Unless the organization is downsizing or disbanding, most of the moves create new openings. This book will deal directly with the strategies for finding career positions outside your present organization.
Until now, you have considered who you are, where you have been, and where you would like to go. You have also given considerable thought to other aspects of yourself as an executive or a manager. This will be your opportunity to consider where you would like to invest your career. There may not be enough time for you to make significant changes in your skills for a job you want, but there is much you can do to choose the business or industry in which you would like to work, the areas within your field that are most attractive to you, the kind of organization in which you would like to be employed, and the location that appeals to you most.
Profiling Potential Employers
Use this opportunity to record the information that will tell you where you are most likely to do your best work.
What appeals to you?
As you consider which of these possibilities appeal to you most, also give thought to where you might realistically fit in. Keep in mind your ad-writing exercise, in which you assessed the differences between the real and the ideal when it comes to what you are best qualified for and what you desire most. This is the time to ensure that you will fit in well with the kinds of employers you have in mind.
Where You Are Likely To Succeed
This next exercise will give you the opportunity to home in on the kinds of employers that would suit you best. Use the chart to find where you should be looking so you can advance toward the perfect resume and the perfect interview.
How to Assess an Organization
You have been narrowing down, becoming increasingly specific about who you are, and becoming more selective about where you want to work. This is certainly not consistent with the attitude of to take "any job, anywhere, at any salary" that is often voiced in panic by unemployed executives. It is an important key to maintaining your self-esteem. After all, you must feel good about who you are if you are going to sell yourself to others. The process also enables you to become more realistic about the employers among which you are most likely to find the best opportunities.
There are number of directories that describe organizations and provide profiles, and still others that profile the executives of those organizations. One approach might be to start with a reference such as the Dun & Bradstreet Million Dollar Directories or Thomas' Register of American Manufacturers. (If your potential employer would not be listed in one of these directories, consult the Directory of Directories.
There is a directory for almost any field you can describe.) Look up potential employers according to your field or by geographical area, depending on which is your higher priority? Once you have gained all the information you can from directories, look up key executives in Standard & Poor's; a directory that lists executives in your specific field; and the various who are whose publications.
The key directories listed at the end of this book will provide a starting point during your next trip to the library. While at the library, look through the most recently published books describing the best employers or the best places to work in the United States.
You should also check the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature and/or the Industrial Arts Index for recent articles on the fields, types of employers, and specific organizations that interest you most.
