Jeff Gothelf - Forever Employable: How to Stop Looking for Work and Let Your Next Job Find You

FOREVER EMPLOYABLE

How to Stop Looking for Work
and Let Your Next Job Find You

by Jeff Gothelf

Copyright 2020 by Jeff Gothelf

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 13:979-8625718745 (paperback)

Editor: Jeff Gothelf
Cover design: David Miles
Interior design and typesetting: Jennifer Blais
Author photograph: Dailon Weiss

Published by Gothelf Corp
40 17 Paterson Street
Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 USA
+1 201 775 4090

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

by Dorie Clark

Executive Education Faculty, Duke University

W ho hasnt dreamed of being forever employable-of carving out your own unique place in the world and being able to make a living doing it? Today, more people than ever are doing just that, taking their big ideas and building thought leadership, vibrant communities, and engaged and active followers around them.

But thought leadership can also be extremely valuable in a business context. According to a recent Edelman-LinkedIn survey, fully 89 percent of decision makers report that thought leadership can be effective in enhancing their perception of an organization. Surprisingly, however, just 15 percent of decision makers said that the thought leadership they read is either very good or excellent. That leaves 85 percent of thought leadership rated at either good, mediocre, or very poor.

This is a surprisingly large gap-and a tremendous opportunity for you. People are hungry for expert advice and for trusted sources of information, expertise, and knowledge.

While it may seem counterintuitive, you dont have to be an established expert-a university professor, a longtime industry insider, a technical whiz kid-to have the kind of big idea that you can build something significant out of. You can (and should) draw from your own personal life and experience. In fact, that is often where the best ideas come from.

But then what? Once youve got your big idea, how do you turn this into something useful, something that has value for others?

Thats what Forever Employable is all about. In this book, Jeff Gothelf lays out for you a five-step approach to becoming forever employable. The foundation of this approach is built on becoming an expert-a thought leader-in whatever topic it is that you decide. Whether its becoming an expert in UX, or a leading authority on beekeeping, or the go-to guy or gal when it comes to how to make the perfect martini, Jeffs recipe can work for you. But while having a recipe is great, it takes more than that to become forever employable.

It takes you -your willingness and commitment to putting in the hours required to build your expertise, your knowledge, your platform, and your standing in the community that you are gathering together.

And make no mistake about it, becoming forever employable takes hard work. Its not the path of least resistance, not a one-shot deal, not something you take on casually-hoping (or praying) for a viral moment to launch you into the stratosphere. Like a garden, it requires your time and attention, it requires constant tending, and it requires love and devotion to bloom and prosper over the long run.

As you embark on this path of becoming forever employable-whether your path takes you in or out of your current organization-I hope youll keep in mind that youre building a community in the process. This community will be filled with people-human beings-with hopes and dreams of their own. When you build community, youre creating a sacred trust between you and the members of your community-they will come to rely on you for valuable information and perspectives that they can put to work in their careers, businesses, and lives.

They will give you their trust.

And trust isnt something you either have or dont have. Trust is something you earn, every day of the week. As Stephen Covey explained, Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or dont; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create. Do what it takes to build trust. Cherish it. Nurture it. And once you have it, do everything in your power to keep it.

As you build your community, remember to find ways to give back to it-to the people and organizations that support you. I personally make a point of finding opportunities to elevate the people and organizations in my own community. I suggest that you can and should do the same. Build case studies around the companies you work with, interview and feature members of your community who are innovating new solutions to long-standing problems, and shine a spotlight on people and organizations in your community that are getting it right.

You have the power to become forever employable. With this book, you now have the tools you need to get it done.

Use the tools Jeff has given you.

Get it done.

Introduction

Why Were Gathered Here Today

A little over a decade ago, my life changed profoundly and forever, in ways that I never expected. I was at a major crossroads in my life, and I knew I couldnt continue on the same path Id been on for so many years. But what path should I take? That was a question I wasnt yet sure how to answer.

Before I tell you my story, however, why dont you tell me a little bit about yours. Heres a question for you:

Is your career on the right track?

Chances are, this is a question youve asked yourself more than once or twice-I know I have. Earlier in your career, promotions and accolades might have come fast and easy, but you may now find yourself plateauing. Or you may realize that, after pursuing a particular career path for years or even decades, you really dont like the work youre doing after all-youre bored or it no longer fits you. Or you might simply want to shake things up and radically alter the trajectory of your career, exploring something new and exciting.

In my experience, theres one more good reason to ask this question: Youre worried that you might become obsolete or redundant in your current job and that your employer may decide to ease you out of it-and into the unemployment line.

Its often said that most of us are just a paycheck or two away from bankruptcy, and if you look at the data, thats probably not hyperbole. The typical American family has an average of just $8,863 of cash squirreled away in the bank or credit union. If your employer let you go tomorrow, how long could you survive? A month? A few months? A year?

But it doesnt have to be like that.

You can become forever employable-gaining a level of independence and freedom that few people ever get to experience. Not only that, but you can do all this while doing work that is more fully aligned with your lifes purpose.

If you would like to step off the corporate ladder-if you would like to build your own ladder-then this book is for you.

If youre in the middle of your career, maybe 10 or 15 years into your working life-following a traditional path-and you see change coming quickly in your business environment, then this book is for you.

If youre seeing younger folks coming into your organization who are better than you and cheaper than you and faster than you-who have all sorts of new skills and tools and technologies that you dont have-then this book is for you.