- November 2, 2015
- 1:29 pm
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Is Writing a Job Proposal Underrated?
We are living in a difficult economy where opportunities are hard to come by. Not only do you have to do what everyone else is doing, but you have to do a little more to get noticed. Not only that, you have to be persuasive and have a “success story” that sells. If it doesn’t sell, people won’t remember your elevator pitch when looking at a pile of resumes after a career fair. Feeling discouraged? Don’t. There are other ways to stand out in the competition. How does launching your own dream career sound?
In my first year as a Director of Career Services, I remember observing an area of opportunity when it came to training for the university. Our monthly Director Meetings had approximately 50-60 Associate level and Director level attendees trying to learn over the phone how to integrate new systems or adopt best practices on a national call. In fact, all of the training was over the phone on conference calls. I thought to myself, what if there was to be an Associate Dean of Career Services that would handle different regions and would physically travel to observe them? When it came to Career Outcomes, achieving 90% Employed-in-Field was no joke. This was very challenging and we could use the assistance. At the time, I fortunately had the number one ranked Career Services Department in the nation. But I had my eyes set on more. I wanted to be more than a Director, I wanted to be a Dean of Career Services. Thus, I decided to write my first job proposal. However, I didn’t call it a “Job Proposal” because that’s not what it truly was. It was business proposal for the company, and for me personally and professionally—a “Career Proposition”.
Many innovative companies aren’t afraid to take risks as they want to be leaders in a tough economy. They understand that they must be creative and own a competitive position. As companies grow, additional positions are added, sometimes entirely new. For example, a Chief Diversity Officer is a position that may not have existed in the past and could be the direct result of a job proposal. Sure, I know many of you may be afraid that your job proposal (whether you work for the company or not) may not be accepted. In fact, after writing mine, I wasn’t even sure if I would get a response. However, I did, and I was told: “Hassan, great idea, but we simply don’t have the budget for something like that. Thanks anyway.” As they walked away, they chuckled, as in their view, it was just too lofty of a proposal granted the economic state of the organization. This was frustrating to say the least, as I was the only Director who had a place on the Advisory Board at the time and I was also a member of the Pilot Committee. Despite these leadership roles, my proposal still was not being taken seriously. However, I didn’t let it sway my belief in the value of my proposal. I told myself, “be patient”. It was a “win win” in my eyes, and I was going to keep my eyes on the career horizon.
When it comes to writing a strong proposal, it’s important to remember to outline the specific tasks and responsibilities and demonstrate the benefit of a job proposal. This is all part of the process of writing the proposal. You must explain why you are the best candidate. Qualifying and quantifying your achievements, highlighting your transferable skills and communicating your vision are some ways to accomplish this. If you can’t influence the decision makers, who will?
I was confident that I had written a persuasive job proposal, however, that didn’t mean anything would come of it. But, that’s besides the point. The goal is to stay positive. I knew that if I could demonstrate a problem or need, it could lead to a discussion. I was creating the ideal position for my background, but I was also offering value added for the company. Well, I was right. Before I knew it, not only did this conversation happen, but I saw the position posted a couple months later. Now, granted, I wasn’t given credit for proposing it immediately. I even applied and was a final candidate, but didn’t receive an offer. I was told that I was still a rookie and needed more experience. I was in my first year and half as a Director of Career Services. I had won the Legacy of Service Award, an award typically given to outstanding performers who have been with the university for more than ten years, but I still wasn’t perceived as “career ready” for this role. The role was indeed challenging, so I told myself once again, “be patient”.
I quickly realized that there were different levels of patience, and I convinced myself to stay positive and held on. After all, since I wrote the job description, nobody was going to understand the cost-benefit analysis or scope as well as I could, at least in my eyes. To my delight, patience was a virtue. Shortly after, I got a call from the Vice President of Student Services to arrange a meeting with the new Associate Dean of Career Services to “pick my brain” on my envisioned position. I was told, “Hassan, you have the reputation for being one of the top directors and have a proven record. You’re the turnaround guy.” I said to myself, “thank you, I think” and took it as a compliment.
Essentially, the position I originally proposed was a highly customized role. So the first thing I explained to the Associate Dean of Career Services was that the overall operations will vary depending on location and demographics. There is no one size fits all and he/she will need to be versatile. Macro needs may be obvious, but it’s the micro details that would ultimately make the difference. Since I was familiar with how much the position was budgeted for, as I included this in the original proposal, I had an idea of how much wiggle room the new hire had in terms of support, travel and training. Thus, I was direct, showing support and illustrating what I would do if I was in his/her shoes. In order to justify the position, I had to demonstrate how the position can help and solve some of the underlying issues different locations were facing. For example, conducting a SWOT analysis, plus/delta on events, and focus groups with both staff and students would be essential tasks to complete. I found it easy to persuade the new hire to follow my recommended steps of action although I was now speaking to a dotted line supervisor.
So what’s the overall lesson learned? It’s simple. Don’t be afraid to take risks and be patient. However, think things through. Although your position may not be accepted, it can still impress an employer. If there is no current budget for such a “bridge opportunity”, they may reallocate funds and or draw funds from another area. Your critical thinking skills and ability to assess areas of opportunity while aligning readily applicable solutions is what they really want. Not only may the company still hire you, but they may end up hiring you for an entirely different position based on your career readiness skill set.
Writing a winning career proposal is not easy, but the payoff can launch your career in a direction that it may have never taken otherwise, and one that is tailor-fitted to your aspirations. You don’t want to come across overconfident and act as if you know all the hidden issues in an organization. However, you want to offer yourself as the unique solution, providing supporting details as specific as you can, and spell out next steps. Reinforce both the concept and timing of the proposal to optimize your chances of being heard. If you are currently employed at the organization, it’s also helpful to include a clear transition plan so that this doesn’t hinder your chances in any way. With any employer negotiation, you must include financial terms such as costs saved as well as time with the new implementation. The proposal shouldn’t be too vague, nor should it be too lengthy, but make sure you are thorough. For example, I not only included succession planning, but I had been focusing on professional development of my staff so they would be ready for additional responsibilities. Timing is critical, so consider when the most rational time to champion this is.
Remember, a career proposal is a statement with a goal in mind. Make a strong entrance, meaning, your opening statements are most important. Try anticipating their questions and answer them within your summary. As with thank you letters, make sure you are appreciative that they are taking their time to review this. I can’t emphasize this enough. After all, you don’t want to waste their time, so make it worthwhile.
In my third year as a Director of Career Services, I was finally asked to step in as the Acting Associate Dean of Career Services and oversee all of West Coast Operations. This meant I would be overseeing two dozen directors and career centers. Further, I was selected as the Audit Mentor for Canada. Moving into this role, a role I had originally projected, meant two things: One, I was happier than I ever was, as I was doing what I loved. And two, I was destined to succeed, as I knew exactly what the position required. I did excel, helping transition several locations into the top ten in the U.S. in terms of performance, employee engagement and career outcomes. This led to being promoted to the most premier location, New York City. Following, I was considered for several regional and national positions via a special leadership and catalyst committee. How’s that for a return on investment?
Thus, is the “job proposal” underestimated? Yes, but it needs to be done right!
How do you really know that it’s done right? By making it a winning career proposition based on a compelling career profile. In other words, make them an offer they can’t refuse!