Most professionals hope to move from opportunity to opportunity without many or long downtimes, but few put in the work. In future economies, it’s essential to make seamless employment moves for several reasons:
a. Employment bias is real today as employers prefer currently employed candidates to long-term unemployed.
b. It’s harder to gain traction in a job search without clarity as to where you want to go and do next.
c. People are quicker to refer those in their network than that outside of their network or unemployed.
Many stigmas go along with those who are unemployed for more than six months. Remotely working is more than just a temporary state of being. It is what you’ll need to navigate for some time and consider what you’ll career will look like from now on.
Many recruiters look for and prefer passive candidates. I had this discussion with Mark Jaffe, a widely-known recruiter. In today’s job market, the executives who are stable and thriving and have their heads down are the ones that are being sought-after and sold on the idea of working for someone else.
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Understand how your work synergizes with your teammates.
You can serve your team by understanding how your work affects theirs. Initiating the discussion and adapting to different needs within the group makes you invaluable and intelligent, and empathetic if you knew their challenges.
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Document your remote journey.
Showing how you work can give you insight into how you can be better. Think about how it can help others on your team, your boss, and future hires. If you hone in on your work processes and achieve results, you can provide insight into how everyone else can add or benefit from your documentation. Your boss will also remain apprised of what you do and your job progress. The right communication can provide future opportunities for you.
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Show your work to the world.
Although you may not show propriety work product online, you can certainly document what you do. You can make PowerPoint slides to put on SlideShare and your LinkedIn profile. You can do this without promoting yourself as looking for a job and drawing interest in your expertise.
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Who loves your work?
The people who often become personal stakeholders who love your work will vouch for you. Once you learn who it is, strengthen your relationship with them, and help make their work valuable to you. They can also help make your good work’s value reach people above you and make your work known. Be the best publicist for yourself and your career.
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Create value-filled memorable conversations
If you aspired to a promotion, the conversations with company leaders are essential. When you’re helpful and responsive, it often creates opportunities later, but it also provides you opportunities to gain trust. The little things do count, such as an email to thank them for the conversation. If they advise you, thank them for it, and show you’ve implemented it.
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Anticipation will keep you waiting.
You desire to manifest acknowledgments and rewards for your work, but it will also make you feel as if you’re late and keeping you waiting. It’s hard to get noticed and create demand when everyone is remotely working. You’ll need to be creative and look for several ways to promote your work to coworkers and others of influence.
7. Create stories around your work.
Bob Dylan is considered one of the great songwriters of a generation, but rarely told stories around how he created songs. Conversely, Bruce Springsteen wrote and performed a play to tell stories behind his. In both cases, their songs themselves are stories and resonates with millions. In the same way, you want to increase your work’s reach, and it must tell a story that resonates with those who matter if you want your work to be remembered.
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Network with the best.
You may not have many friends, but it helps to have it co-signed by the best to create demand. This keeps doubters at bay, and your name is mentioned when you’re not physically in the room. Now that we’re remote, you can become a household name, but only one-at-a-time.
Changing careers will consume your life if you’re a realization when unemployment is sudden or imminent. Strategy, mindset reset, and planning take time and research. In 2021, you’ll succeed if you start planning for a career change today. There’s much uncertainty about what will happen for years from now.
