Are you graduating college and thinking about your career or securing an intern position? Are you an experienced professional that has the need to make a career pivot? Are you in the market for a career change?
If you are yes-ing anyone of these questions, you know you have your work cut out for you and if you mismanage the transition, you risk time and efficiency. Making a significant change requires a ‘due-diligence’ that can be overwhelming and set your nerves on fire. So before you begin to consider changes, take some time to think about the marketplace, how you best fit, what your objectives are and finally, how will you present your brand message to the hiring community.
You cannot possibly do this well if you don’t research the market first. Time is your friend…..or your enemy. How you utilize the clock is entirely up to you and you have all the power to control it. Under these conditions, time is your friend. If you are approaching this with one eye closed and not fully committed, then the clock is going to be your enemy. Efficiency of time is critical to the changes you are contemplating.
Look at the word, r-e-s-e-a-r-c-h. Drop the ‘r’ and the ‘e’ and you have SEARCH.
It’s all about the search and doing a really thorough and extensive exploratory on the market you are interested in. The information you begin to organize is vital to you and the decision(s) you make about your career.
We all have a busy schedule and it’s often easy to make an excuse that, “I don’t have the time”…… To that I say – MAKE THE TIME. It’s too important not too. You are competing against so many and the more you know the better prepared you will be to hit the market. It will be a better experience also, as it develops confidence and you also gain an industry awareness that can be the differentiator in the vetting process. The hiring community is looking for someone that not only has the skills and meets the criteria necessary, but they are also interested in the ‘cultural’ fit and if you have done your homework, you have mastered the language of this company (I call it Industry Fluency) and you present your brand in a comfortable and compatible voice. That will go a long way when the final determination is being made.
So, take the time. Find those quiet moments and a quiet zone to search in stillness to get a real handle on your brand, how you present it and how you will align with the marketplace.
