Your Career is not a Gamble

by Nicole Hooper

Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Eunice Azzani, Vice President and Partner at Korn/Ferry International. Beginning with Korn/Ferry in 1985, Ms. Azzani was promoted to Vice President in only five years. As a self-proclaimed "head farmer," who cultivates relationships between people and companies, Ms. Azzani is a woman with a plan for both herself and the candidates she meets. Demonstrating that she "walks the talk" by making the transition to partner at the leading executive search firm through a long-term directed career plan, Ms. Azzani gives the following message to each person she interviews for the many positions she fills each year:

"Manage your own career-Don't wait for someone else to manage it for you."

Ms. Azzani notes that too often she meets talented people stuck in the job they were hired to do, even though it does not satisfy them. They are waiting for a recruiter to rescue them with a new opportunity. Ms. Azzani says "Don't let your job define you, instead define your job." While she and other recruiters often have good opportunities, the quality of any opportunity is more dependent on how it helps you to reach your goals than on anything else. "You have to take an active role in defining your job and career." She also points out that in her experience, only 20% of the opportunities are available in the explicit job market (through recruiters, want ads and similar media). The other 80% of the career opportunities are found through what Ms. Azzani refers to as the "opportunity market," where talented individuals create the niche to allow them to add value and satisfy their career goals. During our interview, Ms. Azzani discussed how to access this opportunity market and how to create the career that you want.

Accessing the Opportunity Market

To access the opportunity market you must sell your product, which is yourself, to customers that do not yet know that you are what they need. According to Ms. Azzani, "the best way to approach this sale is to develop a marketing plan for yourself." Ms. Azzani breaks the marketing plan into four key components:

• Preparation
• Passion
• Planning
• Perseverance