Conventional wisdom is that you begin your job campaign when you need a job. There is an inherent logic about this statement that seems irrefutable. The truth is that if you wait until you need a job to begin your job campaign, you are putting yourself at a significant disadvantage. Why? To run the most job effective campaign in the shortest possible time, you will need:
• Expert knowledge of your industry and its movers and shakers
• A reputation of high performance within the company
• A reputation of expertise in your field outside the company
• Colleagues, and even bosses who are willing to recommend you
• Reliable contacts outside the company to help you as references and with job intelligence.
To acquire all this takes time. Therefore, begin to prepare for your next job campaign on the day you go to work in your new job.
All preparation falls into two categories: internal and external.
Internal preparation
Internal preparation is that done within the company which will begin to prepare you for your next job. The very first thing you want to do is to learn everything you can about your present job, and to perform it to the very best of your ability. Once you learn your job, look for opportunities to learn other jobs in your company as well. You can do this by volunteering to help others with their jobs when needed. You can also volunteer to work on your own time, after work, and without additional pay to learn an additional job or to help out. If an opportunity comes up to actually do work in this other area, take it.
Certain other unpaid jobs will also become available from time to time. These will occur at all levels in the organization, from annual savings bond managers to membership on committees looking at compensation or stock options. Volunteers are always needed. Especially seek jobs that lead to contacts outside of your immediate group, and in particular those that put you in positions of leadership.
If all this activity happens to get you promoted in addition to preparing you to get a great job fast, so be it.
External preparation
Internal preparation works fine as far as getting you the preparation you need for your next job, but it doesn't go far enough. If you really want to get a great job fast, than you need to prepare yourself externally, as well. You must become known in your profession and in your industry outside of your company. How can you do this? It's easy
Every profession and industry has associations that you can join. To prepare yourself to get a great job fast, you should not only join them, you should become active in them. Go to both local and national meetings. If your company won't pay your way, use your vacation time and go to the annual meeting on your own ticket. But don't just go . . . again, become active. Volunteer both locally and nationally and serve in leadership positions. If there is a newsletter or a journal, write for it. If there are other magazines read by those in your profession and industry, write for them, too.
You should also contribute to and meet with the leaders of your community whenever you can. This contribution can take many forms, from volunteer service in your church, synagogue, or mosque, to other ways of helping out in your community.
Now I know what you are thinking. All this and I'm supposed to have a life, too? The answer is yes. And if you doubt me, look around you at the really successful people. You will see that they are involved with all these things. This will take some time management, but you will find many of these activities to be synergistic. For example, that you are an officer in one organization will help you in running another or in doing your job. But pick and choose. No, you may not be able to do everything, but you can do a lot more than you imagined once you have decided to take your preparation for your next job seriously.
Again, your company may like it and promote you. I can't help that. I'm just trying to get you ready to get a great job fast when you need to.
AN ACCOMPLISHMENT LOG
Every time you do something as a part of your job, or in a temporary job you have volunteered for, or anything else, write it down. Try to quantify these as accomplishments with little notes whenever you can. "Head of fund-raising committee for the church. Raised $10,000." You'll need all this later.
WHAT IF IT IS TOO LATE… YOU NEED A JOB TODAY?
What if your situation is that you got fired, laid off, or quit your job today Is all lost? No, it is not. But you need to get hold of yourself and organize a campaign plan right from the start.