July Newsletter: The Advantage of Being Market Ready

The Advantage of Being Market Ready

Earlier this month, I wrote about the difference between managing a job and managing a career. Most professionals become very good at succeeding in the role they have today. The challenge is that careers are often shaped by dozens of small decisions that feel right in the moment but gradually move us away from where we really want to go.

Recognizing that pattern is an important first step. The next question is what intentional career management actually looks like.

One of the biggest surprises I see when working with clients is that very few have ever set aside time to manage their careers. They schedule annual physicals, review their investments, maintain their cars, and update their financial plans. Yet the thing that pays for all of those other priorities often receives attention only when something goes wrong.

Being market ready doesn't begin when you're unhappy. It begins while things are going well.

An Annual Career Health Check

I encourage clients to conduct a simulated job search at least once a year. Not because they should be looking for another job, but because the job market provides valuable feedback.

What skills are employers asking for today that they weren't requesting two years ago? Have new technologies, particularly AI, changed expectations in your field? Are employers emphasizing different experiences or certifications than they once did?

The purpose isn't to create anxiety. It's to create awareness. Understanding where your profession is headed gives you time to develop new skills before they become requirements instead of reacting after you've fallen behind.

Keeping Your Professional Story Current

Your annual review is also the right time to update your résumé and, perhaps even more importantly, your LinkedIn profile. Most professionals wait until they need those documents before dusting them off. By then they're trying to remember accomplishments from years earlier and describe projects they haven't thought about in a long time.

Keeping those documents current isn't just about being prepared for an unexpected opportunity. It also forces you to reflect on the value you've been creating and the new experiences you've gained.

The same principle applies to networking. Many people reconnect with former colleagues only when they need introductions or job leads. Relationships are much easier to maintain than they are to rebuild. Staying in touch with people in your profession helps you remain visible, understand what's happening in your industry, and hear about opportunities before you need one.

Proof that it Works

Several years ago, a teacher came to me convinced she needed an entirely different career. She loved education but had grown to dislike classroom management and the increasing pressure of preparing students for standardized testing. She assumed that ten years of experience had prepared her for the wrong profession.

As we worked together, it became clear that she didn't want to leave education. She wanted to leave the parts of teaching that no longer fit her. Once we identified the skills she had demonstrated at her best, we explored where those same abilities could create value in a different setting.

She eventually accepted a position helping teachers become more effective in their classrooms.

From her perspective, she had changed careers. From mine, she had built on everything she had already accomplished.

That's why I encourage clients to think carefully about what they want to take with them before deciding what they want to leave behind. Many professionals react to opportunities without ever answering those questions. As a result, they sometimes abandon parts of their careers they actually enjoy or carry forward parts they were hoping to escape.

Being market ready isn't about predicting every opportunity that will come along. It's about understanding yourself well enough to recognize the right opportunities when they do.

Job Guy Tip of the Month

Put yourself on your own calendar.

Once a year, spend a few hours reviewing where your profession is headed, updating your résumé and LinkedIn profile, identifying new skills you should begin developing, and conducting a simulated job search to see how your market is changing.

Then make one more commitment.

Spend one hour each month maintaining your professional network.

Call someone. Have coffee. Send a thoughtful email. Congratulate someone on a promotion. Offer help without asking for anything in return.

Most people only reconnect when they need something. The strongest professional relationships are built long before they're needed, and one hour a month is enough to keep many of those relationships alive.