Three Ways To Make Yourself Indispensable in 2013

The term "job security" is so quaint that it could practically be the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting.  In this new economy, if you want any semblance of job security, you’ve got to make yourself indispensable.  Here are three things you can start to do to move closer toward that goal. Stay cutting edge – It used to be that being “current” in your field was good enough.  Not anymore.  If you want to be indispensable, you’ve got to stay on the leading edge of your field.  Not only does this allow you to drive advancements within your organization (which is a very good resume builder), it also positions you as an expert.

Being on the cutting edge of your field has never been easier; leverage traditional and emerging techniques – trade journals, LinkedIn groups, industry conferences, social media, etc. – to build and maintain your expertise while you also develop your reputation as leader in your field.

Find your niche – In the new economy, generalists are a dime a dozen.  To be indispensible, you’ve got to specialize.  In my case, I maintain broad HR competencies (including an HR certification) but my specific areas of expertise (and my passion) are in Organizational Effectiveness and Career Development.  By bringing a level of expertise in a very specific area of my field, I set myself apart and make myself more competitive.

Identify areas within your field where you can specialize.  Make yourself indispensable by positioning yourself as the go-to expert in an in-demand, but unsaturated, area of focus.

Know your impact – Staying current and being a specialist will not make you indispensible if you aren’t aware of your impact.  All to often, I interview or work with professionals who – simply based on their area of focus – are indispensable (engineers, I’m talking to you).  All too often, these professionals aren’t fully aware of the impact they have on their clients / organizations.  And when they are aware, they often have a difficult time articulating that impact.

Regardless of your area of focus, the real key to being indispensable is to know – and be able to communicate – your impact.  One way to build this competency is to keep a "win" file.  Keep track of each achievement and the impact of that achievement (including metrics whenever possible).  Doing so will not only make it easier to speak to accomplishments, it will habituate recognition of your wins and shift your success orientation.

I understand that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by these kinds of tips.  The key is to start moving in the direction of making yourself indispensable.  Build a career management plan that includes the above items; that alone will get you heading in the right direction.

If you need help, get in touch.

Getting on Track

Since it's the season of resolutions and fresh starts, this month's promotion has been extended and will run the entire quarter. Until the end of March, enjoy nice savings on my most popular career development assessment.

Here are all of the details.

Come on.... Make 2013 your year. The one you can look back on and say "I did it!"

No Thanks

I recently read an article that spoke to a candidate selection tactic that plays right into candidates’ fears. The writer promotes eliminating candidates who follow up. I’m not kidding.  I wish I were.

The “logic” behind this draconian approach is that applicants who follow up are taking more than their allotted amount of time and interviewer mind-share.  Essentially, this person believes that follow-ups are an attempt to game the system.  It’s the same confounding reasoning behind such harsh strategies as eliminating candidates for sending thank-you letters.

Here’s the thing... The idea – while totally ill advised – actually contains a kernel of truth.  All candidates deserve equal treatment.  I am huge proponent of fair interviewing practices.  For instance, I have written about behavioral interviewing, a tactic that addresses the need for equality in the interview process by providing a framework to ask all candidates the same questions.

Hiring managers: You shouldn’t punish people for common courtesy or following perfectly reasonable (and smart) practices.

You also can’t build-in policies to overcome deficiencies in your ability to select the most qualified candidate.  If a simple follow-up letter would compel you to hire someone over a more qualified candidate, frankly, you should not be in charge of hiring.

Job seekers: Keep following up. These are smart strategies. If you are eliminated for doing so, consider yourself quite fortunate to not be working for a manager or organization that would take such unrealistic measures.

Online Portfolios

Portfolios have been around for ages, but the ability for professionals across multiple industries to quickly direct interested parties toward actual examples of their work has never been easier.  In the interest of encouraging more professionals to play around with the idea of online portfolios, I am highlighting four popular sites: GitHub.com – The largest code host in the world and the de-facto place for software designers, programmers, etc. to share code and collaborate.

Behance.com – An online platform to showcase and discover creative work.

Coroflot.com – A portfolio site and creative job board.  Coroflot connects designers with career opportunities, provides companies with access to leading talent and brings exposure to design work.

LinkedIn.com – LinkedIn provides the ability to showcase things like projects and presentations.  So even if you don’t fall in a category of professionals that historically uses a portfolio, you can still display some of your work.

Those are just a few ideas for online portfolios.  Regardless of whether you use a site like one of those listed above or create your own online portfolio (web designers, I’m talking to you), the point is the same – providing potential employers with access to your work can have a significantly positive impact on your job search success.

Exciting Improvements To LinkedIn

I am a big champion for a “go deeper, not wider” strategy that helps reduce the temptation to constantly be adding more to your plate.  As such, I am always looking for ways to help people make the most out of the things they already do.  That’s why I wrote the guide “Maximizing LinkedIn.” So I was pleased to learn that LinkedIn is rolling out a whole host of profile enhancements and improvements (including a really sharp facelift).  If you have not already explored these changes, you can see them here: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/sample

Here are a few highlights:

– An enhanced ability to see who your connections work for.  This means you can more quickly identify possible “inside tracks” for company’s you would like to pursue.

– A more prominent “activity” section.  The articles you curate, the answers you provide and that discussion you participate in are placed right up top, which means it is easier to build your brand and establish your expertise.

– A way to “visualize” your network.  This provides some interesting insights that could help you make the most out of the connections you have already made and build deeper connections.

LinkedIn is just one component of a multifaceted career management strategy.  In addition to helping clients use social networking tools in the most effective and efficient way, I have also developed “Beyond An Outstanding Resume,” a guide that outlines some actionable steps to managing your career.

Bring On 2013

Again this year, I am sending out a big thanks to all of my clients and colleagues for allowing me to share my passion for Career Development and Human Resources. Thanks for contributing to a better world by caring about your career and the way your company operates.

Here is my annual list of 10 of the blog posts that were most popular during the year.

On the ever-changing employment landscape.

On why fulfillment matters.

On 3 key investments in yourself.

On achievements on your resume.

On communicating complex information on your resume.

On what every resume should contain.

On personal branding.

On why an outstanding resume matters.

On making strategic resume decisions.

On infographics.

Wishing you peace and success in the year ahead. let's make it a great one!

Last Chance

The Q4 promotion is available for only a few more days. You can check out all of the details here. With the promotion, all services include – at no additional charge – my popular guide, Beyond an Outstanding Resume. Some services also include my newest guide, Maximizing LinkedIn.

Get in touch if you're ready to take your career – and job search documents – to the next level.