Seven Truths of Career Success – Part 3
Networking is way more important than you think AND, if you’re not managing your career — nobody is! In Part 3 of this 3-part series, Ford R. Myers, Award-Winning Career Coach and Author shares these last 2 truths of the Seven Truths of Career Success.
Susan Fletcher:
Now, here is one that I don’t agree with. Truth number six: “Networking is not as important as you think it is.” Well, I think it’s very important! Why do you say it’s not as important as I think it is?
Ford R. Myers:
Because it’s much MORE important than you think it is.
Susan Fletcher:
Oh, you got me!
Ford R. Myers:
People have told me that, “Networking is something I just do when I’m between jobs,” or, “Networking is not something I do because I’m not good at it and I’m not comfortable with it.” They brush it off. You can’t do that. It’s an essential ingredient of any professional’s career success. So if you don’t know how to network, learn. If you’re uncomfortable with it, get comfortable with it. This is not optional in my world.
Susan Fletcher:
Good. And truth number seven: “If you’re not managing your career, nobody is.” How true. I once asked someone who was responsible for her career. Was it her manager, her company’s Human Resources Director? Who?
Ford R. Myers:
Well, think back to our parents’ day. You know, they often had the same job for 30 or 40 years. Who was responsible? It was their manager, the HR department (or “Personnel,” as they used to call it). That’s who would chart their career. That’s where you would see your career progression coming from. In other words, it wasn’t your responsibility, it was the company’s responsibility. Sounds good, except that you had no power and no control. So it’s not that good, really. In today’s world, it’s not the HR manager, it’s not the recruiter. It’s you and only you. I’ve had people say to me, “Well, I never worry about that because every time I’m out of work, I just call a couple of recruiters and they get me a job.” No, that’s absolving yourself of responsibility. That’s handing-off the entire management of your career to somebody else. That just doesn’t cut it.
Susan Fletcher:
Where can people go to learn how to better manage their career?
Ford R. Myers:
Well, there are any number of resources. On our web site, careerpotential.com, we have many resources, including articles, assessments, videos, and audios. Think about LinkedIn. Think about the other job-related web sites, job search associations, career management groups, college career placement offices. I could go on and on. There’s no shortage of resources and support.
Susan Fletcher:
If you were to add truth number eight, instead of only having seven truths, what would that eighth one be?
Ford R. Myers:
I would say that when you have a job, the company owns that job. They can take this job away anytime they want. But you own your career. No one can ever take your career away. You need to manage it, nourish it, grow it, keep it going as long as you want, be as successful as you possibly can, get as much satisfaction and gratification from it as you can. It’s yours. You own it, but it’s also your responsibility to manage it, and grow it, and face that big truth of career success.
Susan Fletcher:
When do you know it’s time to change jobs? For example, if you’ve been at a job 15 or 20 years, and you may feel like you’ve topped-out. But you say, “Hey, I only need five more years here to reach retirement.” Should you try to move on? Or what do you recommend? When do you know it’s time to go?
Ford R. Myers:
Well, every case is different. The type of question you’re asking is a case by case, one-on-one situation. I don’t think there are any hard, fast rules for that. Every case needs to be looked at individually. This would be a great time to talk to a career coach – someone who can give you some perspective or objectivity, and give you the proper guidance.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP – Seven Truths of Career Success
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Click here for Part-2 of this series: https://careerpotential.com/seven-truths-of-career-success-part-2/
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About Ford Myers
Ford R. Myers is an award-winning career coach and President of Career Potential, LLC. He is author of the best-seller, Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring. Ford’s firm helps clients take charge of their careers, create the work they love, and earn what they deserve! He has held senior consulting positions at three of the nation’s largest career service firms. Ford’s articles have appeared in thousands of publications and web sites, and he has been interviewed on every major television and radio network. Ford has also conducted presentations at hundreds of companies, associations and universities. Learn more at https://careerpotential.com.
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