A lesson in staying the course
This article is based on a true story. The names have been changed to …..you know the line.
Robert spent over a decade with a blue chip technology company in the Midwest. He enjoyed a progressively fruitful career, being recognized, promoted and applauded for his work. In 2009 he and his family decided it was time for a change. His children are grown, he was tired of the lake effect winters and his company was offering buyouts – eureka!
Everything fell into place – a package, relocation to Colorado, and some time off to decide what to do next. Robert is an engineer at heart. He spent the early part of his career in design and sales engineering (back when networks were new and VERY expensive to install). So, when he started looking around the Denver market, he fell into the technology frenzy – caught up in the excitement around the high-tech industry and began thinking that when he transitioned into a business development role over a decade ago, he might have made a mistake. Robert spent the next 6 months chasing every open position he could find – from IT engineering to sales. He had a number of interviews, but wasn’t getting offers.
Then, something happened. Robert decided to stop the madness. Chasing every job that he could find with the intent of ‘just finding something’ wasn’t working. Instead, Robert began to think strategically about where he wanted to work and what value he had to offer a potential employer. He defined his strengths, weaknesses, and ideal role description.
Armed with this newfound focus, Robert began identifying companies who would benefit from his experience, and would take note of the work he has done in the past. Then he began researching roles within the target companies and the hiring managers who would be responsible for these positions.
Linked In and his personal network were critical to helping Robert find people inside his target companies who could help him with introductions. His week was spent mining for information about these companies, current hiring activity within them and talking with people who were connected to them. This systematic approach sometimes seemed daunting and full of dead ends, but Robert stayed focused.
Sometimes, he would run across a position that looked interesting. A recruiter would call, or a friend would mention a company that was hiring. Robert took every lead seriously, but took the time to evaluate it against his strategy. He respectfully declined to pursue positions that did not meet his established criteria so that his focus wouldn’t be diluted.
Robert’s persistence has paid off. This week he accepted an offer with a global organization, managing a strategic partner relationship and will be responsible for millions of dollars in services, solutions and emerging technology. Robert stayed the course, never questioned his approach – and it paid dividends bigger than he ever expected!
To your success Robert!
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