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The Real Reason You Aren't Making That Career Transition

The One Career Assessment You Need To Take RIGHT NOW!

End of competitive advantage

No matter where you're at in your career trajectory, stop what you're doing right now and ask yourself these 10 question. Can you answer a resounding "yes" to all of these statements? (h/t to The Muse for the link

  1. If my current employer let me go, it would be relatively easy to find a similar role in another organization for equivalent compensation.

  2. If I lost my job today, I am well prepared and know immediately what I would do next.

  3. I’ve worked in some meaningful capacity (employment, consulting, volunteering, partnering) with at least five different organizations within the last two years.

  4. I’ve learned a meaningful new skill that I didn’t have before in the last two years, whether it is work related or not.

  5. I’ve attended a course or training program within the last two years, either in person or virtually.

  6. I could name, off the top of my head, at least ten people who would be good leads for new opportunities.

  7. I actively engage with at least two professional or personal networks.

  8. I have enough resources (savings or other) that I could take the time to retrain, work for a smaller salary, or volunteer in order to get access to a new opportunity.

  9. I can make income from a variety of activities, not just my salary.

  10. I am able to relocate or travel to find new opportunities.

--The End of Competive Advantage, Rita Gunter McGrath

If you can, fantastic news. Keep asking the questions and keep doing the work. If you answered "no" to more than 2 or 3 of these, then you have some work to do. And if you answered "no" to most of them, you're in some serious trouble. You need to start addressing these issues NOW!

I've been doing a lot of work with people who are unemployed, many of them for years now and I can tell you that part of the reason they are in this boat is because they didn't invest in themselves and their own career management the way that they invested in their jobs and their companies.

Gone are the days when you could let the company take care of you and you could rely on stable jobs and predictable career paths. Situations are changing quickly and these questions can help you keep up. Today's careers are about being entrepreneurial and continually preparing yourself for and seeking the right opportunities. This is what career resilience is all about!

Comments

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Even if you answer Yes to all 10, if you are over 60, nobody is going to hire you anyway. Age discrimination is real and widespread in America.

It's true, Bill, that there is a lot of age discrimination going on, but this is where the issue of multiple income streams and looking at creating your own opportunities comes into play. You may not get hired as an employee, but there are other ways to bring in income.

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