what do i do now? how to prepare for - and take advantage of - possible job changes
DESCRIPTION
Presentation by Kim Dority & Scott Brown to the Rocky Mountain SLA Chapter, October 18, 2012.TRANSCRIPT
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Kim Dority & Scott Brown
SLA Rocky Mountain Chapter
October 18, 2012
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Yeah - it’s stressful
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Me = My job
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Me ≠ My job
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Change WILL happen
It is scary
AND
It is exciting
5 Guy Mason
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
The situation is NOT about you
The process IS about you
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Change WILL happen
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
So about that process…. Today we’ll focus on:
Step 1: Getting ready for change – taking care of administrivia
Step 2: Figuring out where you are – inventorying your professional assets
Step 3: Figuring out where you might be – assessing potential options and choices
Step 4: Learning more – researching potential options and choices
Step 5: Putting yourself in the path of opportunity
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Step 1: Getting ready for change Gather up your stuff from the office
Collect your contacts and bookmarks, RSS feeds, email newsletters, online groups, registrations and logins
Make sure that all of your accounts and contact information go to a personal, rather than employer-supplied, e-mail account
Figure out the unemployment application process before you need it
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Getting ready (con’t) Save or print
Resumes, important documents, PERSONAL material on your system
Current and last year paycheck history, stock option history and status (as applicable)
Performance reviews, training history
Health benefit elections (do medical appointments now!)
Vacation balance
(…being respectful and mindful of company physical and intellectual property)
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Make sure your resume is in order (resumes)
Make sure you’ve got a killer LinkedIn profile and you’ve joined the groups that relate to your potential areas of interest
Get the “just in case” word out discreetly
If you want to work with recruiters or staffing agencies, research the best ones now, before you need them
Detach emotionally
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Getting ready (con’t)
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Shifting focus to what’s next Transitioning the
work
Responsibility vs. letting go
The freedom of clearing your plate
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Step 2: Figuring out where you are Your professional equity is a combination of:
Your skills and expertise: What do you know, and what have you done with it?
Your professional network
Your professional brand
Now is the time to inventory your assets in each of these categories
(More on leveraging your network and brand
in the third webinar of this series)
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
What are all of your qualities and roles?
Where you are: Roles & Skills
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Roles & Skills (con’t) What are all of your roles?
Librarian (or
whatever your job is)
Father
Husband
Citizen
Volunteer
Leader
Manager
Mentor
Musician
Repairman (at home)
Finances
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Roles & Skills (con’t) What are the skills of those roles?
Librarian
Project management
Training
Research
Stakeholder work
Web 2.0 tools (wikis, blogs)
Etc.
Volunteer Event planning
Task force work
Research
Interviewing
Creating and administering surveys
Etc.
Mentor Managing
Teaching
Coaching
Networking
Evaluating
Etc.
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
List your skills - ALL of them
List what you liked from past and current roles
List what you didn’t like from past jobs and roles
List what you don’t like about your current job
This will help you take the next step, which is to assess your potential options and choices
Building on your roles & skills
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Step 3: Figuring out where you might be
Based on your previous assessments and inventory, what do your potential options and choices look like?
Same type of job? Or….
Same type of company? Or….
Same industry? Or….
Any existing or imminent life circumstances you should take into consideration?
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Where you might be… Some questions to ask:
What other jobs/organizations are out there?
What have I found fulfilling (or not) in my current job/position?
Are there other jobs/positions available in my community or do I need to move elsewhere?
Am I willing to move for a better job, position, opportunity?
Would I prefer to move elsewhere? If so, where?
Do I need to pursue further education for the types of jobs that I want next?
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Step 4: Learning more To learn more about your potential
options and choices, you’ll probably want to
Research industries
Research companies
Research types of information work
Consider/explore alternative work structures
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Research industries and companies – and avoid pain!
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Industry information Top 10 company information sources
1. College resources
2. Directories of industry profiles
3. Industry-specific business magazines
4. Professional associations
5. Industry observers and analysts
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Industry information Top 10 company information sources (con’t)
6. Internet research
7. Your network
8. Social media
9. Government resources
10. Local resources
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Testing your assumptions
• Informational interviews
• Job shadowing
• Volunteering
• Part-time jobs
• Freelance/independent work
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Learning more…about invisible jobs
Invisible LIS jobs are sometimes tough to “unearth,” but more and more LIS professionals are ending up in these roles
Embedded librarianship
Embedded/integrated information professionals
What are these positions called?
Sample keywords and job titles
“Off the beaten track” sources
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Yes, they’re really there
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Step 5: Putting yourself in the path of opportunity
Get visible
Monitor your environment
Be prepared to act
Take the initiative
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
The path of opportunity
If your research revealed knowledge gaps you need to address, consider:
• Additional formal coursework
• Informal, non-credentialed options
• Certifications
• “Casual learning” options (e.g., HTML for Dummies)
• Opportunities in your current job to learn more or gain more experience
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
If your research revealed a need to build connections in your target professional community, consider:
• Joining the local chapters of professional associations
• Doing informational interviews
• Connecting through teachers, guest speakers, mentors, vendors you work with in your job
The path of opportunity
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
The path of opportunity
If your research revealed a need to build visibility
among your target prospects (potential
employers), consider:
• Becoming active in relevant LinkedIn groups
• Getting active in your local association chapters
• Volunteering
• Possibly (depending on current job) noting your
interest in your LinkedIn profile
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
So back to where we started….
Remember when we said that change is scary, but also exciting? What are some ways to find the positive in the negative?
Understand, accept and embrace change
Focus on new energy, opportunity for engagement and passion
Embrace new challenges for the renewal they provide
Reach out to new friends
Understand this as a gift of personal growth (even if it’s a gift we’d all prefer to return now and then!)
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The most important thing: take care of yourself
You can't help others if
your oxygen mask
isn't on
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Strengths and resources Use your network
Stay connected
Stay active
Keep options open
Ask for help
This is OK
Make yourself available
Training/mentoring
Consulting
Listening
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Strengths and resources
Unwind/unravel from the job
Give yourself a break
Take time off if possible
Energize yourself
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Pop quiz: key take-aways?
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Job change is inevitable, but you can prepare for it
By inventorying where you are – and your professional equity – you can get a good sense of what you might want to do next
By researching and assessing industries, companies, and your personal preferences, you’ll be able to identify potential options and best choices
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Key take-aways (con’t) By putting yourself in the path of opportunity, you’re
likely to come across more opening doors
By taking care of yourself, you’re likelier to thrive, not just survive, through change
Remember, as Charles Darwin pointed out,
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
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© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Upcoming webinars
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• Transferable Skills: Identifying and Marketing Your Unique Value to Non-LIS Employers, November 15, 2012, 2pm ET
• So Tell Me About Yourself: Personal and Professional
Branding for LIS Students and Professionals, December 20, 2012, 2pm ET
Sign up at http://rockymountain.sla.org/tag/virtual-programs/
© 2012 Kim Dority & Scott Brown
Questions
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