VaultingBlog was launched in September 2008 on the premise that knowledge is power, therefore career knowledge should translate into career power. It's also based on the notion that life, therefore career, is afflicted with chaos and the only reasonable stance toward reality is paranoia. Since we can't control chaos we need to live hard in the moment and wrap ourselves in knowledge, so we can vault over challenges and past competitors. We need to be highly informed about the macro (global economics, industry news) and the micro (company challenges and office politics.) The hope is to comment on global events, business trends, and the stupid daily happenings of this blogger, who has spent several decades in management and the past ten years as a C-level executive.

Next 5 posts > (19 total posts in this blog) Shakeup in the Job Market: Playing the Demographic Game Posted on DEC 16, 2008 09:29 A.M. There’s a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on.  Exhibit A:  the unretired.  Business Week has a strong piece on the thousands of retired Americans who are streaming back into the national work force, driven there by disappearing 401k’s and plunging home values.  Exhibit B:  Floyd Norris’ piece this weekend in The New York Times citing a spike in Gen Xers and young Boomers  lining up for unemployment benefits in the wake of this autumn’s financial meltdown.  If you are a working executive, this affects you in several ways.  First, your success over the next 18 months may depend to some extent on your ability to sort through this tidal wave of qualified, available manager candidates and hire the best of them.  Secondly, their presence in the work force threatens your job security.  Your boss will be getting bombarded by inquiries in the months ahead from these same bright lights and she may be tempted to upgrade your slot if things aren’t going well.  So if you still have a port in this storm, it would behoove you to understand these emerging trends, take advantage of them, and don’t be victimized. If you are an unemployed executive, you really need to game this out.  Fortunately, most retired execs can probably withstand this downturn but some may wander back into the competition.  And if they do, they may “work for less” since their nut is smaller than yours.  The bigger problem is the army of 25-45 year-old management types who have been or will be whacked in the current maelstrom of downsizing that is sweeping the nation.  Many will be competing for the same kinds of jobs you want and they may offer certain advantages. So it’s more important than ever to crystallize your personal “executive brand.”  On top of everything you’ve always done, you need to frame that brand in a demographic framework.  If you are between 45 and 59 years of age, it’s advisable to position yourself with the generalized attributes from every generation.  For example – though I wouldn’t say it exactly this way – a 49-year-old female executive might say that she has the internet and technology awareness of her 20-year-old daughter; the willingness to embrace teamwork of her 36-year-old niece; and the experience and wisdom befitting her age and resume.  Only someone your age can get away with straddling three generations, so go for it.  Finally, ask yourself these questions as you head into interviews: ·        Where are you exactly on the experience curve?  ·        Are you willing to take a step back in your career track to land a position? ·        Are you willing to take less pay than your prior job to compete with younger & older    competitors? ·        How will you assemble your attributes to be a “generational chameleon?” The playing field and the players are changing dramatically, which means the rules will be rewritten.  Better that you should do the writing than having them written for you.   Post a comment :: View comments (0) All I Want for Christmas is a Job Posted on DEC 11, 2008 09:17 A.M. So now we know.  We are in the 12th month of a nasty recession, we have lost billions in net worth, and we have lost at least a couple million jobs in 2008.  If you are one of those, you are trying to figure out where to hang your hat next.  And even if you are still gainfully employed, you are certainly looking over your shoulder and scanning the horizon for possible exit routes. Where the Jobs Are The next best place to look for the next gig may not be nearby.  Figuratively, or literally.  Want a good place to find a job?  Try North Dakota.  That’s right, North Dakota.  The New York Times reported this weekend that North Dakota has 13,000 jobs open currently and the prospects for keeping a job in that fair state exceed almost anyplace in the nation.  The state struggles to live down the stereotype of being very cold and very weird.  Add to that its geographical remoteness, and it just doesn’t seem that appealing to most of us – and that’s my point. Think Fargo … figuratively.  Your next best shot at a good job is probably in a different region – or different field – from where you are now.  