Remaining Relevant
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of being on a panel at the Carlson School of Management (through the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies) at a Professional Development event. The topic was Remaining Relevant in a Changing Economy.
Our assignment, as panelists, was to talk to TRENDS we are seeing (especially as a recruiter) and ADVICE for the attendees. I asked my business partners for input and we developed a few ideas. They were well received by the attendees - I hope you find them of value.
TRENDS: What employers are asking for
- Continuing Education: We work with people with substantial career experience. Our clients want those people to be at the top of their field - through their experience but also through up-to-date continuing education/development in their field. Take an occasional AND related course or seminar; get certified or update your recent certifications. Read a good business book.
- Cross-Functional Knowledge: Our clients want people who understand areas of business outside of their specific functional area. (When you pursue a good business book, pick something outside of your areas of expertise.)
- Accomplishments: Clients want to know what you have accomplished, NOT (only) what you had as responsibilities. Clients, and personally as recruiters, want to know about your results.
ADVICE (for remaining relevant):
- Keep Your Network Alive: And make sure your connections go beyond building your LinkedIn or Facebook numbers. Make sure your connections are purposeful. Purposeful is NOT just for job searching - it means, for example, that you know where to go for the best information on great practices for your profession and/or industry.
- Stay Updated in your 'Technical' Skills: The technology we refer to is the technology of your function (human resources, finance, operations, etc.). Stay current by reading journals, attending programs and in general being active in your profession through associations and industry groups.
- Show Your Employer Your Value: At the end of the day, make sure you bring more value to your employer than then are paying you. Regardless of your role, you should be positively impacting the bottom-line and operational excellence of your organization.