You have been with your current organization for more than 10 years leading the corporate security function, having conceived and built the program, hired staff around the world and integrated the department to being a trusted advisor to senior management. Since this is your second career, you are now reaching a point that you would like to retire and pursue other passions and personal interests. After sitting down and discussing this with your boss, you realize that he or she and the management team are concerned about the lack of a succession plan for your replacement. Their position is: While your second level staff is very good operationally, they are not under serious consideration for your role, and HR will be looking outside the company for your replacement.
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.
At some point during your career you will find yourself interacting with a search firm and/or a recruiter who has been assigned a project to fill a professional level security risk related role. This firm may or may not have a specialty security risk related practice and may or may not be a firm that you have ever heard of.
In every element of our daily lives there are rules that guide our behavior. These rules come to us in many forms. From the time we are infants, our parents teach us what types of behaviors are acceptable and those that are not. We all remember the dreaded “No” from our mothers or fathers which was usually coupled with a stern look on their face.
When Security magazine approached us to write a monthly column, we took some time to ponder how to best serve the current and emerging security leaders which are this column’s target audience. We are delighted to have this opportunity to explore a broad range of topics in today’s complex environment of risk, threats and hazards.
