Have a clear understanding your values, skills and interests; focus on your future profession; set clear goals based on your strengths; know your next step; obtain new learning and skills you will need; and establish a diverse communication network – these steps will increase your chances of career success and job satisfaction.
Too often, supervisors, managers and directors focus so much on what their team should be doing for them and the company that they forget about what they should be doing for their employees.
You can let events impact your life and shape your career, or you can take control. If you are either looking to make a career change from your current role, or leaving government for the private sector, consider taking the following preliminary steps before developing and sending out any resumes.
A Federal District Court recently ruled the technology used in LinkedIn's Reference Search does not constitute a “consumer background check” of employees and job candidates.
Does your organization have an active program that conducts reference checking on employees before they are hired? Ownership of the pre-employment vetting process does not often reside with the security function within the organization. Some companies outsource background checks to third party organizations to share the task. Many of these policies are impacted by legislation, and limitations can be imposed on the use of various vetting methods.
With more than 200 security leaders in attendance, the first Security 500 Conference held in Washington, DC, brought high levels of thought-leadership and discussions to the fore. Verizon CSO Michael Mason started off the day with his keynote on challenging the technological imperative by asking “what problem will this solve? How will this support our mission?” before investing in new technology.
At some point during your working life, you will find yourself looking for a new job. There are a wide range of circumstances that may bring you to that point, ranging from retiring from public or military service; corporate reorganizations and/or leadership changes; you’re terminated; you resign; the location at which you work is destroyed; your company collapses financially; or you just want to advance your career in a new environment. While each of these circumstances may influence how you will position yourself during the job search, there are a number of common factors that place immense stress on an already difficult process.
Afew years ago we published an article on security related certifications that were being marketed as a means to advance your career. At that time there were a relatively small number of certifications that we were seeing listed on resumes. Today, we are still routinely asked which certifications are needed for career advancement or which ones are being requested by hiring managers. Frankly, unless the role has a specific requirement that connects to one of the more technical certifications, for the most part, the hiring authorities are not demanding them.
Personal branding is a consideration that is frequently overlooked by those who are seeking a career change or wanting to improve their upward mobility within their organizations. Too often, it is misunderstood and seen as being self-aggrandizing, egotistical or even perceived as “brown nosing.” While there are ample examples of this, these reflect poorly thought out and executed strategies.
As the industry continues to grow, there is an increased need for sophisticated recruiting, screening and hiring processes, as well as a strict commitment to hiring quality personnel who are the right fit for the position.
