Lead Your Executive Career Transition–Just the Way You Lead Your Company

Of the many similarities among those who seek me out is that they all are deeply committed to making their companies as successful as possible. They strategize and plan and execute, all with amazing results. What strikes me is that many of these often did not do the same with their careers. They worked hard, got promoted, got recruited, and got hired. However, now the employment economy is quite different, and they must plan to be successful, just the way they plan for their companies to succeed.

Nothing Purposeful Happens on Its Own

Even though serendipity is great, the employment marketplace for executive leaders shares only passing similarity to that of other economic eras. Thus, executives need to focus on making purposeful change, which, itself, only comes out of purposeful decision making. So ask yourself these questions:

• What choices can I make today to improve my access to the right positions?
• With whom do I need to speak to get my career change on track?
• What are the resources I need to enact a positive career change?

These are the same types of questions you might ask your own corporate team about their decision-making processes.

Examine All of the “Departments” in Your Executive Career Change “Company”

Now break you answers down further into their essential parts, perhaps by business department:

• Strategy (what is next for me?)
• Finance (what are my financial goals?)
• Accounting (what happens if I quit today?)
• Business development (whom do I need to meet?)
• Marketing (how I am going to promote myself? what is my messaging?)
• Advertising and public relations (what documents do I need to promote my marketing message?)
• Operations (how will I keep track of my progress?)

Hire the Right Help

As you think about the choices you need to make, perhaps you need to think about the resources that can create the greatest degree of success in the shortest amount of time. For example, your business might require a marketing leader with expertise outside of your team’s core competencies to attack a new market. Or it might need a new financial strategist to build a well-researched acquisition plan. Certainly, if your company needed this expertise, you would source it. Wouldn’t you do the same for your own career? There are resources that can move your career forward as well. Ask me about them.

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About Amy Adler

Amy L. Adler, MBA, MA, CARW, CEIC, is the founder and CEO of Five Strengths Career Transition Experts, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Five Strengths is a premier executive resume writing and career coaching company. Amy recently was nominated for Best Executive Resume and Best Career Re-Entry Resume in the 2013 global Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) Awards. Amy won first place for Best Executive Resume in the 2012 TORI Award competition.