In 1963 Sam Cook sang a song entitled, “A Change is Gonna Come”, and that theme is universal and timeless.
More recently country Music star Tim McGraw had a hit a few years back entitled “Live like you were dying” which has always moved me. It was inspired by the news he received about the illness of his father which ultimately motivated him to enjoy, and appreciate everything in his life a little bit more. When the reality of his father’s impending passing hits him, it puts into perspective for him that life and all of the blessings in it don’t last forever and that our lives will come to an end someday.
Have you ever heard someone say “the only two things that are certain are taxes and death”? I’ve heard it more than once so it must be a commonly held belief. Interesting that even though this is widely understood, some people still do not properly prepare for either.
As an executive recruiter, I talk to candidates and clients daily who are either considering changes in their careers and who are looking to make changes in their staff. The Wall Street Journal states that the most commonly held number of career changes a person can expect to make in their lifetime is seven (7). I’ve seen studies showing the number approaching 10.
With this in mind, are companies and candidates really preparing for these changes? In most cases they aren’t. So what should we be doing to prepare?
If you are managing your own career, you want to 1) Build your network before you need it, 2) Always work like you’re on your next job interview, & 3) Never stop learning and developing your skills and do more than what’s expected of you.
As employers we should 1) Build an employment brand that “attracts” the best talent available, 2) Interview to impress candidates & woo them but back it up with substance once they’re on board, and 3) Build a pipeline of great candidates before you need them.
I’ll write more on these later, but please let me know what else you’d recommend?