Career Management, and Job Change

Unemployment in the U.S. is over 8%.  That does not count the people who have given up the job search or accepted some form of early retirement.  Keeping a good job is hard work.  Finding a good job in this economy is even harder.  The conventional wisdom is that any job with a new organization that increases your income is worth considering.  However, there are a number of factors to consider beyond the compensation being offered. One of the most obvious involves the benefits package available to employees at a potential employer.  One of the least obvious is whether that new employer is financially viable and likely to be in business one to five years in the future.  Another of the less obvious risks associated with job change involves the fact that as the new man or new person on the totem pole, your position may be considered the most expendible...especially in a company that values loyalty and longevity and applies the last-in first-out rule to layoffs.

That said, if you don't enjoy what you do orthe people you work with then compensation should be less important to you as it relates to deciding whether to remain with your existing employer or changing jobs.  Whatever you do, you don't want to jump from a bad situation to a worse situation. Therefore, the job interview is your best and arguably your only opportunity to learn as much information as possible about the corporate culture of the organization with which you are interviewing.  A reasonable and realistic strategy is to make certain that at the same time as a potential employer is interviewing and evaluating them, you are evaluating and assessing that company and making a decision about whether this is a place you want to work.

There are a number of skills and attributes that are highly prized by companies looking for credit professionals including these:

  • Problem solving skills;
  • Creativity;
  • Technical skills in areas such as customer financial statement analysis and interpretation;
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
  • The ability to manage and motivate subordinates;
  • A track record of documented successes and achievements;
  • The skills needed to increase the credit department's effectiveness without increasing costs;
  • A commitment to continuing professional development;
  • The maturity required to recognize that the credit department is a part of not apart from the rest of the company and must be committed to helping the company achieve its sales and profit goals;
  • The flexibility necessary to adapt quickly to changing business conditions as well as to changing priorities.

If you are lacking skills in any of the areas listed above, now is the time to make the necessary adjustments.

© 2009 by Michael C. Dennis.  All Rights Reserved.  Mr. Dennis is the author of "1001 Collection Tools and Tips."