Transcript Career Management Center - Fuqua School of Business

Managing Your Career
Transitions:
Meg Flournoy
Associate Director
Duke MBA Career Services
through
Today’s Agenda
 Keys to an Effective Transition
 Process of Career Management
 Approaches to Implementation
 Positioning Your Pitch
 Resources and Questions
Keys to an Effective Transition
Whether looking now, or in the future…
Attitude for Success
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An accomplishment-driven resume
A list of target companies
A list of contacts
A list of questions
An opportunity mindset
The Process of Career Management
Three Broad Steps
 Taking Stock
 Self-Assessment
 Goal

Setting
Alignment of Objectives
 Building
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Competencies
Action Planning
 Plan
Implementation and Review
Step One
Taking Stock A View from the Inside
Your accomplishments/skills/credentials
 Values and Needs
 Work Satisfiers and Dissatisfiers
 Future Interests and Work Preferences
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Making an Impact
Starts with a vision…
6
Step Two
Alignment of Objectives A View from the Outside
Consider company’s point-of-view
and business needs.
 Consider the manager’s point-ofview and business needs.
 Examine both vertical & horizontal
career paths.
 Gain feedback

Knowing the Terrain
Same job
Different industry
Industries
5
Same job
Similar industry
2
Same job
Same industry
1
Similar job
Different industry
7
Similar job
Similar industry
4
Similar job
Same industry
3
Different job
Different industry
9
Different job
Similar industry
8
Impact of:
•Network
•Referrals
•Economy
Different job
Same industry
6
Jobs
Most candidates find quickest success in this area. The
farther from square 1, the more difficult to reach quickly
Drake Beam Morin, Inc.
Resume Development
Resume is a strategic and brief summary of your experience and
accomplishments. It should also show your career progression.
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Formatting
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Content is critical
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Show relevance
Not a work obituary
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Consistency
2 pages or less
Customized
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Executive Summary
Accomplishments & Competencies
P = Problem
A = Action
R = Results
Example: Initiated procedures that increased production
20% and reduced average turnaround from five to four days.
Skills Used: Innovation; Organization;
Design; Creation
Making the Transition
Qualifications Summary
Innovative, versatile and solutions-driven executive with Duke MBA and outstanding
strategic planning, analytical and communication skills. Twelve years experience in
delivering solutions, evaluating operations, and making profitable decisions.
Demonstrated results in the following areas:
Strategic Planning
Project Management Team Leadership
Business Development Negotiation Skills
Step Three
Action Planning Take Control of your own destiny
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Understand promotion or recruitment system.
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Decide how public you should be about your career goals.
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Look for mentors and advocates.
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Seek out stretch assignments.
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Seek external development activities.
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Stay informed and keep people informed.
Defining A Marketing Plan
Proactively manage Career for Opportunities
Attitude critical
Shift perspective… What was → What lies ahead
Marketing Yourself with the 4 P’s
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Product/Positioning – What is your brand as an employee and the
skills/proven value you can bring to the company?
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Place – Where are the target employers you are going for?
(geography, industry, company demographics)
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Promotion – How will you advertise and sell yourself as a candidate?
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Price – The price of your product (compensation, benefits,
relocation, bonus, guaranteed comp)
Branding Statement
Your Unique Promise of Value
Conveys
 Passion, Uniqueness, & Transferable skills
 High interest in the target audience
Key Points
 Only part of networking you can practice
 Sets up your positioning
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The unique value you bring to the table
Answers the question, what’s in it for them?
Inspires Questions
Your Branding Content
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Early life
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Work Life
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Elaborate only if relevant, otherwise stick to “just the facts”.
Current Status
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Key accomplishments/learning NOT job titles, dates and duties.
Education
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If Unique or interesting fact connected to current direction.
Emphasizing transferability, explaining Gaps, Plus traits that
make the fit.
Focus on “why” not “what”.
Target List
Develop and focus toward
a “Hit” list of target companies
Research growth, Hot industries, Former competitors or users
Good connections, Target industries
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Database searches
Correspondence Opportunities
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Professional Associations
Book of Lists
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Trade Journals
Chamber of Commerce
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Alumni
Local Business Journal
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Fellow classmates/
Top 100 Listings
Business colleagues
The Bulls-eye approach
Example:
•A = Strategy Consulting with a top firm
•B = Other types of Consulting or
“second choice” firms
•C= Different function; possibly
something you have experience doing
Plan A
Plan B
Plan C
The Bulls-Eye Approach Defined…
There are thousands of companies, so a system is
necessary for conducting an effective career search.
The PREPARED Model
helps you:
 Stay organized
 Reduce anxiety
 Differentiate yourself
“Let me tell you how
I could help your company?”
The PREPARED Model
premise:
 Unique company insight
is required to get a job
 There are 3 primary
ways to demonstrate
unique company insight
 Don’t contact a
company until you find
that unique insight
The PREPARED Model
Cycle 1
Create strategy
PREP
before you start
Cycle 2
Discover opportunities
Execute
your strategy
Pick your companies
Research targets
Elect selection criteria
Prioritize your Top 10
Announce your intentions
Reach out to your contacts
Eliminate dead-ends
Do it again
Implementation
Four Approaches:
VISIBILITY
Reactive
 Search Firms
 Proactive
 Job Development
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THE 4 P’s
Product
Place
Price
Promotion
Key Questions:
What do you need to learn next?
Areas of greatest opportunity? Expansion? Markets/Products?
What are the key talents of people who are successful?
Typical mistakes that prevent people from entering this field?
Personal advice about entering this field/making a change?
Who else would you recommend for insight?
What are your questions?
1.
2.
Positioning Your Pitch
Your Education
Their Issues
Your Experience
Their Needs
Your Skills
Their Culture
Your Values
Their
Requirements
Telling Your Story
Four Truths
Guber, P. (2007). The Four Truths of the storyteller. Harvard Business Review, 85(12), 52-59.
Strategic Interviewing
1. What is your theme?
2. Repeat theme 5-7 times
3. Listeners retain only three key points. What are yours?
4. Strengths → colleague descriptions → demanded qualities
5. Ask for the job!
Additional Resources
www.rileyguide.com
Questions?