leveraging your contract job updated

Karen L. CorneliusKaren L. CorneliusPresident President KLC AssociatesKLC Associates

Leveraging YourLeveraging Your Contract JobContract Job into into Permanent EmploymentPermanent Employment

---- Guerrilla Tactics for Contractors

I. I. KindsKinds of Contract employees

IIII. . Top DerailersDerailers in Leveraging Contract Jobs into Permanent Employment -- (Executive/management view)

IIIIII Top Challenges Challenges in Leveraging Contract Jobs into Permanent Employment – (Contract employee view)

IV. Guerilla Tactics for SuccessIV. Guerilla Tactics for Success:A.A. Demonstrating Demonstrating valuevalue

• Homework: Homework: Know Your CompanyKnow Your Company

C. Targeting and landing your ideal C. Targeting and landing your ideal permanent jobpermanent job::

AgendaAgenda

I. Kinds of Contract Employees

Freelance people Freelance people who who contract with acontract with a Project Project ManagerManager to deliver to deliver pieces of work on pieces of work on projectsprojects

…and usually have and usually have little or no contact with little or no contact with the the client client and and client’s client’s organizationorganization

Kinds of Contract Employees

People who People who maymay be be freelance freelance – or work – or work through anthrough an agency agency ––

but providebut provide interim interim or or ongoing working rolesongoing working roles similar to those ofsimilar to those of permanent employeespermanent employees within the within the client client organizationorganization

Primary Focus for This EveningPrimary Focus for This Evening::People who providePeople who provide interim interim oror ongoing working ongoing working

rolesroles similar to those ofsimilar to those of permanent employeespermanent employees within within the the client organizationclient organization

……as these are more likely to be people interested as these are more likely to be people interested in moving intoin moving into permanent employmentpermanent employment

II. Top Derailers in Leveraging Contract Jobs into Permanent Employment

• Not taking the contract job seriously Not taking the contract job seriously – focusing all your– focusing all your effort and energy on finding a permanent job.effort and energy on finding a permanent job.

• Failure to get a good understanding of goalsFailure to get a good understanding of goals and priorities of the organization and your job.and priorities of the organization and your job.

• Failure to take initiative Failure to take initiative – passively waiting for – passively waiting for assignmentsassignments

• Failure to develop good relationships with colleagues:Failure to develop good relationships with colleagues: “ “The lone Ranger”The lone Ranger” “Butting in Bill”“Butting in Bill” “The Genius”“The Genius”

““Mac The Knife”Mac The Knife”

Executives and managers say:Executives and managers say:

III. Top Challenges in Leveraging Contract Jobs …

Contract employees say:Contract employees say:

• Treated like 2Treated like 2ndnd class citizens : class citizens : “Heads”, “Heads”, “ “Warm bodies”, “Arms and legs” Warm bodies”, “Arms and legs” ---- difficult to get individualdifficult to get individual expertise noticed and respected. Also, contractorsexpertise noticed and respected. Also, contractors may be excluded from employee meetings and teammay be excluded from employee meetings and team eventsevents

• Managing ambivalent feelings Managing ambivalent feelings – feeling – feeling ‘exploited’‘exploited’ (less pay and/ or benefits for the same work) (less pay and/ or benefits for the same work) versusversus maintaining maintaining high motivation high motivation to do your best workto do your best work..

• Resentment from permanent employeesResentment from permanent employees – Sometimes – Sometimes view and treat contractors as threats.view and treat contractors as threats.

IV.IV. Guerilla Tactics for SuccessGuerilla Tactics for Success

•(Before you sign with an agency),(Before you sign with an agency), check their contract check their contract provisions re: client firms hiring their personnelprovisions re: client firms hiring their personnel

•(Before you take the job)…(Before you take the job)…check company policy re: check company policy re: contract to ‘permanent’ conversions– (Look for sneaky ‘catches’)contract to ‘permanent’ conversions– (Look for sneaky ‘catches’)

A. Demonstrating valueA. Demonstrating value

B. Managing Your BossB. Managing Your Boss

C. Doing Your HomeworkC. Doing Your Homework

D. Targeting and Landing Your Ideal D. Targeting and Landing Your Ideal Permanent JobPermanent Job

• Most probably Most probably notnot your contracted your contracted positionposition


IV. Guerilla Tactics for Success

Deliver results/exceedDeliver results/exceedexpectationsexpectations……ButBut be a be a good team player*good team player*

•Understand how your work Understand how your work fits in with other team fits in with other team members’members’

•Learn the standards, formats Learn the standards, formats and ways of doing thingsand ways of doing things • Don’t immediately leap in and Don’t immediately leap in and

try to ‘improve’ the way try to ‘improve’ the way people do thingspeople do things



* Special Case ‘Good Team Player’ ‘Good Team Player’ Tips for Contract or Interim Managers or Executives Hired as ‘Hatchet Persons’

• Find out what your boss wants to achieve Find out what your boss wants to achieve (productivity, quality….?)(productivity, quality….?)

• Use techniques for creating a Use techniques for creating a high high performing work group: performing work group:

• Set clear goals and expectations• Involve work group in creating a vision of a future state and operating values• Get feedback from internal customers• Work with the team to identify what is getting in the way of their giving best effort?• Collaboratively develop improvement plans.



Watch for, and conform to Watch for, and conform to company company ‘norms’‘norms’ – the – the unwritten rules for how unwritten rules for how things are done therethings are done there

DressDress

How people interact with How people interact with HierarchyHierarchy

Behavior and protocol Behavior and protocol in meetingsin meetings

Is it ok to bring up Is it ok to bring up problems? When? problems? When? Where?Where?

