Career Strategy in the New Environment

By Chad Moutray
NABE Board Member
Chief Economist, U.S. Small Business Administration

In these challenging economic times, many business economists are confronting an economic reality they might not have expected.  The job market is dramatically different than it was the last time they were hired.  Gone are the days when you might peruse the Sunday paper expecting to find your next job in the help wanted advertisements.  While this might help somewhat, it cannot be your only career strategy.  In this new environment, it is important for job candidates to successfully market themselves, highlighting their strengths to any prospective employer.  Networking is more important than ever, and it can be essential to landing you in your next big job.

Marc Cenedella, the founder and chief executive officer of TheLadders.com, spoke to participants at the annual meeting about the need for personal marketing.  We are each the CEO of our own enterprise, which he dubbed “You, Inc.”  As such, we are responsible for differentiating our services from other candidates, noting the particular things we bring to the job market.  In the past, companies used to create job paths for us, with employees often working their entire careers at only one firm.  Now, it is up to us to establish where we want to go professionally and to seek companies that allow us to exploit our talents and potential. 

In conducting any search, though, it is vital that you know what you are really looking for in a job.  What is important to you?  The answer to this question will provide some direction.  There are often many opportunities in small, dynamic fast-growing companies, and successfully targeting these might prove worthwhile.

Make Three Key Points In Interviews

In a job interview, Cenedella suggested that you should plan to make three key points—primarily focusing on what skills you can deliver for the company.  These should be your talking points, and it is important to stay on message.  As with any product, you need to market yourself and ensure that the interviewer knows your true strengths—even if you have to repeat them a few times.  If the questioner asks about your weaknesses, highlight lessons you learned from past mistakes.  In other words, turn a negative question into a positive for you.  For individuals changing careers, it is important to take baby steps.  Recruiters are looking for candidates who can fill their jobs today based on proven past performance.  Try to avoid dramatic shifts where it might be difficult for an employer to comprehend what you bring to the table.

Finally, to land a good-paying job, you will need to do your homework.  Use the Internet to both network and explore new opportunities.  Of course, the Internet could also dampen your chances for employment if you are not careful about the image you are presenting to the rest of the world.  Cenedella suggested that everyone should “Google” himself or herself.  He said that 77 percent of recruiters say that they have researched candidates on the Web, and 35 percent said they had disqualified someone because of something they found online.

In this new age of instantaneous information, it is important to present a positive image of our own talents and successfully market them to prospective employers.  More than ever, we need to groom “You, Inc.” into a high-growth enterprise that will bring multiple offers for our talents, allowing us to flourish both professionally and financially.               

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