WORKSHIFTER - Dispatches from the New Executive Frontier

It has been a busy week for Wall Street and for EPOCH! Fortunately for EPOCH, our week has been going a little better. Now more than ever, businesses and candidates alike are questioning their next moves. I’d like to use today’s post to direct readers to recent career advice I’ve given to the New York Times and to Monster.com.

During my interview with New York Times Career Couch writer Eilene Zimmerman, I stressed the importance of laying groundwork before becoming an independent consultant. It’s important to plan six months to a year prior to going out on your own and to build a network of contacts during this time. That network includes friends, colleagues, business associates, vendors and clients. Your personal business plan is equally as important as it establishes how revenue will be generated and how you will handle sales, marketing, finance, operations, expenses and fees. More of my advice and the advice of others can be found here.

Given the current economic condition, a timely article to read is “Laid Off in Financial Services- 11 Job Options to Consider” by Denise DeZube (Monster Finance Careers Expert). In the article Denise lays out 11 different options to consider and I comment on the need for compliance during these unsteady times. Companies need professionals with deep knowledge and experience to establish and manage procedures designed to stabilize financial activities going forward. If you have this experience, you’ll become an asset to the financial services industry.

Also, congratulations to Susanne Lyons, EPOCH’s Strategic Advisor, for her feature story in the Wall Street Journal. Read all about Susanne’s ‘second act’ in “An Executive Downshifts From Marketing Fast Lane”.

Visit us again next week as I discuss part four of our five-step guide to becoming independently employed.