Career Resources

Networking Is A Key Strategy To Proactive Career Management
Mid-life CV Crisis
Private Equity and the Double Standard
It's A Seller's Market When It Comes To Executive Talent

Take a look at our great range of My Career books

Career Progression Stronger Than Salary

Contrary to popular belief, it seems the decision to leave one job for another is more influenced by career progression opportunities than by a larger pay packet.

A survey of over 3000 people in 13 countries published by recruitment company, Robert Walters, says the number one reason people change jobs is to further develop their career.

The survey showed 45% of Australian workers changed jobs because their new role offered more opportunities for career progression, compared with 20% who changed jobs for salary reasons.

Globally this trend is even stronger; with 50% of those surveyed indicating professional development was the prime motivator to change jobs. People are now more interested in where their career will take them; they're looking at the longer-term perspective.

In such a buoyant jobs market and with growing skills shortages, the job market is brimming with an increasing number of opportunities. Now is the time for candidates to learn as much as possible to move up their career ladder. If the key ingredients of drive and ambition are there, anything's possible!

Source: Melbourne Age 07/08/2006

Networking Is A Key Strategy To Proactive Career Management according to a recent poll

"Poll reveals executives swap passive for proactive approach to next job move. All respondents agreed that career management should be an on-going, proactive project, rather than a short lived one."

More and more senior level professionals are taking control of their career paths and applying a much more proactive approach to their next job move, according to a recent poll of 500 executives carried out by a UK based executive research, business information and career management specialist. The executives polled were familiar with the Career Management Services.

It has always been recognised that networking is a fundamental activity that shouldn't be ignored when planning your next career move and the findings of this recent survey bear out that more and more executives see this as a key strategy to proactive career management, rather than waiting for fate to intervene.

The key factors influencing respondents' next move included a new challenge, better long term prospects and achieving a better work-life balance.

When asked the appropriate time to start planning the next career move, 43 per cent of respondents felt that 2 years into the job was the best time to start thinking about future roles with 12 per cent citing the first day they start a new job as an optimum time! Half of those polled felt that transferable skills were the biggest factor that influenced employers when selecting a senior employee.

Source: Dabbs PR & Marketing 16/10/2006

Mid-life CV Crisis

When you're no longer new to the game, your resume needs to dazzle employers with achievements.^*

Your career has progressed nicely, you've scored some minor promotions along the way-now a golden job opportunity has come along. Unless your networking skills can be used to secure an interview-or even the position itself-you will need to submit a resume.

Organisational psychologist, Jim Bright, of the University of NSW and co-author of Resumes That Get Shortlisted, says,"You want to paint a picture of continuous achievement, continuous learning and continuous improvement.

It's important that you see yourself as a premium product and mount your best possible marketing campaign."

Your task, whether applying for a higher paid job or tying to change careers, is to emphasise your skills, experience and achievements.

As a minimum, two achievements should be listed for every duty or role. "And does the sentence tell clearly how you made a difference in the role?" Bright asks.

A test is to see if you can put the words "badly" or "poorly" at the end of the sentence to change its meaning.

For example, saying you managed a team of 10 people can be changed by adding the word "badly".

A better sentence, Bright says, would include the results of your management, such as: "Managed a team of 10 employees and improved revenue by 30 per cent."

"[If] you've spelt it out for the reader, so that there's no possible negative interpretation that can be made, then you've increased your chances of getting short listed," Bright says.

As with any resume, it is important to emphasise the skills that set you apart from rival candidates-including younger workers. Bright says employers might think that as a career progresses energy levels will fall and the pace will plateau.

"What you need to demonstrate is on-going commitment to your profession, on-going development and generally, enthusiasm and initiative," he says.

As a general guide and for practical reasons, don't include more than 10 years of your work history on your resume-unless a job is relevant to the position you are applying for.

"This is a sales document that should emphasise your positive points," says Bright.^*

C-F-S has long recognised these requirement and utilising the "STAR" approach has assisted individuals to develop resumes that reflect their career skills, experience and achievements.

Source:
^*Ben Wyld. This story contains extracts from an article by Ben Wyld. that contained edited extracts of the My Career advice book, Entering the Workforce, edited by Brigid Delaney

Private Equity and the Double Standard

Private equity is an increasingly important issue for many companies in today's global markets. A recent article in the February 2007 Financial Review noted the critical role private equity played in reinventing Australian retail giant, Myer. Not only has it been able to secure a lucrative marketing deal with previous Miss Universe winner, Jennifer Hawkins, but it has also credited private equity with increasing employee motivation and performance. "If you can give people skin in the game they will work until they fall down to be able to deliver for you," stated Myer CEO,Bernie Brookes.

Recently at the successful C-F-S Career Management Networking Luncheon, Guest Speaker Ralph Evans FAICD, CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors discussed this growing trend and the impact of the private equity boom on company directors. Although private equity is now a full scale alternative and rival to the stock markets of the world it is not without its drawbacks. There is a concern that the present boom could lead to another round of onerous regulation and compromise good corporate governance standards.

The two contradictory worlds are now more than ever apparent with Mr Evans emphasising the need to reach a balance between a highly over regulated public sector and a largely unregulated private equity world where the focus is far more on adding value to the business in the short term and less on compliance with rules.

Source:
Ralph Evans FAICD, CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Financial Review February 2007

It's A Seller's Market When It Comes To Executive Talent

The demand for senior executives is at record levels globally. According to a recent survey¹ the number of job searches being done by recruitment firms in many senior management fields is up 20 per cent from the same time last year, [Korn/Ferry statistics].

A study conducted by Development Dimensions International (DDI) in late 2006 surveyed 385 US leaders and 400 global leaders in front-line, operational and strategic roles and set out to explore the challenges that people face when transitioning into leadership roles. This result may surprise you: When given the opportunity to rate life challenges in order of difficulty, 19 per cent of those surveyed rated making a transition at work as the number one greatest challenge, superseding personal stressors.

Each career move needs to form part of a long term strategy and provide the opportunity to expand experiences, develop a track record of results and be closely aligned to the overall career objective. According to the survey² strategic leaders turn to colleagues and peers first. This however contrasted with global leaders who selected friends and family as the number one choice, followed by external advisors. Global study participants selected intercultural sensitivity and international experience as two of the most helpful elements in making a transition.

Increasingly senior executives seeking to maintain, better manage or advance their career are turning to external advisors to facilitate this transition and to seek clarification, and provide objectivity to the all important question, "Is this next career move the right one?" So to make opportunities work for you, take the time to talk to a Senior Consultant at C-F-S Career Management. In the current market, with the right guidance, you can seek the right trajectory and advance your career.

Source:
¹Globe and Mail, Canada 23/5/2007
²Jennifer Pesci-Kelly DDI Leadership Transitions Study Pittsburg PA 15/5/2007