“Your #1 priority must be to launch and grow a business called Me, Inc.”
That’s according to Tom Peters, leadership author and consultant, who encourages everyone to see themselves as self-employed, even if they work for someone. Therefore in this world of downsizing, right sizing, restructuring and mergers, you need to be focused on managing your career as a business that has assets, liabilities, customers, profits and losses.
Are you ready to launch Me, Inc.?
Here are three things you need to do today to be a career entrepreneur.
1. SWOT yourself.
First examine what you bring to the employment table. Review your Strengths (your skills and experiences that can move you ahead) and your Weaknesses (the lack of skills and experiences that can hold you back). Next look outside at your company or industry. Review Opportunities (situations that can move your career ahead and Threats (situations that can derail your career). Use this information to plan your next career move.
2. Establish an early-warning system.
Don’t be a modern day Rip Van Winkle. As the pace of change accelerates, careers will be profoundly affected by what’s happening inside and outside your workplace. If you can get a sense of where your company is heading, then you can avoid that nasty, but all too frequent, occurrence of the future creeping up and taking you by surprise.
3. Think resume in everything you do.
At the end of each year, whether you are looking for a new job or not, take the time to write or update your resume and compare it with last year’s. See if it has gotten noticeably better? See if it shows growth in a variety of skills, or growth in satisfied customers, or completed projects. Avoid becoming a professional dinosaur. If you don’t evolve, as in nature, you will face extinction.
Career Success Tip.
Most people forget they really have two jobs. The first is to do what they get paid for and do it better than others. The second is to do what’s required to ensure their career success isn’t left to someone else.
Readers, what actions can you take be a successful career entrepreneur?
Do you want to develop Career Smarts?
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- Copyright © 2011 Marcia Zidle career and leadership coach.
Marcia Zidle, a certified career strategist and business coach, works with high potential, high impact executives, managers and professionals to advance their careers and grow their leadership capabilities.