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By Rita Ashley, September 16, 2010 11:40 am

Create your own job security. How executives get control over their careers.

The Wall Street Journal reports, “40% of all executives leave their jobs within 18 months.” And every one who does potentially causes serious long-term career damage. Continue reading 'Job security your way'»

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By Rita Ashley, August 26, 2010 8:40 am

Building job security is simple but it sure isn’t easy.

“Are you adding real value or merely passing information along? How do you add value? By continually looking for ways to make things better. …Every hour of your day should be spent increasing the output or value of the output of the people for whom you are responsible.” Andy Grove on job security.

Why do  some people appear to be bullet-proof when lay offs and bad economic times force many very talented executives onto the unemployment lines? Your value to the company is based on many attributes, but the bottom line IS the bottom line. As the CEO of your career, how you contribute and how you invest in the contributions of your team are critical factors for career stability. Continue reading 'Job security made simple'»

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By Rita Ashley, August 19, 2010 6:43 am

Jobs are like busses, if you get on the right one, you arrive at your destination

Abstract: Career planning for job security – Visibility, choosing the right employer, your brand and importance of a Mentor.

Are you in the career you planned when you were in college? Have you had more than one career? Do you know where you want to be in three, five or seven years? Do you know how to decide? Do you know how to make it happen? Continue reading 'Job security through career planning'»

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By Rita Ashley, May 10, 2010 2:44 pm

The intangibles will get you every time.

Since it is my job to give advice to people regarding career development and job search I dabble in a bit of anecdotal research to find answers. My style is to get the information right from the horse’s mouth: in this case, the executives who promote their direct reports (managers) to executive positions. Here’s what the corner office says about how to get promoted from manager to executive.

The first queries I sent out resulted in exactly the list of guidelines one would expect:

• Volunteer for more responsibilities
• Do what you can to stay visible
• Learn all you can
• Cooperate with other departments
• Deliver on your groups’ charter
• Stay up to date on the market and your area of expertise
• Maintain your brand

Continue reading 'What can you do to get promoted from manager to executive?'»

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By Rita Ashley, April 1, 2010 12:36 pm

Are you spending too much time with your keyboard?

So many websites beckon with the promise of exactly the leads you want. You are enticed by job boards and feel the inescapable demand of job search engines. As a power user you set alerts to your job title and favorite companies and feel compelled to check the results by the hour. You probably have hundreds of entries awaiting via gist.com or any number of other information aggregators. And scanning LinkedIn for jobs, people you know and companies is just too powerful to resist.

But resist you must. While online research is imperative for a successful job search, over reliance on digital resources can impact the time it takes to land a job. There is no substitute for personal contact. As an executive/technology professional, sharing ideas and wisdom is part of your search. And bonding with people over shared interests is the key to unlocking that networking door. Doing so in person amplifies the potential to be remembered and thought of when a job opening appears in your contacts’ radar. Continue reading 'Is your digital job search getting in the way of landing a job?'»