Successful Career Management

Successful Career Management, written by Stuart McAdam, argues that the economic upheavals of the opening decade of the 21st century have necessitated new perspectives on corporate strategy and career choices--this book will be of interest to business leaders, managers and job seekers alike.

As organisations restructure upsize and downsize, the need to retain – and continue to attract – talent remains paramount. Yet talent management is often seen as a corporate activity done to employees rather than with them. The consequence of such an approach may unintentionally encourage individuals to look elsewhere for career opportunities. Paradoxically, many people fail to assume sufficient personal ownership of their own career management. They may lack understanding necessary to proactively pursue their own aspirations. They may focus on external opportunities, without fully exploring possibilities within their current organisation. The book explores the importance of individuals to have their own means of determining whether it’s better to move on or stay. “What’s the ‘Return on Me’ this organisation may be able to provide?” is a question we should all ask ourselves.

This is particularly important in today’s environment, where moving on may be more difficult than in the past. Leveraging the opportunities available – but untapped – in your current organisation is therefore worth serious consideration. The ethos of the book is not about making you someone you are not; rather it will support making you the individual you have the potential to be.

Organisations can do more to genuinely engage with their workforce; the deliverables expected from employee engagement may also become blurred, with “vicarious employee engagement” rather than active employee engagement coming out the winner, at least in the short term. Supervisors and line managers are frequently ignored as key links in the process.