For the past few weeks, this blog has featured guest bloggers including a series from David Shavzin, one of my colleagues, on succession and exit planning. However, that does not mean that I have been on vacation. I have been very active, attending networking meetings, completing an important search, and recruiting Freelancers to join our Consulting Group, ITB Partners. So, as I transition back to my role as the author of this blog, I thought it would be worthwhile to summarize a few of my most significant learning from the past few weeks. I hope you will find some interesting items to consider as I did.
This was a productive event. We scheduled follow-up meetings to discuss their career interests and how I might be helpful. The meeting agenda included a presenter from one of the nation’s premier outplacement firms. Naturally, his presentation was about the current state of job search in this country. After a brief overview of the outplacement industry and his company’s model, he facilitated a question and answer session from the group. My major takeaway from the meeting can be summarized in the following four bullet points.
- Age discrimination is real
- Networking is King
- Changing industry sectors requires a good contact
- Jobscan.co is worth a look
The first three bullets will be familiar to you as I have frequently posted on these issues. To summarize: Yes, age discrimination exists, especially with major companies. It is a challenge to overcome, however, it is not fatal. Networking is still the predominate means to a new job, so keep at it! Changing industry sectors is easier if one has good networking connections into the target industry. My other major takeaway was that Jobscan.co is worth further research. This was the first I had heard about Jobscan.co so I made a note to learn more.
My research into Jobscan.co revealed that it is an affordable alternative to a professional outplacement program. Their tagline is “Providing resources to help you land your perfect job from beginning to end.” Jobscan.co provides resources to help subscribers navigate job search including, how to write cover letters; how to write a resume; and how to prepare for a job interview. Additionally, jobscan.co has a program to help you better understand applicant tracking systems. Jobscan.co offers three basic programs each with a different level of services. The basic program called “Fee Forever” is just that, a limited number of services for free. Their most popular program is “The first month free” with the next three months priced at $89.95. The third program is full service for $49.95 per month. My impression is that this that most job seekers should consider Jobscan.co as the cost of their services seems fairly reasonable.
This week Wednesday, seven members of our consulting group, ITB Partners attended a meeting with a local chapter of Institute of Management Consultants (IMC). One of our partners is the immediate past president of IMC. He was instrumental in recruiting our consultants to attend the meeting. My interest was to understand the value proposition of IMC, especially its potential to help build the professional skills of our consultants.
The Atlanta Chapter is part of the US Affiliate of IMC which operates under the umbrella of The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes, (ICMCI) based in Zurich Switzerland. Since 1987 ICMCI has been the professional body worldwide for management consultants. [1]
It exists to:
- Elevate the standards of management consultants worldwide
- Increase the acceptance and respect of the management consulting profession
- Increase the international and regional profile of management consulting
- Improve the process of certification throughout the world
- Provide a forum for national certifying bodies of management consultants
- Prepare and promulgate Standards for management consulting to be adopted internationally
This meeting was primarily a recruiting effort to entice more independent management consultants to join their association. As one would expect the presentation was heavy on the benefits of each joining IMC, however, we did enjoy a free lunch and a presentation by a LinkedIn guru. The theme of his presentation was “Leveraging your Brand using LinkedIn.” I must admit, I did gain a few tidbits of useful information from his presentation.
IMC offers to credential for its members using online testing and an oral evaluation by a panel of members. One of the most important aspects of this association is their code of ethics. It is most impressive! I plan to adopt those standards for our consulting group. Overall, my take on the IMC group is that they are more about networking and providing referrals to their members than they are about building professional skills. I am fine with that, as providing a base of support for the Independent Consultant is a critical component for success. There is ample opportunity for continuing professional development through other sources.
In summary, these two events reinforce my belief that if you are looking for a new job or building your career, advancement requires growth. One cannot grow unless you get out of your comfort zone and expose yourself to new situations. Become active meeting new people and learning about new products.
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