Has your career taken you in a direction that you did not anticipate?

When you find yourself in this predicament, it elicits feelings of disappointment and discouragement. These feelings are hard to shake.

However, a mindset reset can make all the difference.  

Take Time to Reset

Before moving on, give yourself time to reset. Do things for yourself. Give yourself the time to feel disappointed and discouraged, but avoid dwelling on those feelings too long. There’s a grieving process that’s important to moving on when you are faced with unexpected changes. But, the key is to acknowledge it, feel it, and start moving forward.

Acknowledge It for What It Is

When you find yourself grappling with the why and how of an unexpected career change, acknowledge it for what it is: a turn. Change happens, and often it is out of your control. It is part of life. Yes, it’s unexpected and disheartening, but not the end of the road. It’s your chance to determine your next path. Have you been feeling dissatisfied by monotony? Take this opportunity to re-evaluate your career and goals or make the changes you’ve possibly wanted to make for a long time.

Allow this unexpected turn to take you on a new, exciting path in your career. Be open to new possibilities.

Take the Opportunity to Learn

What would you have done differently prior to this unexpected change in your career? Were you happy where you were or do you desire something more? During an unexpected career event, step back, reflect, and evaluate your future. Learn from the past and use your knowledge to set goals for the future of your career. Figure out how you can improve your leadership skills and expertise to make yourself more marketable and valuable to companies.  

Focus on the Future

The most important part is to avoid dwelling on the past. Learn from mistakes, set goals for growth, and keep your focus on the future. How are you going to meet your goals? What do you need to do to get there? Keep pushing forward and only look back with the intent to learn from the past.

Asking for a salary increase can be a touchy subject, certainly not an enjoyable prospect. However, you can simplify this task if you initiate action at the right time and conduct some research prior to entering discussions. The more prepared you are, the more rewards will pass your way. In today’s world where companies are leaner than ever before, going above and beyond your responsibilities and expectations is common. As you take stock of your work and build a business case to advance your salary, you will be surprised to see how much you have accomplished throughout your tenure and what you have been asked to do, shifting the mindset for greater compensation.

Proceed with caution when asking for a raise. Often, companies will ask you to assume additional responsibilities. This is the time to put forward a business case for a salary increase. Seize on this opportunity, especially if your performance has been acknowledged by management.

Another chance to initiate a conversation is when the company has performed well, and finances are sound. Again, research the company’s financial reports and strike while the chatter over the recent corporate quarterly or annual earnings report is hot. Back your case with some examples of your own performance.

Finally, another option is to wait until your annual performance appraisal. A few weeks prior to the anticipated review, open a constructive dialogue with your boss about a potential salary increase based on an assessment of your accomplishments and how you have assisted the company or the department in reaching its goals.

A salary increase may not be at the top of peoples’ agendas as it can lead to misinformation and awkward conversations. So be firm with your request and support it with facts and figures.

Career management should be as high in priority as your own financial management and planning. My philosophy as an executive career management practitioner is, the day you land your job is the day you start your next job search. That may seem tough and may frighten some people, but I am a realistic coach. All jobs today are temporary. There is no such thing as a permanent appointment. Your company can decide to terminate you at any time. And they do, in high numbers, each week, in every country across the world. Tenure is tenuous. It can be long or short. Tenure can be comfortable and it can be scary.

Here are some of the things you need to do after you land.

#1. Update your resume with your new employer and position title.

#2. Amend your LinkedIn profile with your up-to-date employer and position title.

#3. Thank all those who helped you with your job search and share details with them about your new employer and the company mandate.

#4. Network. Yes, did I say that word? Didn’t you network enough during your job search? Well, you can never network enough. You don’t need to network as much as you did, however, don’t drop off the face of the earth and stop networking. You need to continue to build a defined and targeted network and give as much as you take.

#5. Search for areas to advance your education, both in the workplace and externally in academic institutions. Often, an employer might contribute financially to your skill development.

#6. Look for opportunities where you can become a thought leader in your new place of employment, industry, or both. Industry associations have conferences and they are always looking for speakers. What a great way to enhance your profile when you speak at a conference.

