Page 53 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

She told me that she had started out recruiting in the
construction area, but she realized there were too many other
consultants in that field. She needed to carve out a niche. So,
she settled on the window business, took courses, visited every
industry event, went to every product launch, got to know the

suppliers, the fitters, architects, engineers. Cindy ended up
knowing so much about the business, and so many people within
it, that many clients retained her on an annual basis simply for

her knowledge. If there was a takeover or an acquisition, she
knew the personnel, the ins and outs of every organization.
The lesson of this story, from a career perspective, is that
Cindy had understood the value of her personal brand, and the
di≠erence between being good and being great. In most indus-

tries the price di≠erential between being good and being great
is fifty per cent. If you are competent at your job, you might be
on £50,000, for example. If you are great at that job, and you

make sure people recognize that, you could be on £75,000.

The jc twist

Let’s say I am your employer, and you are high-profile in the
industry. I am not stupid: I can see that your profile means
that you are visible to my competitors. And therefore I am
probably going to have to recognize that you are being

approached. I will have to be on my toes to make sure your
remuneration is in line with the market. Because if I’m not,
I won’t be your employer for long. You will move on. So, your

high profile e≠ectively puts the employer on notice.

41 passion