Who really makes the Who really makes the decisions?decisions?

‘‘Water cooler’ meetings vs Water cooler’ meetings vs ‘Getting on the calendar’‘Getting on the calendar’



Visibly show enthusiasm and Visibly show enthusiasm and energy…energy…

•Volunteer for extra assignmentsVolunteer for extra assignments

•Put in ‘face-time’Put in ‘face-time’

• (where ever you go), carry (where ever you go), carry papers and walk brisklypapers and walk briskly

……(even if (even if the work is the work is stultifyingly stultifyingly boring)boring)



Be Be pro-activepro-active in getting a in getting a clear understanding of your clear understanding of your boss’s expectationsboss’s expectations

•If s/he does not suggest it, request If s/he does not suggest it, request a one-on-one meeting to discuss a one-on-one meeting to discuss themthem

• Ask if there is a job description, Ask if there is a job description, objectives, etc.objectives, etc.

• Make certain you clearly Make certain you clearly understand understand deadlines...deadlines...and what a and what a deadline is in this company: deadline is in this company: Sacrosanct or a ‘target’Sacrosanct or a ‘target’



Be pro-active in developing a clear understanding of your boss’s expectations

•If s/he does not suggest it, request If s/he does not suggest it, request a one-on-one meeting to discuss a one-on-one meeting to discuss themthem

• Ask if there is a job description, Ask if there is a job description, objectives, etc.objectives, etc.

• Give your boss a prGive your boss a préécis of your cis of your skills and experience outside those skills and experience outside those for which you have been hiredfor which you have been hired



Try to figure out your boss’s Try to figure out your boss’s MBTI profile and use itMBTI profile and use it



Try to figure out your boss’s Try to figure out your boss’s MBTI profileMBTI profile and use it and use it

Periodically ask for Periodically ask for feedback and act on itfeedback and act on it



Try to figure out your boss’s Try to figure out your boss’s MBTI profileMBTI profile and use it and use it

Periodically ask for Periodically ask for feedbackfeedback and act on it and act on it

After you have been working After you have been working there awhile there awhile (i.e., more than 1 (i.e., more than 1 day),..day),.. Express keen interest Express keen interest in the companyin the company• Enquire about possibilities for Enquire about possibilities for permanent employmentpermanent employment



Learn about the companyLearn about the company

• Website/internetWebsite/internet

• Talk to peopleTalk to people

• Read the newspaperRead the newspaper

• For public companies --get For public companies --get their their 10K and quarterly 10K and quarterly earningsearnings releases releases

• For foreign registered For foreign registered companies – get their companies – get their annual annual reportreport

Products and ServicesProducts and ServicesCustomers Customers and and marketsmarkets StructureStructureCultureCulture

CompetitorsCompetitorsChallengesChallenges

Financial pictureFinancial picture



……Then Then demonstratedemonstrate your your knowledge by folding knowledge by folding relevantrelevant comments into comments into conversations with conversations with colleagues and colleagues and managementmanagement

D. Targeting and Landing YourD. Targeting and Landing Your Ideal (Permanent) JobIdeal (Permanent) Job


Determine what kind of Determine what kind of work and work work and work environmentsenvironments you are you are best suited forbest suited for

MBTIMBTI

Strong InventoryStrong Inventory

Career AnchorsCareer Anchors

Research:



Research:Research:

Identify Identify functions and functions and positionspositions you would be you would be interested in and find out interested in and find out who the management who the management key playerskey players are. are.

•Key playersKey players become become youryour ‘targets’ ‘targets’



Moving into ActionMoving into ActionRequest Request ‘informational ‘informational interview’interview’ meetings meetings with your targetswith your targets

•Ask Ask what skills, attributes, what skills, attributes, and experienceand experience are needed are needed for the jobs you are interested for the jobs you are interested in.in.

•Ask about turnover and Ask about turnover and likelihood of openingslikelihood of openings



Moving into ActionMoving into ActionRequest Request ‘informational ‘informational interview’interview’ meetings with meetings with your targetsyour targets

• Make sure you understand Make sure you understand what what educational credentials educational credentials and certificationand certification are are required…and go out and required…and go out and get themget them

D. Targeting and Landing YourD. Targeting and Landing Your Ideal (Permanent )JobIdeal (Permanent )Job


Moving into ActionMoving into Action

Get Get visible to your targetsvisible to your targets

• Find out what Find out what meetings meetings they they attend and try to create an attend and try to create an opportunity to opportunity to make a make a presentation presentation therethere

• PouncePounce on them during on them during breaks with topics you think breaks with topics you think may interest themmay interest them



Moving into ActionMoving into Action

Get Get visible to your targetsvisible to your targets

•If you have impressed If you have impressed someone senior who someone senior who knows/interfaces with your knows/interfaces with your target(s),target(s), see if they will see if they will approach him/her/them on your approach him/her/them on your behalfbehalf

•Look for other opportunities Look for other opportunities ((committees/special projectscommittees/special projects) ) that could give you visibilitythat could give you visibility



Other Bits and PiecesOther Bits and Pieces

•If your company has a If your company has a job job posting siteposting site, keep an eye on , keep an eye on it.it.

•Make sure your Make sure your resumeresume is is updatedupdated

•Polish your Polish your interviewing interviewing skillsskills

The EndThe End

leveraging your contract job updated

Documents

permanent employees

contract provisions

ideal permanent job

permanent conversions

permanent employmentii

kinds of contract employeesii

best work

pieces of work