As a career research web company, Vault.com has been researching sectors that expect job growth and three emerge: 1)      Government (including Education) 2)      Healthcare 3)      Energy If you are working in manufacturing, retail, financial services, consulting or media, transferring to one of the three sector highlighted here could feel like moving to North Dakota.  But that may be exactly what is required to keep you employed.  Size Matters Here’s another thought.  Tremendous opportunities exist at smaller companies.  Your job has been eliminated or threatened due to consolidation.  Lehman Brothers, AIG, General Motors, Sears, CVS and Avis are giant companies that are shrinking.  But in every one of their sectors other smaller and more agile companies are poised to steal market share and customers.  And they are looking to fill open positions or upgrade existing ones.  It takes a clear world view (in other words, you have to agree with my analysis of the job marketplace) and a strong handle on one’s ego to make a move to a lesser known, smaller company.  I have spoken to many men and women who have made such a move and without exception they are happier (more secure, more fulfilled, and less stressed by corporate politics).  Going from Bank of America to a small private investment company or from Viacom to a small website company can feel like moving from New York City to Fargo, but it could be worth the trip.   Post a comment :: View comments (0) Job Security and Office Politics Posted on DEC 02, 2008 12:00 A.M. Who isn’t worried about their job right now?  No matter how high up on the organization chart, any executive who isn’t looking over his or her shoulder these days needs a reality check.  We are all vulnerable in this kind of economic turmoil and with unprecedented business changes likely in 2009.  It seems like an excellent time to brush off the lists of do’s and don’ts in the important and still-popular game of Office Politics. Do: ·         Understand where the power is, how decisions are made ·         Know the mission & priorities of your operation ·         Volunteer to champion new projects ·         Appreciate the culture of your operation and adapt to it ·         Communicate your successes assertively ·         Accept responsibility for mistakes quickly Don’t: ·         Point fingers (“those who live in glass houses …”) ·         Complain (people will listen politely but no one wants to hear) ·         Dwell in the past ·         Advance your own career by hurting the business or harming colleagues ·         Second-guess decisions already made This last one is critical, especially in a difficult, fast-moving environment brought on by the current economic climate.  In a new book about career success (There’s no Elevator to the Top by Umesh Ramakrishnan) the author quotes Coke CEO Terry Marks who says:  “When we break huddle, when we leave there, everybody runs the play.  If the quarterback thinks you’re running a post and you run a curl, you’re going to have an interception.  You’ve let everybody else around you down, not just yourself.” Even worse is the co-worker who breaks huddle and runs over to the sideline to complain about the play to the coach or other team members.   Also problematic is the player who is still complaining in the second half of a game about a play run in the first quarter.  Not only will it turn teammates against him, the behavior runs a serious risk of screwing up the next play called and the one after that. I know some “free thinkers” in the career space wish for a less dogmatic set of principles but sometimes the truth is the truth.  Human nature really doesn’t change and the fundamentals of good teamwork are eternal.   Post a comment :: View comments (0) Detroit Automakers: Stubborn and Stuck in Neutral Posted on NOV 25, 2008 12:04 P.M. Leadership has taken a pounding this autumn, which can serve up lessons for execs in all walks of life.  Granted we are in the midst of an unprecedented market meltdown.  But the CEO’s of GM, Ford and Chrysler put on a remarkable show last week on Capitol Hill.  They went before Congress (and a national TV audience) to beg for $25 billion.  The pitch was pathetic and ultimately fell on deaf ears. Give us the money or we’ll have to go bankrupt.  And if we go bankrupt, thousands of union workers may be thrown out of jobs.  And thousands of employees in the U.S. automobile manufacturing supply chain could be affected too.  However, we don’t really have a plan; it will be business as usual; and we’ll probably burn through the $25 billion early next year and be back for more.  Oh, and we got here on private gas-guzzling jets. The key audacity was Rick Wagoner’s claim that he shouldn’t step aside because nobody else would really know how to successfully run General Motors.  With a huge salary, big bonus, hot and cold running jets and a constant supply of new cars to drive, it’s understandable that Rick doesn’t want to give up his job.  But he should. This is one of the lessons all execs can learn.  There’s absolutely no reason why we always have to be the last one to find out that the jig is up.  