by Colm Cavey, Professional Career Consultant.
There is a special feeling on the last day as you break for the summer holidays. Even back when I was a kid in school we would run around singing;
No more Latin, No more French – No more sitting on a hard old bench.
Now, as industry slows for the summer break I see managers, financial controllers and staff from all over the place packing their buckets and spades and heading off for their summer vacation and all singing;
‘No more budgets, profit or loss – No more looking at a cranky old boss!’
Nothing changes, or does it?
It’s a good time to relax and take an impartial view of yourself, your situation and employment options for the future. During the holiday period, there is no pressure to influence your thinking.
It’s important to factor in what changes may be coming down the tracks and how you might respond.
Company Boards or senior management continuously look to the future, plan and consider what changes are to be made in response to market conditions. Plans will be in place in readiness for announcements which usually follow at two periods in the year. Some companies look to the New Year to release these plans as part of their annual business statements. Some others use the autumn for their annual review roll-out after the summer break.
Either way, hopefully, these decisions will be positive, signalling growth and expansion which translates into opportunities. You know your business; you know where the opportunities will be but are you ready? One thing you can be sure is your Senior Management will be ready.
If on the other hand, the plans for the new year are not on the positive and a reduction and or a contraction of some sort is a reality, then it’s all the more reason why you must be ready to move, and move very fast.
Our economy is doing well, big business is reporting good results, but there is somewhat of a ‘see-saw’ taking place. Some new companies are relocating their offices to Ireland, and some others are moving them into Europe. Brexit is proving to be an entirely unknown quantity in respect of the long term effects it will have. One thing for sure is that there will be plenty of change
It is in the light of these eventualities; it cannot be stressed enough, how important it is that you have a plan in place or at the very least, a well prepared, professional and informative C.V., in your drawer, ready to go at moments notice.
Your C.V. is your calling card as well as your ‘brochure,’ so it must look good, be informative and sell you at a glance. The best time to prepare a good C.V. is when you don’t need one. Do it when there is no hurry or pressure to produce it quickly.
There is an old but very true saying;
You only get one chance to make a first impression.
And that applies whether that first opportunity is face to face or from a piece of paper – Your C.V.
Also, bear in mind that frequently that first glance will be on a P.C. so what you see in hard copy is not what you see on a screen. So get it right.
The C.V. is only the first step of many steps or hoops you have to go through. At every step your image and the impressions you impart must build starting with a C.V., then a phone conversation, then a meeting and goodness know how many formal interviews after that.
Be fully prepared well in advance;
• Have a logical and reasonably ambitious career plan in your mind. A realistic plan that you can explain showing the logic of your thinking.
• Have a well crafted C.V., as short as you can make it. The more senior you are, the shorter it should get. If you’re at the top of your game, then it’s one page only. Make sure you have the tags and code included so employers can find you.
• Perfect your presentation and practice responses. All responses must be backed up by an example from the past with measurable results in money saved or earned, reduced time, increased margins, etc.
Then and only then are you in with a chance.
Lastly, professional assistance is always available to help you with any or all of the topics mentioned.
The very best of luck.
