Janice Worthington MA, CPRW, JCTC, CEIP Send Janice a Question

The Concept of Resale...Is It Too Late Recession-Proof Your Career? Do you remember the course you took in high school or maybe college on career planning and development? Aren’t you grateful for the valuable step-by-step instruction you received so long ago on building a career-insured future whether personally, vocationally or financially? No? That’s because it never happened! Two major changes occur in your life when you turn 16...you gain access to the driver’s seat to cruise the mall in an automobile, and you also gain the power to secure a job at that same mall. Driving is a dream finally realized, but not without rigorous preparation. By law you are required to take a written test to get a temporary license, and you still have to have a licensed driver present while you learn to maneuver the highways. Ultimately you take driving classes with a certified instructor in addition to classroom instruction, and when the big day comes, the government tests you to make sure you are capable of making correct decisions. For some mysterious reason career management is not given the same level of importance as motor vehicle operations. From the numbers of folks totally unprepared to change jobs, from minimum wage laborers to CEOs, gaining a competitive edge in planning, managing and controlling your career lacks priority. We are taught to do the job, however nowhere are we taught how to evaluate whether the job will be a good move for us. The concept of a career "blue book" value has always intrigued me. With the passing of time, automobiles decline in value and there’s virtually nothing we can do to even maintain the value of that investment. We can, however, increase our personal resale value with wise decision-making when we select our work environments and job functions. The key is seeking and accepting a job offer based on its ability to better score future job offers. Savvy career planners can be college students or mid-life career changers. They set long-term goals and search for vehicles and paths with several stops to achieve those goals. More important than compensation, location or status they know that adding a resale morsel gained from wise planning will someday open doors perhaps closed to others. This resale morsel can be a college degree, a certification, a new product environment, or a job function never before performed. 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.

Janice Worthington is President of Worthington Career Services, Ohio’s oldest resume preparation firm and one of the oldest in the U.S. With 14 years of corporate recruiting experience, Worthington Career Services opened its doors focused on applicant empowerment in 1973. She is known for advising some of America’s highest-ranking industry leaders. Please send Janice your questions at janice@worthingtonresumes.com .  For more information on Janice, please visit her website at http://www.worthingtonresumes.com/!