Owning Your Career

2009-11-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

by: Telaireus K. Herrin

As of October 2009, due to the recession, over 15 million jobs have been lost since the start of the recession in December 2007 and the unemployment rate is currently over 10% nationally. Many debate whether the real unemployment rate is closer to 15% or more once you include the underemployed (reluctantly working part-time because of limited positions) and those who are not being counted any longer because their unemployment insurance has ended.

Whether you continue to be employed or have become a part of the heart wrenching statistics by downsizing or rightsizing, you need to continue to “own your career”. What does it mean to “own your career”? It means you are ultimately the person who is responsible for making things happen when it comes to your career and you have to expect the unexpected and plan for it. There may be limited positions in your area, but there are things you should constantly being doing whether you are gainfully employed or looking. Consider the following:

1. Reassess your career map: You say you do not have a career map, sure you do (at least I hope so). A career map is simply your career goals and objectives with associated timeframes. You may have an “official” career map you created through a paid service or you may simply have your objectives listed in a journal. The important step is that you should have one and if you do not, it’s time to create one. You cannot get where you want to go without clear directions. Reassessing means evaluating whether you are where you want to be in your career and if you are not, are there other avenues or experiences you can seek to help you get there. One thing to remember as you reassess your career map, there is nothing wrong with taking a detour along the way as long as you know you are working toward your final destination.

2. Engage your network: I know many of you have said, “I have and I do engage my network.” My question to you is how often. Chances are that you have contacted people in your network periodically and say “I am looking for my next opportunity, please let me know if know or hear of anything.” That is a pleasant start, but engaging your network should go beyond the “hi and call me” platitude, you must ask specifically what you want. I suggest you say, “you may not be aware, but I am looking for my next opportunity in xyz, in this particular industry/company. Do you know of anyone I can contact or would you mind introducing me to xyz as I seek my next opportunity?” This is actively engaging your network.

3. Obtain mentors and coaches: Great mentors and coaches are invaluable resources throughout your career. Mentors and coaches are your sounding board and your advocates/cheerleaders. It is not always who you know, but who knows you. Not only should you have at least one mentor and/or coach, you should also be a mentor or coach to someone else. Karma is a great thing, which leads me to tip #4.

4. Contribute to your profession: Charles W. Eliot said, “Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for those who would be useful and happy in their usefulness. If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because you are choking the source of development, which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.” The unspoken gift of service is that you receive so much in return when you give of yourself to a specific situation or cause. Contributing to your profession can take on many forms, volunteering at a conference, serving on a regional leadership board, mentoring, publishing case studies or teaching to name a few. When you give to your profession, you are connecting on so many levels, not to mention contributing to advancing the profession as a whole – how cool is that!

5. Continue to learn: Being a student of knowledge is essential in our technology-on-demand age. Knowledge is power and there is always something new to learn or relearn in order to stay current, effective and competitive. There are so many avenues to stay on top of new developments, best practices and innovation. If you are not signed up to receive industry newsletters, podcasts, webinars or webcasts, you are doing yourself and your career a disservice – the majority of these resources are free. I recommend you start today.
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Telaireus “T.K.” Herrin is a certified (SPHR) human resources professional with over 12 years of experience within the medical device, financial services and non-profit sectors. Having a wide range of human resources expertise, he specializes in talent management and organizational development. He can be reached at tkh@entryhr.com or www.entryhr.com.

The HR Profession

2009-11-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

by: Telaireus K. Herrin

Why would anyone want a career in human resources (HR)? Many believe that HR professionals’ major purpose is to deal with a lot of administrative work and deal with solving employee conflicts – how boring and stressful. That may have been the sentiment five or ten years ago, may be partly true for some roles – but not all. Some people, current human resource professionals or others who witness the work of HR professional may still ask the question today. However, the majority of human resources professionals will tell you that, like any career, you have challenging responsibilities and you have the “necessary” responsibilities. The idea is to do the “necessary” responsibilities effectively and efficiently to allow focus and energy on those challenging projects and responsibilities.

I believe that the purpose of the Human Resources profession is to help companies achieve their objectives through the management of their most important assets, the people who work for them. This is accomplished primarily through talent management (hiring, developing and retaining). Because of this purpose, the field of Human Resources has been rated as one of the most rewarding and fastest growing professions in the United States. Recently MONEY Magazine and Salary.com researched hundreds of jobs, considering their growth, pay, stress-levels and other factors, and Human Resources Manager was rated as number 20 of the top 50 jobs with a 13% 10-year growth rate. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2009/full_list/index.html

While I was completing my graduate degree (MS, Human Resources Design) at Claremont Graduate University’s School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, I wrote the following as part of an organizational development team paper. “. . . the profession has been tasked to take on greater roles and responsibilities within organizations as organizations are faced with constant change – change such as globalization of markets, off-shoring, constant changes in employment law and regulations, changing customer demands and increasing competition. To assist companies in their strategic goals, the need for well-educated, competent Human Resources professionals continues to grow.” I wrote this almost three years ago and the comments are even more pertinent given our current economic climate. Whether you are currently seeking your first position in the field or are looking for your next job, keep in mind that you bring a unique perspective to organizations, be proud and seize the opportunities – as they are many. Strive to be that unique business professional that brings the HR perspective to the table, aligning the business strategy with people implications.

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Telaireus “T.K.” Herrin is a certified (SPHR) human resources professional with over 12 years of experience within the medical device, financial services and non-profit sectors. Having a wide range of human resources expertise, he specializes in talent management and organizational development. He can be reached at tkh@entryhr.com or www.entryhr.com.

EntryHR.com

Owning Your Career

The HR Profession