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Good guidelines to plot your career path
By Darryl Legault
A fellow Purchasing b2b reader and PMAC member asked me recently what new books were available to prepare him for his impending job search. With the rapid change in company structures, the increase of contract and temporary employees and additional opportunities for supply chain professionals in the marketplace, a sound career plan should be part of every professionals portfolio.
A research of this market segment has resulted in several excellent texts and we will begin with Jim Hayhursts Where have I gone right?
Hayhurst, a fellow Canadian residing in Toronto, is the bestselling author of The Right Mountain and a career counselor, executive coach and speaker. In addition, he has founded and/or owned several companies and served on volunteer boards, including holding the Chairmanship of Outward Bound Canada. In 1998 he was the oldest member of the Canadian Expedition to Mount Everest and souvenirs of the expedition abound in the text, including photos to start every chapter and more in between.
Hayhurst advises that whether you are searching for a job, a new career path or a more satisfying life, you first have to answer the question, Who am I?
To be successful, the author believes that you have to know who you are before you decide what you are going to do, to chart your own path to personal success, be more of who you are and make decisions without regrets. Sounds great in theory, but in life, it is not always as straightforward as it sounds.
The text aims to make it easier by providing real world applications of the three tenets, your core skills (functional, personality and knowledge), interests (people, data, things) and values. Without a match between these three needs and what you do, there will be a gap in your career.
Hayhursts experience as a career consultant is clear throughout. He understands the needs of todays employers and their constraints. Several approaches are covered from how to search for a job, what should be highlighted during the hiring process, how to write an accomplishment statement and more.
His one page resume sends a very strong message that no matter how much you have done in your career, it can still be encapsulated on one page.
Where have I gone right? is an entertaining read that is over quicker than you would expect. However, be forewarned, that many of the points covered will linger on your mind much longer than the time it takes to read the text.
The self-reflection value is worth the price alone, whether youre thinking of changing careers or not. As Sun-Tzu, the famous author of The Art of War stated, Know your opponent and know yourself and you will win 100% of the battles you choose to wage.
By reading this text, you will be able to avoid unnecessary effort and potential friction, thus becoming the most successful type of general: The one who wins by not fighting at all.
Another series of note for those considering job transition, also published by JW Wiley, are The Perfect Cover Letter, The Resume Kit and The Interview Kit. Full of useful tools, these texts are written by Richard Beatty, President of Brandywine Consulting, a leading executive search and outplacement firm.
Of note to readers is that The Resume Kit contains several resumes at both the junior and senior level in the fields of procurement, logistics, operations and technology.
An additional new offering researched was Dr. Shel Leannes How to Interview Like a Top MBA. Full of practical insights, the text is highly structured, as expected of a former Harvard University faculty member and McKinsey Company consultant.
This is one of several reviews that were the result of a reader initiative. Please share topics of interest with me via e-mail at darryl_legault@yahoo.com
Darryl Legault CFPIM, C.P.M., C.P.P., F.CIM, FRM, P.Log, PCMH is a supply chain professional and was the President (2001-2002) of La Corporation des Approvisionneurs du Quebec (CAQ), the Quebec institute of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC). Please visit his web site at: http://darryl-legault.tripod.com
Where have I gone right?
By: Jim Hayhurst
JW Wiley, 2004
Softcover, 175 pages
$27.99 CAD
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