#7. Collaborate with your new peers and build productive rapport and relationships. Don’t be in the closet and hide. Be overt, be a contributor and be willing to help when requested.

Congratulations on your new job! Remember to keep YOUR career management at the forefront of your mind.

Career Management Tips to Optimize Your Executive Career:

If you are sitting comfortably in an executive-level position thinking that career management is a thing of your past, you may be making a terrible mistake. While you may be comfortable right now,  that could evolve over time, and, as CEO of your career, if you do not make career management a priority now, it may be a costly mistake down the road.

Focus on Learning

In your current position, you may be working within one department, and that is your expertise. However, it is helpful and beneficial to learn as much as you can about the other departments, how they work and how you can add value. This knowledge can lead to a promotion within the organization you are currently in, or it can lead to broader career opportunities.

Network

Never underestimate the power of networking. Who you know is just as important as what you know in an age where hiring managers seek references from their trusted circle before a position is even posted. Professional networking often leads to opportunities that you may not have thought to seek out. Therefore, even for someone who is comfortable in their current position, networking should always be a priority.

Build Your Personal Brand

Every day is a perfect opportunity to build your personal brand and establish yourself as an industry expert. Don`t avoid promoting your brand simply because you feel secure right now. You have valuable working knowledge and experience that would prove beneficial to those who are seeking advancement in their own careers. Right now, you do not have the pressure of a job search, so you can add value and expertise to your networking circles. Share posts on social media, comment on the posts of others or write an article on LinkedIn. Then, if the time should come where you are in search of a new opportunity, you have a well-established personal brand that will do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.

Assess Your Values

Often, as executives are in the thick of climbing the corporate ladder, they forget to stop to assess their values. Your career is important, but so is your personal happiness; therefore, at some point, you may find that your current position no longer feels right. You may find that now is the time to make a change or take a chance. If you discover this is true in your life, it is much easier to make that change when you have consistently taken the time to invest in career management.

You have made it through the first stages of hiring. Now, you are facing one of the most stressful and anxiety-producing parts of the process: The Job Interview!

You will undoubtedly feel some nerves but utilizing these tips to keep your cool will leave a great first impression and increase your chances of landing the job you want.

Do Your Homework

While interviews are stressful and you are bound to feel some nerves, it is just as important a step for you as it is for the company with which you are interviewing. Extensively researching the company gives you the opportunity to get a feel for whether or not it will be a good fit for you. Use your research to prepare some company-specific questions prior to your interview. By doing so, not only will you show you are prepared but you will also give the impression that you have a genuine interest in the company.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Review your resume. Keep your accomplishments fresh in your mind. Pump yourself up on the way to the interview. Practice introducing yourself, your elevator pitch, and your answers to common behavioural interview questions.

Spend time practicing in front of the mirror to ensure your body language is calm, cool, and collected. Take the time to perfect your handshake with a friend or family member. The more you practice, the better prepared you will feel which will help keep your anxiety under control.

Always Dress Professionally

Dress in professional business attire and make sure you’re well-groomed. Even if you are interviewing with a company known for having a casual environment, make it a point to look polished and professional for your interview.

Be Confident

Remember you are making a first impression, so it is imperative to present yourself with confidence. Be mindful of your body language as it says just as much about you as your words and accomplishments do. Make sure you make eye contact, have a confident handshake, demonstrate good posture, avoid fidgeting, and keep your answers and movements slow and steady.

Be Yourself

While the interviewers are determining if you are a good fit for their company, you should also take the time to assess whether the company is a good fit for you. Sometimes it is not, and that is okay. If you are not authentic, you could end up with a job in which you are miserable. Therefore, it is imperative that you are true to yourself to ensure the position is the perfect fit.

Following these tips allows your accomplishments and the value you will bring to the company to shine, and you will make a great first impression.

