Guest Post by Dr. Woody: The YOU Plan: Career Entrepreneurialism in the New Economy

The Great Recession has fundamentally altered the employment landscape in this country. The rules of the game have changed and success in The New Economy will depend on your ability to adjust to these changing rules. I truly believe we are entering into an age of career entrepreneurialism, an age where careers are no longer pursued they are created.

Whether you are a battle-tested workforce veteran or graduating college senior, you are going to have to start thinking differently. The number of traditional jobs available is continuing to dwindle. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, national unemployment is actually higher now than it was this time last year. In his recent testimony before Congress, Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, stated that there will be a “slow reduction” in unemployment as the economy moves towards recovery.  This means that you are going to have to start getting more creative in order to make yourself more competitive. Yes, you are going to have to start thinking like an entrepreneur. In one way, shape, or form, every entrepreneur has their own YOU Plan and so should you.   

Creating a YOU Plan

Creating a YOU Plan starts with taking stock of who you are and the assets you have at your disposal. Although this sounds simple, it’s not. Transitioning professions, up-start Millennials, and students alike tend to struggle with this. Developing a YOU Plan is about asking yourself five fundamental questions (I remember them as VIPER):

• What are my Values?
• What are my Intrinsics?
• What are my Passions
• What is my Essence or personal brand?
• What is my Roadmap for making it happen?  

When I talk about understanding who you are and the assets you have, I am really talking about structured introspection. The first three questions really focus on looking inward and getting a sense of who you are, what you are about, and what you bring to the table. Before you can make a serious push to get out there and make your next career move, you need to have a firm handle on your Values, Intrinsics, and Passions or what I like to refer to as your personal VIPs. Consider the fact that:

• Your Values are what drive your decision making
• Your Intrinsics are what you bring to the table
• Your Passions are what generate your energy

If you can answer these three questions you have answered the basic question of what is your Essence. Your Essence (or who you are as a job candidate) is a great thing to have a handle on, but like any great product or brand, if nobody knows about it, nobody cares. The key is to turn your Essence into a brand that can be marketed to potential employers and customers. Creating a brand package requires articulating your value proposition in a way that is meaningful to your audience. You have to find a way to differentiate from the herd. Legendary marketing guru Rosser Reeves referred to as this as your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).  

After establishing your brand, the final step is to determine your targets and lay out a Roadmap for finding them. You are now in sales for you and therefore it will be up to you to determine, follow, and track your activities. The process of introspection and branding is all academic without a Roadmap for getting out of the career hot seat and making it happen.

Creating a YOU plan isn’t easy and it shouldn’t be. However, it is a critical first step in creating a successful career. Being a career entrepreneur is about finding ways to create opportunities and this begins with a plan. Keep in mind, would an NFL coach field his team on Sunday afternoon without a game plan? Would an airline pilot take off with a plane full of passengers and no flight plan? Would a general take to the battlefield without a battle plan? I think not.

Thanks and good luck!

Dr. Woody (www.DrWoody.com)

To learn more about Dr. Woody and his new book The YOU Plan, check out www.TheYouPlan.com