What do you want your professional legacy to be?
This is very personal.
Only you can decide what you want your legacy to be and what price you are willing to pay to make it happen.
If you don’t decide for yourself where you ultimately want to be, the decision will be made for you. You will end up ceding control over your future to your employer and probably feel like a victim as a result. It is very likely you will take the path of least resistance.
For some people identifying what they want their legacy to be is easy because they have already done the self examination necessary for the process. For others, the end goal is not so clear.
Here are some questions to ponder as you contemplate what you want your executive legacy to be:
What do you want to accomplish by the end of your executive career?
To start with the end in view, you need to be able to visualize what the end is. Then you can work backwards to determine what you need to be doing now to make that happen.
For example, you may want to look back at the end of your career and think fondly of sharing your knowledge of the field in TV interviews or perhaps being published in the mainstream media as well as in a professional journal. To work towards this goal you can start now by building professional relationships with journalists and editors of professional journals so that they know what you have to offer. It’s usually easiest to start with your local paper and work your way up from there if you eventually want exposure in the national media.
How do you wish to be remembered by colleagues and direct reports?
If you want to be remembered as a collegial, highly competent executive, then you need to be building that legacy now. You need an accurate assessment of how you are currently being perceived, and if that perception does not accord with how you want to be remembered, work on changing that perception now.
What aspect of your work life do you find most enjoyable?
It would truly be a shame if you look back at the end of your career to realize with dismay you never really found your sweet spot. You will be happiest and most fulfilled at the intersection of what you do best and what you enjoy the most. My advice is that you should maximize your strengths and shore up your weaknesses. By focusing on what you do best and what you enjoy most, you will make your greatest contribution to the world.
Do your current resume and social media profiles reflect what you most want people to know about you?
In order to set your sail on the right course to accomplish what you want with your career, you need to send a consistent message about who you are and what you are capable of. Up to 80% of all employers are now vetting candidates through social media before they call them for an interview. If you are not communicating your brand effectively through social media, you lessen the chances of getting to your end goal. What you communicate to employers can have a profound effect on what type of opportunities come your way.
The following video embed is the recording of a recent webinar I facilitated. All current and "wannabe" executives should watch it.Executive legacy image from Shutterstock
Bigstock
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
Bigstock
Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
Bigstock
In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
Bigstock
You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
- How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
- The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
- How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
- The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
- And, a lot more hacks for job search success!
Let us show you the secrets to getting a new, better-paying job you actually love. Sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp today.
Are you ready to land the job of your dreams (and leave the job of your nightmares)?
Read moreShow less