1. Assemble a plan. Create one that takes you year-by-year to accomplish career growth at a speed that makes sense to you. Your career management is in YOUR hands, not your employer’s. Start today!
2. Be open about your goals. Your manager and other mentors can’t pave the way for your career growth unless they know what you are aiming to achieve. Let them in on both the long-term CEO goal and the short-term goals.
3. Connect with people who can help your career. Take your manager out to lunch, or arrange coffee with the head of the department you’d like to work for next. Network within your company as well as within your industry. Be sure to offer value in return!
4. Ditch your boxes and envelopes. Think outside the box for creative problem-solving, and push the envelope aside and force yourself to learn and grow beyond what’s comfortable and easy. Real growth of any kind is uncomfortable.
5. Expect to hit the wall. No one has a straight path to success. There may be rough spots, sacrifices, and difficulties along the way. You can get to your goals if you push through and keep working.
6. Find mentors. You can’t grow your career alone, you need teachers, mentors, and trailblazers. Grow your network garden to include people you admire in positions you aspire to earn.
7. Give back. Take some time to volunteer. That can, in turn, give you opportunities to sit on non-profit Boards someday…which is the perfect way to start at the Board level.
8. Help others. Add value to your network of work relationships and be the mentor you needed when you first began. It’s a start on building a legacy leadership.
9. Invest in your attitude. Stay positive, look for the silver lining, and seek the sunny side of every situation. Doom and gloom win no friends and influence everyone to avoid you…and hiring influencers don’t hire negativity. Go positive!
10. Just checking. No career proceeds in a straight line, so take time to check where you’ve come and where you’ve been, and adjust that career plan once in a while. Make sure the plan still fits the leader you are becoming.
11. Keep going. Even if you fail or get knocked down, get back on your feet and ready to work. Layoffs, downsizing, and pink slips happen to the best of us: The trick is to use what you’ve learned to do even better work next time.
12. Listen to your mentors, learn from your connections, always be open to change and improvement. Try what they suggest and keep the tools that fit you, discarding those that don’t.
13. Make a difference. If your goal is to make a contribution and improve every organization and every project you join, the higher-ups will notice.

 

Over the years, I’ve offered great advice on how to prepare for an interview, talk to recruiters, prepare your resume, grow your network, polish your branding, and how to land a job you’ll love. The effort doesn’t stop there, though.

Your job, reputation, and career need some basic effort to maintain and grow them…and there are some serious mistakes that can not only end your current job, but can put a dent in your career plans, too. Here’s a few of the worst mistakes and what you can do to avoid them!

Personal conflict. Allowing grudges, personal drama, or personality conflict to affect your work is a huge mistake. Is trouble brewing? Make the effort to resolve conflict, or at least rise above it. It won’t go unnoticed by your leadership, as the ability to collaborate effectively is a prized skill the higher you go.

Distance from management. If you’ve always felt more comfortable with your colleagues, and left some distance between you and your boss, now is the time to close that gap. You don’t need to grab a beer after work with your boss, but you should be comfortable having a conversation and he or she should know you as a person, not just an employee. Cultivate a relationship with your manager, and make the effort to be known to their managers, too. Your superiors are important tools for guiding and growing your career, and navigating on-the-job issues. Strengthen those connections so they’re ready when you need them.

Disrespect. I cannot put it more simply than this: No one wants to work with a jerk. You can be an industry expert, but if no one wants to work or have a conversation with you, you’re likely to lose your job and have difficulty overcoming an unpleasant reputation. Invite other solutions, you may learn something new. Invite collaboration, and support your colleagues by teaching, mentoring, and working with them. Announcing a mistake or mocking a poor solution puts the brakes on innovation. However, adding your expertise in a respectful, supportive way is always welcome and encourages everyone’s efforts.

Boundaries. It’s fine to make friends at work, but never mix romance or bad habits with work friends. Do the Pros and Cons of mixing the intensely personal with the professional: We’ve all heard stories of great marriages that began at work that would go in the “Pro” column, but for every perfect match there are dozens (if not hundreds) of break-up stories or harassment lawsuits in the “Cons” column. It’s just bad form to mix the private with the professional. And if you have bad habits (drinking to excess, recreational drugs) do not indulge around work friends or at the company Christmas party.

Career management. Don’t leave your professional growth up to your boss. Take charge of your career and treat it like the most important job you have. This one won’t end your current job, but it can stagnate your career growth and leave you behind your professional peers…and cost you thousands, if not millions, in salary over a lifetime.