You're a mover and a shaker and you want to move on

Photo by mcbarnicle

Let’s say you really are a mover and a shaker. You’re a change agent. You’re comfortable in start-ups and turnarounds. You made your reputation by making impact. If someone mentions your name, everyone thinks you’re the one.

Now what?

Is it still OK in 2011 to be a mover and a shaker?

You don’t want to make a bad move in this economy or really any economy. Bad moves are just bad. But in 2011, the rules have changed for job search compared to 10 to 15 years ago. During the late 1990’s and early years of the past decade, companies were hunting candidates and especially top leaders. You could see rising stars and yes, movers and shakers, who made a move even as frequently as once a year. A move every 2-3 years was common.

This doesn’t work anymore but that doesn’t mean that the message is totally grime for those on an upward rise in their career or seeking the next big thing, from Mark Anderson of Execunet, the Door is Opening for Executive Hiring:

We’ve been telling the story of the increase in businesses adding executive jobs for the last nine to 12 months. Recruiters we work with every day have been consistently telling us that businesses started hiring again on the executive level a year ago. Now that the aggregate number has reached “muster” the media is recognizing that businesses have added 1.8 million jobs in the last year — a significant number, with nearly a third of those jobs added in just the first three months of 2011!

Encouraging news! What that means is that you have to be even more prepared than ever before in your career. I have more new clients telling me that they have never needed a resume before than ever in the many years I have been a career industry professional. And the resume is just the start of your career strategy.

What should you do to prepare for a career move in 2011?

1. Start with the accomplishment-driven, value-rich, power-packed resume. If you are only thinking of the resume as a piece of paper, you are missing the boat completely. You need to see the resume as a Golden Ticket to the next step in your career.
2. Don’t avoid the power of Linked-In and make sure you have maximized your ability to use it. I feel like I am constantly repeating myself but an incomplete profile is useless on LinkedIn. You need to view your LinkedIn profile as seriously as you do your resume. If you are leaving either one incomplete or sparsely filled out, you can expect decreased results based on what you are leaving out. Don’t expect hiring managers to be mind readers. If you don’t share your value, no one knows what it is.
3. Build those connections. Once you have have complete resume and LinkedIn profile as part of your career arsenal, track down serious connections. Don’t throw that resume out willy-nilly. Target, target, target. Results come to those who seriously work on connecting with people who are in a position to help them with their career.
4. Don’t get discouraged. You won’t see the fast track moves of a decade ago most of the time but persistence and careful career planning will get you to your goal. While you are at work, strive for excellence. Just because you think you are ready to move on, don’t think you can perform at a lesser rate at your current position. You are measured for your next position by the results in your last one.

Can you make a dramatic career move in 2011 and still succeed? Yes! Is is harder? Yes! But you can do it.