Factors like globalisation, mobility, shareholder return focus, technology and the X-Y-Z generations have combined to make focused and strategic personal career management critical in today's employment marketplace.  The wave of redundancies in various industries and organisations arising from the impact of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 has only emphasised this importance - for a June 2009 blog post I did on this, please click here.

Unless an employee is actively developing and marketing him/herself, diminution of the value of that employee in the eyes of the current and potential employer market is more likely.  This is where career coaching can assist.  Having someone working with you, and for you, with no vested interest or sway over you in terms of promotions or remuneration reviews, can ensure that your career management is strategically aligned with your goals and values. 

Career coaching intervention may be useful at various times:

• entering or re-entering the workforce
• enhancing the opportunities from a current role
• after redundancy of a previous position
• upon entry into a new role particularly the first three months.

Some issues for consideration in active and strategic career management are:

• Brand - what defines your personal brand?  What differentiates you in the employment marketplace? What do you stand for? What are you doing to protect your brand?
• Elevator Speech - what is the speech when you have just got in the lift with someone who has just asked you "What do you do?".  You are only in a 6 storey building!  Can you succinctly articulate what you do and your value?
• Emotional Intelligence - how is your emotional intelligence?  Are you aware of what benefits it has in the corporate world? Have you had it assessed?  Have you been actively developing it? Have you heard of the Bar-On EQ-i?
• Engagement - how engaged are you in your current role? Do you just attend work in body but not in spirit? Is presenteeism rather than absenteeism more of an issue for you? Is it inertia or fear that prevents you moving on - in or out of the organisation?
• Financial Independence - what are you doing to develop your financial independence from an employer?  What is your independent wealth accumulation plan?  Are you actively managing what may be the biggest expense in your life - not your mortgage but tax on your employment income? Have you thought about how you will fund your retirement?
• Learning and Skills - what learning and skill enhancement have you done in the past year?  Are your skills relevant for the current marketplace?  Is your employer upskilling you or keeping you just where they want you - doing your current job?
• Networking  - how are your networks - outside your current employer?  Did you know that about 80% of jobs are not advertised but will be sourced/filled through your networks and their networks?  Are you LinkedIn?  What are you doing to develop and cultivate your networks?
• Personality - do you know your personality type?  Is it right for the role you now have?  What factors will give you the greatest satisfaction and stress in a role based on your personality?  Have you heard of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator?
• Resume - do you have a current resume?  Is it generic or tailored to the types of positions you are seeking?  Does it focus on your quantified accomplishments rather than just your responsibilities and duties?  Will the resume impact the reader within 15-30 seconds?
• Social Networking  - the proliferation of social network websites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace , Twitter and YouTube may be great for connecting with your friends, but what is on there that may work against you in the employment market?  Did you know that potential employers research these too?
• Strategic Management - what is your 1, 5, 10 year personal brand development/management plan? What are your contingency plans in the event of mergers, acquisition , retrenchment or even just a change in your manager?  What skills and experience do you require now - and in the future? What does your eventual retirement look like? 
• Value Proposition - what is your value proposition?  Can you articulate it to demonstrate that your remuneration has a good Return on Investment (ROI)for your current employer or a potential employer?
• Values - how does your current role, boss or employer align with your personal values?  Is there a conflict causing you stress?  Are you doing what you love?
• Work-Life Balance - do you balance your work around your life - or vice versa? Is your work technology (Blackberry, laptop, mobile) always on?  When is your down-time?  Do you take all your holidays?