Do you remember how you landed your last job? Can you tell me specifically what you did to land it? Probably not. It's just not something we spend much time thinking about — until we have to.

Now, if I asked you what you did to deliver last quarter's revenues or to ensure a new product reached the marketplace in time, I'm betting you can explain very specifically how you and your team accomplished that objective. And you'll tell me with enthusiasm, vigor and pride.

That's how I'd like you to feel when you tell a friend about the next step you take in your career. You had a plan, an objective and a team to contribute to making sure the objective is met. But what should that plan include, and who's on the team to help you accomplish it? Good questions right? Most of us mobilize great teams with a variety of skill sets when we are working within an organization. But when we're working on our own career moves, it's a team of one.

If you aren't sure exactly what got you where you are, it's going to be tough to get where you want to go.

ExecuNet member Roger B. told me his transition gained momentum once he realized the perfect job wasn't going to magically materialize in a job board alert. In fact, he wasn't even sure what the perfect job might be. Once Roger started talking with executives he met at one of our facilitated networking meetings, he realized his skills had even more value outside his current company than within it. With the same experience he'd honed at work, he began building on that knowledge to land a new role.

Roger's experience isn't unique. But it is instructive. His company invested in training when it would benefit the firm, but like many others, it didn't invest in individualized career planning for its leaders or its staff. To help himself, Roger listened to some of the coaching programs available to all members and outlined a business plan, including steps to become more noticed in his current role and to quietly begin making meaningful connections that could open new options for him. Because he'd learned how to use job listings and our salary tool to assess his own market value, he was in a much better position to negotiate.

What's Roger's advice to you?

"If all you are doing is working hard with your head down, no one is going to come find you and present you a new opportunity. You need to form your own project team, use job listings to assess the marketplace and make sure the materials you are using — résumés, cover letters and profiles — clearly communicate your value. Since you don't have employees to do this, qualified coaches are great to help you articulate your value clearly, act as a sounding board. When you are specific about what you want to achieve, it means other executives can be much more helpful to you."

After a stale couple of years, Roger used the advice and connections he made with his membership to get his career moving again. Now he's downloading our webinar What to Do in Your First 30 Days so he can align his new team around key actions and drive some early wins in his new role.

Lauryn Franzoni
Lauryn Franzoni is vice president and executive director of ExecuNet’s membership, leading the group’s proprietary research initiatives, website and publication content, membership and customer acquisition, executive career management resources, and the building of mutually beneficial communities of interest. By harnessing the power of the collective experience of our members, we assist business leaders in connecting with each other, with new ideas and opportunities, and we provide them the expert insights, education and pragmatic assistance they need to further their careers and help their organizations grow.

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