Look, some leaders have the luck and the smarts to last a long time (see Gates, Bill; Welch, Jack; Jobs, Steve).  But for most of us mere mortals -especially in the current, brutally competitive and unforgiving environment – five years is a lifetime and ten years is forever (see Yang, Jerry; Fuld, Dick; and Wagoner, Rick).  Yet,  even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the leader is out of ideas and out of gas (pun intended) he just won’t hand if off to someone with fresh ideas and unbridled energy. One can see this tendency in any company, division of a company and unit within a division. Tired leadership that refuses to surrender doesn’t help anybody, including the leader in question.  Ideally, when that moment is reached the leader should own up to it and find a way to step aside.  In the increasingly obsolete “ladder” model of career development, it is particularly difficult to make that move.  (Who wants to fall off a ladder?)  But the new career reality is more multi-dimensional with more “lateral” or even “downward” movements available to make gains for the contemporary executive. These are dynamic times that require creative action.  American Business is on the verge of a major reorganization which should create interesting opportunities for the many leaders required to succeed.  It’s a cliché, but try to be part of the solution not part of the problem.  If you’ve hit a leadership wall, recognize it and talk to somebody about it.  It may not feel natural and it may be painful, but good things don’t come easy. Post a comment :: View comments (1) Creative Destruction for your Career Posted on NOV 20, 2008 10:57 A.M. To borrow a football metaphor (it is that time of year after all), this is a great time to spread the offense and run a little misdirection play if you are an aging executive (C-level, or working for C-level, and over the age of 35).  Chances are good your company is facing some serious headwinds (who isn’t?).  Chances are good your boss is looking for dramatic cost cuts.  Chances are you may have heard the phrase “top heavy” sometime in the past month or so. Here’s the creative part.  In case you hadn’t noticed, careers are not linear any more.  It is partly because corporate America has changed, but it’s also because our culture has changed.  It has changed a lot since you started your adult work life.  (For a terrific explanation of this, check out the "Lattice Theory of Careers".) The lattice theory suggests that the contemporary career does not force the careerist to climb a ladder or move in a strictly linear direction.  Rather it encourages the notion that true fulfillment lies in a more flexible approach, alternating lateral and even “downward” maneuvers in the pursuit of real career satisfaction.  It also suggests that in a mobile society and a high-tech, high-speed business environment, the creative careerist (with his or her longer life expectancy) might embrace working in different industries and different capacities over the course of a career life. This philosophy has been embraced (absorbed?) by Generation Y already.  Most millenials put satisfaction first and move freely and frequently through different jobs and career paths in a non-linear fashion.  Of course, they have not invested 10 or 15 or 20 years in an industry, much less a single company, so they have little or nothing to “destroy” by “spreading the offense and running some misdirection.”   I get that. However, you see them doing it to fine effect and you have seen “creative destruction” in one industry after another over the past couple decades.  It’s happening right now for our employers - think Finance, Media and Automobiles – just to name three prominent industries.  Think about the industries and career categories that will boom in the next couple decades.  For example, consider the fresh talent that will be required in Energy, Alternative Energy, Healthcare, Education, Government and the not-for-profit sector.     To become less top-heavy, many companies are offering mid- and high-level execs decent severance packages.  This might be a good time to consider your options, ask yourself what really defines satisfaction in career, and make a quick, elegant exit.  You might need to detour back to school for some additional training or education or qualification.  And it might turn out to be the best move you ever made.     Post a comment :: View comments (0) Next 5 posts > (19 total posts in this blog)

Erik Sorenson My whole so-called career has been chaos, only occasionally organized. It began as a series of accidents and has evolved into something vaguely rational, depending on who you ask. Career accidents rarely happen unless the beneficiary knows about them, so I always try to keep my eyes and ears open – wide open . Read More about Erik Browse posts on this blog by category Career Management » (3) Job Search » (3) Management » (13) Blog Roll In the Black » Void for Vagueness » Consult THIS » VaultingBlog » SixFigureStart Your HR Guy » Deb's Career Corner » How To Find The Perfect Job » All Blogs »