “type”. I sold myself as practical with new and different ideas from my “different” experiences. I was blunt: “You don’t need more of the same, you need difference.” And, ta-da, I got the job.
Moral of the article and my story: Don’t let lack of experience deter you. Use it to your advantage.
4. Which brings me to this important concluding article “Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change“. Like the AMX card, don’t leave home without (reading) it.
Well, if you resolve to make a job change, I hope these resources prove useful.
Catch you later.
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