At the September 20 Learning Lunch Karen Kodzik, a Career Management Consultant and owner of Cultivating Careers, gave a presentation titled “Managing the Business of your Career.” Kodzik has nearly fifteen years of experience working with individuals in career transition. 

Kodzik spoke about the importance of managing a career at any stage, “We tend to put our careers on autopilot,” and in this global marketplace employers have developed a contingency-based workforce. An employer pays for a service and has no problem saying goodbye to its employees when they are no longer necessary.   Gone are the days of working 45 years for a single company and then collecting a gold watch and a pension plan.

Kodzik defined career management as “the intentional, proactive decision to manage ones career.” Career management is necessary to stay competitive in the workplace amidst budget cuts and the restructuring of departments.

Kodzik explained that a professional can either be proactive or reactive in the management of her career. “Are you paddling down the river or are you just floating?” Kodzik asked the group. Kodzik presented both internal and external signs that one might be “floating” through her career. Internal symptoms include restlessness, depression, and boredom. External symptoms are a major life change, the loss of a job, or a job change.

A few members expressed their frustrations within their respective work environments. Kodzik explained that frustration with a job can often lead to a feeling of dread come Sunday evening. Dread creates stress and chronic stress is a known trigger of disease. Kodzik shared the story of a client who spent years in an unsatisfying and stressful career. Only after this client was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy did she realize that these experiences were a wakeup call for her to find a new position.

Kodzik suggested making five new connections every month. Networking tools such as LinkedIn allow professionals to connect not only with their current professional contacts, but to see the contacts of their contacts. For example, if a MWMC member applied for a marketing position at Company X and later noticed that one of her first connections knows someone who works for that company, she can request an introduction or inquire about the position through her first connection.

Kodzik reiterated the familiar adage that “it’s not what you know but who you know.” Resumes should account for 20 percent of one’s job search and 80 percent should be about making personal connections.

Kodzik recommended that every professional show off her skills. A professional cannot assume that the results of a particular project will speak for themselves. All professionals need to increase their visibility within a company by making sure her fellow colleagues and even family members know her title and responsibilities within a company.

Kodzik offered several pieces of advice for professionals.  Build relationships through professional groups, friends, and coworkers in order to stay connected within any industry. Likeability is crucial in hiring and in keeping a job.  The current job market demands flexibility. Job descriptions change, managers move on to other companies, coworkers are laid off, and departments are now restructured in short periods of time. Change is inevitable. Stay current, especially with a career in marketing and communications where the trends and the technology are always in flux.

Kodzik coined the “Heads up” mentality, meaning that one should know what is happening not only in her respective company but in her field at large. A proactive professional would never let the newspaper break the news that her company is going through a merger or cutting an entire department without her prior knowledge.

Kodzik also answered questions on age and the job market with frank advice: “90 percent [of being hired] is not about your age, it’s about compensation. But with a positive attitude and a willingness to contribute, your age should not be a factor.”

Kodzik will be joining MWMC on Friday, September 30, 2011 from noon to 1 p.m. for a Twitter Chat titled “Crafting a Successful Career Plan.” She can be reached for career counseling by email at info@cultivatingcareers.com or by phone at 651.387.2676. Kodzik’s book “Navigating through ‘Now What?’ The Various Career Crossroads in Our Lives” is available on her website cultivatingcareers.com.