Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search and Work Life
Job-hunting tips from the January 11, 2010, issue of
QuintZine.
Well-known career author and expert Susan Britton Whitcomb offers 10 career intentions
for 2010. She writes: "I love serendipity and allowing room for 'Life' to intersect with best-laid plans.
But sometimes I sway too far on the side of serendipity and don't focus enough on clarifying the things
I would like to create and achieve. ... I sat down to think about my intentions for 2010 and wrote up
my personal list. Then I got to thinking about what a savvy careerist would need to be intentional about to
create a career that is radically rewarding."
ExecuNet's newsletter, Executive Insider, offers Lessons from Leaders, a compilation of peer
and expert advice for executives seeking to transition to a new industry:
"Stress the similarities [between you and a job's requirements] in your cover letter, and
remain silent on the rest. If your resume shows that you are a solid management asset, it may
at least receive a call-back."
"Do the research; we live in a world with so much public information one should be able
to demonstrate some insight. Caution: Always be upfront that your slim knowledge is based
on public info; don't be a know-it-all."
"I must help them [the hiring company] see how well I understand their customers, their
products, their metrics and processes, and then relate my level of understanding and
abilities to how I'd contribute to their personal success and to their organization goals."
"First, see what industries are most portable with your skills. Second, show the interviewers
that you understand the applications of the knowledge you bring to the table and that you
can help them monetize that knowledge. Finally, make sure you understand the gaps that you
don't fill well and speak to those in a positive way."
"Executives interested in making a transition to a new industry must understand how to make
a strong case for such a move. They must be able to make a connection between their
current industry and a new sector and demonstrate their value to prospective employers. Identifying
transferable skills is the first step in building that connection from one industry to another."
So create a name badge for yourself for all the conferences, seminars, and workshops you
attend and let the conversations flow.
Have health goals in 2010, but no time to exercise and eat right? Propose to your boss a flexible work
arrangement so you'll have the margin of time to prepare healthier meals, work out more often
and lose weight as a result.
Well-known career author and expert Susan Britton Whitcomb offers 10 career intentions
for 2010. She writes: "I love serendipity and allowing room for 'Life' to intersect with best-laid plans.
But sometimes I sway too far on the side of serendipity and don't focus enough on clarifying the things
I would like to create and achieve. ... I sat down to think about my intentions for 2010 and wrote up
my personal list. Then I got to thinking about what a savvy careerist would need to be intentional about to
create a career that is radically rewarding."
