You’re pretty darn lucky to make your living in the powersports industry — you likely took that age-old advice and turned what you love into your career. But if the honeymoon is over, and the job you once loved has turned into a daily drudgery, it may be time to reassess your plans for the road ahead.
Dealer Principals
If you’re a business owner, and you dread going into the dealership, stop everything you’re doing and pinpoint the factors that are causing your consternation. Financial worries? Ghastly hours? A staff from hell?
Consider joining a 20-group or pulling in a business consultant — while work isn’t all fun and games, if you aren’t loving what you do the majority of the time, it is time for a reassessment. MPN’s dedicated team of monthly contributors is here to help. Got a specific issue? Drop me a line, and I’ll connect you with an industry expert who can point you in the right direction.
Dealership Staff
If you are employed at a dealership, and you’ve fallen out of love with your daily routine, it may be time to move on. I turned to two employment experts to gather up some career advice for industry job seekers.
Alex Baylon of MotorcycleIndustryJobs.com says that the industry has shifted focus from placing help wanted ads to browsing the site’s résumé database. “Employers are being more proactive in finding quality employees and are searching the MIJ resume database because they want to find the right employee versus waiting for employees to come to them,” says Baylon. “We encourage everyone employed or unemployed to post their résumé in our database. While you may not be looking for employment at the moment, better opportunities could be looking for you.”
Jan Plessner, a powersports recruiter for Henry Lonski and Associates, says that a presence on LinkedIn is mandatory. “LinkedIn.com is fast becoming the ‘go-to’ for motorcycle industry recruiters,” says Plessner. “Regardless if you are a technician or store GM, if you are serious about growing your career, be sure to update your LinkedIn profile, and that includes a professional headshot.” Plessner additionally recommends participation in LinkedIn Groups to see who’s hiring within a particular industry or sub-group.
Plessner also encourages job seekers to actively visit the websites of target employers to check for new job listings and suggests that job seekers send their information to a professional recruiter like herself. “Hiring managers who are looking for the ‘best of the best’ use professional recruiters,” concludes Plessner.
Got an industry success story? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn!
