HR is not Big Brother!

If you are unsatisfied with your current position or your career and therefore are looking to make a switch but maybe not very far, working with your company's HR department may be an effective strategy to uncover available opportunities in your current company itself. Recently I myself was looking for a change out of my technical position into an administrative position for example. Contacting with the jobs database manager at my organization's HR department allowed me to bypass the usual steps needed to apply for a job at my organization, and simply put in a transfer application along with my resume instead, which in turn greatly sped up my own job hunt. In this manner the HR department of your employer is there is to help retain existing employees first and foremost. For job seekers, working with HR is often the first step in the job hunt of course. It is advisable for the seeker to maintain good relations with whoever they contact with in HR. For the initial point of contact is often responsible for determining whether to recommend or pass on the application. And even if you are unable to get far with your first application, you may be able to get referrals to other positions in the firm from HR.

Foreseeing career transitions

Your relationship with your job is ultimately no different than any of your personal relationships. Either it's smooth sailing from start to finish, or choppy seas are encountered which can end in deluge or recovery into placid waters. Chances are however, given the high rate of divorces, so too might you find yourself divorcing your job and not just switching to a new one, but switching to an entirely new career. And statistics show that men and women in the workforce in today's world do just that, switching careers 2-4 times through the entirety of their working lives. The causes of separation from one's job and career path are usually no different from what drives personal relationships apart: perhaps your job becomes too dull and boring - or too demanding and excessively stressful. But apart from the extremes, timely career management means keeping ahead of the curve when it comes to your career or industry as a whole, which in turn means being proactive when it comes to the job market. Be on the lookout for new positions either with your current employer or elsewhere within your career that may complement what you already do while offering duties and qualities that may be more attractive. Pay attention to changes in your career or industry, such as automation or outsourcing, that are reshaping the way things are already being done, and be ready to meet those changes with your own innovations or move on to a new career. Above all, be flexible. There is no bigger cause of demise within relationships than rigidity, which may spell not only missed opportunities, but lead to you being squeezed out ultimately.

Being at the right place at the right time: Timely career planning

Given how dynamic and global today's job market and work environments are, it is more important than ever to be one step ahead of the curve when it comes to one's career. Timely career planning means not only evaluating your strengths and skills on a regular basis, but also noticing trends in your career and the world in general that are molding the workplace of tomorrow. Education and training are of course key towards maintaining one's knowledge base in their chosen industry or line of work. If you see a need to learn something new that would benefit your career path, short of going back to school to complete another degree, consider taking short courses or self-learning, or even working with a tutor. And then see if you can take an exam to gain certification in the new area or specialty within your line of work. Networking is also highly recommended as a way to keep tabs on new opportunities either within your own career, or in entirely new careers you may not have thought of. Often times, who you know is just as important as what you know, if not more so even. And finally, when it comes to being timely, never forget to periodically update your resume. It is surprising how often professional accomplishments or milestones are actually forgotten. And in addition, working on one's resume is a sure-fire morale booster!