Once you've defined your objectives with a clear Career Diagnosis™ and firmly established your personal/professional Brand, it's time to "Go Out the Door," as I like to say to my clients.
At this point it is about Process. I have a singular objective: To help you step into the same room with the people with whom you want to work - period.Succinctly, Process is talking with people. That's called networking, and it occurs by attending industry events but it also may be presenting at those events, or publishing material, from white papers to research work. It's taking action to move your Brand into the professional arena(s) of your choosing. But most of all, it's not being shy about talking with people about your interests and your objectives.
This is why, in defining your Branding, I say your Stump speech, that is:
Who I am
What I've done
What I want to do
How I can help you
.... why your Stump Speech is so vitally important.Consider Process, in patient terms, this way: as the physician, you've rendered your diagnosis, you've provided education or instruction, you may have tested further or ordered or provided procedures. Now, your job is to oversee, to provide ongoing support, to manage your patient's compliance with the mostly done by you to this point. Your patient needs to actively participate and implement.
Now, you must actively participate and implement. But, if you can take the high altitude view that what you must do is "network," then you will be focused in the best possible direction.
How then do you network? Networking is predicated on looking for ways to help other people. You should consider Networking as an exchange... and exchange of valuable information. You're accustomed to being an expert, your Branding has enumerated your expertise for you to use, now you want to share your expertise. That's Networking. The mistake too many make is viewing Networking as begging, as surrendering yourself to constant idle chatter of no value and subjecting yourself to ongoing rejection. That's not Networking.
Based on your Brand, you have enumerated expertise. Who need or wants that expertise? Find ways to talk with other's who want the expertise you have, or have the problems your expertise is positioned to solve.
You may find you have friends who have friends they will introduce you to. You may find seminars or conferences dealing with the problem(s) you can solve where your Brand elements could be of interest.
You may find seminars and conferences focused on the issues of interest to you.
You can write.... online publishing is open to everyone.
You can conduct small research projects that could lead to published works, presentations and opportunities to interact, again, with those very people you want to be working with. I call this the Research Interview.
I will show you how.
Lastly, Process takes time. Just as in patient care, no one loses any amount of necessary weight in a month or two, nor will surgical recovery, or most other serious clinical processes resolve quickly. I advise client to expect an active career transition campaign to last nine to 14 months, and for transitions aimed towards more entrepreneurial endeavors, expect a longer time frame to reach viability. Remember, getting a job is binary, you are either employed or you are not. Starting a business however, is progressive. You may obtain one client quickly, but spend months getting the next. So, developmentally, to reach a state of viability, can take not just many months, but often several years. I know, I've started many businesses.
Regardless, it's always a process, a process with milestones to help you measure and track you success, and I'll be helping you all along the way.