Spring is in the air and this usually makes us think of new beginnings and fresh starts. We recently worked with a client who artfully named her search Career 2.0. After many years with one employer it was time to move on. She came to us with no resume or search experience, but because of how she had managed her career, the process was nearly textbook. As we have written many times before, job searches can come unexpectedly and for a myriad of reasons. We might be laid off, our position might move across the country, or our parents might get old and need us to return home. None of these things are fun, but what we have done up to the point of realization will make all the difference to what comes next.
When we sat face to face with our client, she was able to walk us through her 20+ years with very little hesitation. Through hours of dictation the story took shape, and a two-page resume and updated LinkedIn was soon to follow. Names were recalled and contact information was easily accessed. As we worked through the documents, she was busy networking, rekindling relationships, and reaching out to people who had made an impression along the way. Coffees, lunches and networking events turned into introductions and interviews. Some roads ended as soon as they began while others signaled to continue on ahead. What we thought were sure things would fizzle as other opportunities came to light. She never skipped a beat or stopped pushing forward, and before long a real opportunity began to take shape.
The day she signed her offer letter and met us for drinks was a joyous one indeed! The challenge of her starting the search without a resume was well offset by the network and goodwill she had built up throughout her career. Manage your work and working relationships, and you will be well prepared for your 2.0.