Do You Have a Plan B?

Most of us have some career plan. It may not be written down but we have some sense of where we want our current position to take us. In his book Plan B: Converting Change into Career Opportunity, Elwood N. Chapman, a respected authority on career matters, referred to this as Career Plan A. So what is Plan B? Plan B is "a carefully researched and designed strategy to provide an immediate and exciting career opportunity should your present job (Plan A) lose its luster or disappear." Not such a bad idea in today's fast-paced and ever-changing work environment.

Note that Plan B is more than some idea in the back of your mind. It is an alternative to your present position that you have taken actual steps to make into a reality should the need or desire arise. Chapman identified seven steps essential to making Plan B a reality:

• Step #1: Commit yourself. Chapman advocates sharing your back-up plan with others -- a spouse, a close friend, and/or mentor -- not only to gain their guidance and support but also to ensure you are committed to the idea -- otherwise, you will let the idea slide.
• Step #2: Improve your performance in your current job. The more effective you are in your current position, Plan A, the more time you will have to devote to prepare yourself for Plan B. Streamline operations, eliminate redundancies, improve workflow.
• Step #3: Identify opportunities in Plan A to move into Plan B. Search for opportunities in your present job to prepare you to succeed in Plan B. Ask for new responsibilities from which you can grow professionally. Investigate the opportunities for company-sponsored seminars or training. Ask a colleague who is a specialist to help you develop new skills.
• Step #4: Learn more about Plan B. Use your networking skills to get insights into the pros and cons of moving into Plan B. Don't look at this prospective job solely with rosy-colored glasses. Search out individuals who are already doing Plan B and set up information interviews to query them about their work. Find out what skills, abilities, and knowledge you would need to succeed in this kind of job.
• Step #5: Develop necessary skills. If you are serious about Plan B, you have to be prepared to go back to school or undertake self-instruction, or both.
• Step #6: Network for your Plan B. Market yourself to people who can help you make Plan B a reality. Join a trade association or other group in your chosen career area. Your goal is to find those who will help you activate Plan B.
• Step #7: Make Plan B a reality. Update your resume to reflect the efforts you have taken to make Plan B a reality. Incorporate relevant information from Plan A but focus on the steps you have taken to upgrade yourself or to move on. Whether the interview would move you up or offer an opportunity outside your current employer, invite questions about your plan. When interest is shown, you are doing well in the interview. You are demonstrating your initiative.