On the Hunt for Opportunities

Recently in the Re-energising Your Career Hub, I explored the connection between talent management and your career adventure. Specifically how to use it to help you with opportunity hunting.

Linked to the four B’s of talent management…

Buy | Borrow | Build | Bridge

…the highlights are as follows:

Setting the scene

In an organisation’s view, you are the ‘talent’. Therefore, aspects of your career adventure can be related to what organisations need on the talent front and your ability to satisfy those needs. Needs both current and future.

The four B’s

Buy – recruitment or talent acquisition

Opportunities for you: This is your chance to get in front of the people who have opportunities you are interested in and show them they can trust in you and you are worth their investment.

Borrow – outsourcing; e.g. partnerships, contract work, freelancers, temporary contracts.

Opportunities for you: Depending on how the organisation chooses to ‘contract’ with outside talent, it might follow the same process as ‘Buy’ and be offering a short-term opportunity. This is a great chance for you to gain different experience; to enrich your career adventure, while having the flexibility to move on to something else.

If the organisation is looking for a true ‘hands-off’ solution, it may want to contract with you as a business entity. Self-employed; contractor; freelancer; consultant… Again, this can provide opportunities for you to gain experience and enrich your professional story.

Build – talent development and growing an in-house talent pool through up-skilling

Opportunities for you: Whatever your career stage, these types of ‘Build’ initiatives are great sources of opportunities. Think about what it is you might gain from being part of such initiatives. As well as what value the organisation will gain from you being part of it.

Bridge – talent development through increasing the breadth of in-house competencies

Opportunities for you: When you are part of an organisation it can be easy to get completely absorbed in the work you are doing. Delivering results; trouble-shooting; helping others; adding value. All that good stuff. Take time to network internally; be curious and ask questions. You never know where ‘Bridge’ opportunities might take you or the new ideas they may spark.

Talent management may not be your area of interest or expertise. It is, however, a way to take a fresh perspective on your value to organisations. A way for you to create and find new opportunities on your career adventure.