Portable Executive: Building Your Own Job Security - From Corporate Dependence to Self-Direction [Paperback]

John A. Thompson (Author), Catharine A. Henningsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 1996

The downsizing of America -- once thought to be a temporary cost-cutting measure to boost profit margins -- has brought a swift end to the era of "lifetime employment." Given the fact that these terminations are nationwide, affect every industry, and are usually neither fault-based nor predictable, no executive is immune.

Based on interviews with over 100 now-portable executives who were among the first casualties of downsizing, The Portable Executive explores the unlimited opportunities available to those who are independent, self-directed, and willing to work on a contract basis. It explains:

• How to make a smooth transition to becoming "portable"

• How to identify, continually update, and market your skills

• Why companies that downsize full-time employees are willing to hire executives on an as-needed basis

• How and why the relationship between employers and executives has changed from boss/worker to peer/peer

And much more -- including how to invent a business, what to charge clients, how to network, market, and sell yourself as a "personal service business entity," and, most important, how to enjoy a greater sense of creativity, satisfaction, and long-term job security than ever before.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The premise here is that no executive today is secure in the job because of recent corporate downsizings. Thompson, cofounder of IMCOR, an interim management firm, and freelancer Henningsen skillfully address the "broken covenant" of lifetime employment, which, they maintain, has been consigned to nostalgic memory in America. They argue, nonetheless, that corporate flattening has provided an opportunity for managers interested in short-term employment, and they point out that in today's job market, the demand is not for company loyalty but for knowledge on an "as needed basis." This pragmatic guide, which should be of great interest to downsized executives, covers both termination and a "portable executive" strategy for marketing oneself, as well as useful tips for establishing one's own business. Newbridge Book Club alternate; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

For executives facing the prospect of layoff due to downsizing, the concept of lifetime employment is so ingrained that they immediately begin to search for a new position. Thompson, the founder of an interim management firm, offers an alternative: package your skills and offer them on a contract basis. With writer Henningsen, he shows how this can be accomplished. Despite downsizing, businesses still need the skilled people they have removed, creating new opportunities for displaced executives. This comprehensive guide reveals how to assess your skills, develop an action plan, market yourself, handle pricing and finance, and confront all the other complexities of going it on your own. With the reengineering of American business, more executives face early layoff, and this work can offer a valuable alternative to updating the resume. Highly recommended for public libraries.
Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. System, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (February 6, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684818914
• ISBN-13: 978-0684818917
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,857,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Portable Executive is very confused, March 12, 2004

By 

Eric Kassan (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Portable Executive: Building Your Own Job Security - From Corporate Dependence to Self-Direction (Paperback)

Written during a time of significant downsizing, the Portable Executive comes across as a confused attempt to make sense of the situation. "Open-Book Management" by John Case does a far better job of properly identifying the causes and consequences of recent economic changes. To name just a few of the many glaring contradictions in this book:

1. The book claims that many jobs are being lost and that there are ample temporary opportunities but if you do the math replacing 2 permanent jobs with 1 contract job does not leave enough contracts for everyone.
2. The book claims companies save money by using contract employees and then also claims that portable executives can make more by contacting than they could as employees.
3. For most executives, relationships with the staffs they lead and peers they must work with is key. Working for multiple companies on a contract basis would thus limit their effectiveness.
4. With all these contract opportunities, the book never discusses who originates these contracts (permanent employees, no doubt).

Contradictions aside, this book does mention some true points, but they are lost in the confused attempts to explain the bigger picture.