I was reading an interesting article this morning about how a person seeking to move up in an organization or seeking new employment really needs to stand apart from the crowd. In particular, the writer took focus on those seeking new employment writing resumes and cover letters to be sent out, in hope of landing a new position. Aside from the typical advice I have often seen or heard in relation to this topic, there was one thing that really stood out and caught my attention. It was a statement that implied the job seeker and/or employee seeking to move up the corporate ladder should focus on how they can help an organization streamline process, reduce risk, lower costs or help establish new ways of working. What impact will you and your experiences have on the organization as a whole, but presented in ways I had never seen before.
The reason I found this interesting is that when I teach and lecture about ECM and BPM, this is a central theme related to projects and technology. Focus on the outcome and how it will impact the organization. The complete picture of an ECM environment includes technology, process and people so it only makes sense that someone seeking to rise within an organization or seeking a new position should present their skills in this way. What can you do to help improve my organization today rather than what have you accomplished in the past.
In my view, this is a vital aspect of the human element in addressing an ECM environment. The human element is a key to the success of any project and when you look at the resources available to you in relation to your projects, the question to ask is, what do you bring to the table? How will or can the individuals/stakeholders help streamline process, reduce risk, lower costs or introduce new ways of working? Having a background and history in the field is of advantage as is updated training to keep up on the latest technologies and best practices. I guess the central message is not to focus on the past and what you have done as much as it is to focus on what you can do now and how do you keep updating your skills in ways that improve you and bring added value to your organization or future employers.
If you are ready to move forward and are finding yourself stuck or unfocused and are not sure where to begin or what to do next, seek professional assistance and/or training to get you started.
What say you? Do you have a story to tell? What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you have a topic of interest you would like discussed in this forum? Let me know.
Bob Larrivee, Director and Industry Advisor – AIIM
Email me: blarrivee@aiim.org
Follow me on Twitter – BobLarrivee
www.aiim.org/training
I will be teaching the AIIM ECM Master class in Philadelphia September 13-16 and will be at the following events:
sbcon11 Virtual Conference on September 8, 2011
DMS Expo in Stuttgart, Germany September 20 – 22, 2011
ARMA’11 in Washington, DC – October 17-19, 2011
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