TANDEM'S TIPS: MANAGING YOUR CAREER
Kent R.
Q: I was discouraged by your recent post about the importance of being indispensable. I am not getting any call backs on my resume. Now I'm worried that I am not even a good candidate. I am finding it difficult to keep up with all of the requirements for a "modern day" job search and life, including social media: LinkedIn, Twitter etc... A: That post was meant (mostly) to inspire readers to think about their careers differently. After all, if you are in the right career pocket AND differentiating yourself within that pocket, you've got a bright future ahead of you.
With the rough economy, job seekers and employees alike are looking for ways to do things differently - ways to pursue careers that have longevity and trajectory. People are tired of living in fear of not being deemed good enough. People are tired of feeling unfulfilled.
One of the keys to job security is managing your career.
Most people have careers – or even more accurately, jobs – that manage them. To turn that around, you have to start thinking in terms of making yourself indispensable. The more relevant you are, the less likely it is that you'll have to worry too much the next time we have a deep recession.
So, amidst all of the frustration in the (slowly) changing employment landscape, I want to inspire you. I want to urge you to take positive steps to be at the top of your game. One proactive step at a time. That's good advice for any aspect of your life, sour economy or not.
Regarding social media... Better does not usually mean wider, it means deeper. A lot of people are all over social media, giving a little piece of themselves where-ever they can so that they are "involved" and "present" on multiple channels. Part of career efficacy and differentiating yourself means knowing your sphere of influence. It's not a issue of quantity but, rather, one of quantity. Don't feel overwhelmed by the push to be everywhere. Be only where you need to be - where you are building/cultivating a base of people who care about your message.
Being indispensable also means being a part of the conversation and not part of the white noise.