A couple of days ago, I was reading an article about career management and came across the following advice:
If you want to survive and see new opportunities, “think of yourself as an independent contractor,” said CRAIG ALLEN, Creator, ‘Career Doctors’ radio show. “It does not mean you can’t be loyal to the company, but you are a brand. You need to know what you stand for and what skills and accomplishments make you uniquely different, and [you need to] be able to speak about them.”
“You are working for you. If you learn to manage your career with confidence, you can add value anywhere you work.”
The mindset ‘I am working for myself‘, and not just my employer, struck a chord with me. I always embraced the idea that I own my career and that I cannot be dependent upon my employer to “look out for me” – but the idea of looking at my career as an independent contractor drove home the importance for me to identify my strengths, be able to communicate them, and finally embrace the idea that I need to promote my brand in a professional manner.
Have you thought of viewing your career as an independent contractor? When one does, one keeps the power of employment opportunities within one’s own grasp and is less dependent upon an employer to provide growth opportunities. Enjoy the idea of building the business of You, Inc.
Author:
Kevin Monahan is the Associate Director of the Notre Dame Career Center. In this role, he leads the center’s employer relations efforts in addition to coaching young professionals in career management and career change capacities. He combines career consulting services with employer outreach to help find opportunities for both constituencies. He is the author of the Career Seeker’s Guide blog.
