Job Search Advice, Resume Writing Tips from a Career Consultant

Candidates are traditionally defined by the functions they perform and the environments in which they are performed, i.e., Staff Accountant in a manufacturing setting or Sales Manager in consumer products. If these candidates are good career planners, they change jobs based not necessarily on vertical promotion, i.e. Director of Operations to CEO, but on securing alternative opportunities, perhaps requiring sacrifice, that will ultimately ensure more options. They build value that follows them throughout their careers.

It is never too early or late to configure your recession proofing plan. In advance of any job search, take an inventory of what functions and within which environments you bring to the table. These offerings will appeal to the needs of a perspective employer. Next, make a list of those things critical to increasing your ultimate resale value that you currently don't possess. With this strategy, you will actually know, long-term, why you are accepting a job offer. If the for some reason you go back on the job market after two years with a strategically selected employer, your value will have increased. Wise career planners know that, while the best of jobs may evaporate, no one can ever take away the experience equity they have gained.