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Managing Your Career as a Business
A Framework for Job Satisfaction
August 3, 2013
Ed Kirchner
Chair, IEEE-USA Employment and Career Services Committee
What You Can Expect
This session will address:
–Achieving career satisfaction
– Improving the ability to take responsibility for personal career and professional development
–Emphasizing that career and professional development involves both technical and non-technical areas
Why Is Career Management Uncommon?
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No sense of urgency
Leads to difficult life questions
Sets goals and increases stress
Why Manage Your Career?
Maximize career satisfaction
– You have a career, not a job!
Positions are not permanent
“Most people spend more time planning
vacation than they spend planning a
career. A vacation is over in a week, a
career lasts a lifetime” IEEE-USA
The Bottom Line
You are responsible for your own career
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Other_Metaphors_and__g307-Yesterday_Now_Tomorrow_Signpost_p88342.html
YOUR CAREER IS A BUSINESS
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Charts_and_Graphs_g197-Business_Graph_p127516.html
How Career Parallels Business
Elements of Business Elements of Career
• Purposeful activity
• Role, function
• Immediate task or objective
• Activity engaged in as a means of livelihood
• Personal concern
• Serious activity requiring time and effort
• Purposeful activity
• Series of roles or functions
• Short and long-range tasks and objectives
• Means of livelihood and continuous development
• Important to sense of success and fulfillment
• Serious activity
What is the Goal of a Business?
Assets
Operations
Marketing
8
Career Assets
Education
Certifications
Licenses
Experience
Skills
Work Values
Career Motivations
“Soft” skills
9
Career Operations
Generate recurring income
– Get the most out of your current position
Increase the value of the business assets
– Continuous development of critical skills
Technical and soft skills
Secure the income and value of the business
– Look for advancement and new opportunities
Internally or externally
10
Career Marketing
Gaining Intelligence
Developing a good reputation
– Internally and externally
Networking
– Internally and externally
11
The Business Plan
The guiding document needed to achieve success
Typically covers:
– Background information
– Operational plan
– Marketing plan
– Financial plan
Source: Wikipedia
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The Business Plan as the Career Plan
Background information
– Resume
Operational plan
– Performance management
Marketing plan
– Networking
Financial plan
– Your retirement goals
13
HOW CAN IEEE HELP?
IEEE-USA Helps Careers
Participating in IEEE activities provides a number of opportunities
– Builds your reputation and resume
Great way to publish presentations and papers
Great opportunity to try leadership roles
– Introduces you to Mentors
– Builds friendships for your network
– Can provide an outlet for career interests outside your immediate work scope
IEEE-USA Helps Careers
IEEE-USA Employment and Career Services Committee
– Each Region has a representative
IEEE-USA Career Manager
– http://www.ieeeusa.org/careers/
FURTHER DETAIL
Background Info - the Resume
It’s not just needed to get a job
It provides an ongoing history of your VALUE!
– Career Assets
Education
Certifications
Licenses
Experience
“Soft” skills
– Career Operations
Accomplishments
Progression
In other words, it
shows how you add to
the bottom line!
Resume Considerations Content – most important!
– Setting the proper tone
– Establishing a “value added” perspective
– Framing and careful word selection are the keys
Structure – supports the content
– Format
– Appearance
– Accuracy
– Attention to detail is the focus
Content – Work Experience
Choose EVERY VERB very wisely
– What did you really do?
Yes: “Led”
No: “Supported”
Yes: “Completed”
No: “Participated”
Yes: “Created”
Tip: Go through your finished resume with a highlighter and note every verb. Then go back and ask yourself, “can I choose a stronger verb that better conveys my contribution to the effort I am discussing”
Other Resume Considerations
Keep your information consistent
– Resume
– On-line profiles (LinkedIn, etc)
– Security clearance documents
– Company specific tools and documents
Resume - It’s an Ongoing Process
Keep a “master” resume up to date
–Have it ready when you need it
–Use it to create tailored resumes
–You may need it for your current job
Integral part of promotion packages
Operational Plan – your Performance
Understand your organization and your role it
– Corporate objectives
– Organizational chart
– Position descriptions
– Promotion paths
Operational Plan – your Performance
Do what you can to make sure you are being evaluated and compensated in a fair manner
– Maximize probability of promotions and good raises
– Build a history of achievement
The Performance Management Process
Become an expert in your company’s Performance Management Process
Become knowledgeable in their raise and promotion processes
Be aware of concepts like “salary band penetration” and “Compa Ratio”
Tip: Become a first line supervisor, e.g. Group Leader, to learn all about these things
You Must Be Your Own Publicist
Keep a record of your specific accomplishments
– Weekly status notes
– Engineering notebooks
Keep a file of “kudos” and notes of thanks
– Sometimes, it’s appropriate to ask for a note
Use this info
– Resume
– Performance Management Process
Marketing Plan - Networking
The primary purpose of networking is to create a structure that will support superior individual performance and better business results
Source: Nigel Bristow, “The Beyond Job Satisfaction Fieldbook”
Marketing Plan - Networking
The key to successful networking is deciding to put in the effort needed to make it work
“(Networking) is about relationships, and it's about organically engendering trust," Keith Ferrazzi, author of "Never Eat Alone“
– Make friends, not contacts
– It’s better to give than receive
Look for ways to help people
Who makes up your existing network? References
Present/former managers and colleagues
Fellow IEEE members
Old school friends and alumni association members
Friends, family, neighbors, etc
Some Thoughts on Networking
Networking at work
– Participate in after-hours, recreational activities helps
Meet people in other departments or programs
Meet people higher “up the ladder”
Network with your peers and colleagues
– Participate in IEEE activities!
Locally
Regionally
Nationally
GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
Continuous Learning
Never stop learning!
– Formal education
– Company provided training
– “On the Job” training
– IEEE resources
Continuous learning will help
– Define your career path
– Facilitate advancement
– Grow your network
Know the Business Side
Embrace Project Engineering concepts
– Requirements
– Budgets
– Statement of Work
– Scheduling
– Earned Value Management
– Different contract types
Learn the Company bidding and estimating process
Communication Skills are Vital
Your ability to communicate well will have as much a role in your success as your technical skill
Actively look for opportunities to practice your presentation and writing skills
– Internally: peer reviews, dry runs
– Externally: professional societies, your mirror
Mentors
Look for good mentors – Company appointed – Informal, including “observational” – Look for people who are in the career
path you seek Most successful people are more
than happy to talk about themselves
Be a mentor – Help others, help yourself