Everyone is an Entrepreneur:
How to Take Control of Your Career

By DeAnne Pearson, M. Ed, Career Coach

 

I remember being invited to my mother’s retirement party over ten years ago. She worked for the same organization for over 25 years. I haven’t been invited to another one. No, I did not “double-dip” the chips and onion dip. People just aren’t spending their entire working careers at one company anymore. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average wage earning male spends 4.2 years in a job, and the average wage earning woman spends 3.9 years in a position. What is happening?

We all know that companies are laying-off, reducing hours, cutting pay and even closing down entirely during the current economic times. It is all over the news. In fact, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that unemployment for women closed 2009 at 8.2 %. So, we spend more time at work than we do with our families or friends, but currently, there is no guarantee that we will have a job tomorrow. As a Career Coach working with women for over 15 years, my best advice is that every working woman should think of themselves as an entrepreneur. But what does that mean?

Do I have to go out and start my own business? No, not necessarily. I say, change how you look at your career. According to Webster’s Dictionary, an entrepreneur is one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. So, from our new a vantage point, we are the enterprise. We cannot afford to trust this enterprise to anyone else. In organizing and managing your career, there are six things you have to know:

1 Know yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Most people hate answering this interview question. However, this is a great time to re-examine your strengths and weaknesses. First, examine your knowledge, skills and abilities. Knowledge, examine your educational background or certifications. How current is this part of your professional profile? By abilities, I mean, what do you bring to the job that no one else can that is innate. It could be your ability to inspire, your approachability or a vast number of inborn traits.

What skills do you currently use on the job, including technical, managerial style, tasks performed? Do not let your skills get stagnant. I see this over and over again. An employee becomes specialized and entrenched in the current position and never sees the job, or entire industry, slipping away. Many companies invest millions of dollars training employees each year. However, training dollars may be the first to go when a company trims the budget. If you need to update skills on your own, you can deduct education and training costs for your job if your employer doesn’t reimburse you for them (if the education is for your current job, not to get a better job later). If you are without work due to lay off, there may be federal money available for training and education in a new more viable career. And, if you are one of the unfortunate ones to be laid off, job-hunting expenses, including mileage, are also deductible, but that is whole other article.

2 Know your work and life balance. Looking at yourself as objectively as possible, how would you describe your work life and personal life balance? As departments are streamlined, you may be asked to take on more tasks, work longer hours, move to a different role, or accept a pay cut. Know what you can bear financially, in time-away from home, and psychologically, in the area of relationships. Make a plan, whether that is by eliminating debt or having a back-up plan for child care, if you need to take on additional work or renew your skills through classes after work. These are difficult times and a good time to be flexible as an employee.

3 Know your boss. There are many aspects to consider when examining your superiors: personality, (hopefully he or she has one), communication style, priorities and status. Many bosses can be summed up as numbers person or a people person. Know your manager’s communication style, both how they give and how they receive information. Make sure that you are communicating in the right language. Who does your boss report to? That makes it easier to make your accomplishments measurable and visible to the people who count. Report your progress, and the progress of your team. Toot your own horn, but be tasteful about it. Just leave a quick voicemail about a positive objective that has been met. Send a congratulatory email to your team regarding their performance and copy your boss. These actions will support and build your team, and keep your skills at the fore front. This is good time to work hard, and play well with others.

4 Know your company. There is more to know about any company other than producing 1,000 widgets over a certain period of time or the physical address. No matter what the product or service, there are cultural and viability aspects to consider. By culture, I don’t mean how you dress, what music you listen to… Get to know the norms of the people you work with, the customers who purchase the product or service, the people who assist in making the project possible, as well as those who get the product into the right hands. All are integral to your the businesses success. Where do you fit in?

5 Know your industry. Be an expert in your field. What are the future trends that need to be heeded? How do you and your company fit into this trend? Get to know the standards at work and in the industry by doing a little research, reading articles and asking a question once in a while. Again, re-examine your knowledge, abilities and skills from the industrial vantage point.

It is great to have a niche, to become the go-to-person in your area of work, but know how your role contributes to the bottom line currently and in the future. What are the profitable trends on the horizon for your industry, and how do you see yourself fitting into that future profit? If your position is not clearly integral to the profit margin, consider moving to one that has monetary impact. Be a contributor.

6 Know your network. Keep your network alive. Some people think of networking as performing some big sales job on friends, begging, or complaining. Actually, you network every time you say hello to someone or have a conversation. Networking is just paying more attention to these conversations. Seek out ways to keep relationships alive through reconnecting with people you have worked with, attending functions of professional organizations or conferences. Effective networking goes a step further, by carefully crafting the message you are sending out regarding what you are doing and what you want to accomplish in your profession. In the Career Consulting Industry this is called, “The Elevator Speech”. Get one.

As a career expert, I can tell you that companies across the globe need good employees. It is up to you to get the message across that you are a valuable employee. Take ownership of your career and think of yourself as an entrepreneur, not tied to any particular position, skill set or even company. Your career is at risk. So, take control. If not now, when?

 

Bibliography

Bureau of Labor and Statistics. National Department of Labor and Statistics. 26 September 2008. <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.htm>.

Bureau of Labor and Statistics. National Department of Labor Bureua of Labor and Statistics. 8 January 2010. <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf>.

 

Reprinted from the February 2010 Focus on Women Magazine

http://www.fowmag.com/mind/February%202010/Everyone%20is%20an%20Entrepreneur.php

 

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