There is serious talk at our company about how some of our internal organizations are going to be bought by another company and outsourced. Even though we'd be owned by a new company, they would still need us to do our specialized work and we'd do that work for our old company as a supplier. I am assuming we will all go and will have jobs. Therefore, I am not doing anything different. Does this seem like a sound approach?

--Mark

Dear Mark:

The best approach is to not assume anything. Because in reality, there are several ways this could play out:

1. Your organization gets sold with everyone's job intact-for now.
2. Your organization gets sold and only some people go with the sale.
3. The deal dies for now-for whatever reason.

In all these scenarios, you have no guarantee of a job. Sometimes everyone goes with the deal. Once on board, you have to prove you're worth keeping.

Even if the deal dies for now, your company's appetite to outsource probably won't go away. Outsourcing functions that are not core to a company is the direction many firms are going. Odds are good, even if one deal falls through, your company will be looking at other ways to hammer out an outsourcing deal.

If you're thinking your manager or someone from human resources will speak on your behalf and make sure you're one of the keepers, don't. Even if you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, the new company hasn't experienced you and they may feel differently.

They don't know you from Adam. They'll want to meet you, get to know you and hear what you can do and why you'd valuable to them. You don't control whether the deal happens, but you can influence whether you're a part of it. This is where you should put your efforts.

Plan on having a conversation with a representative of the new company as if you're interviewing for a job there. Be prepared to concisely answer the question most people dread and don't know how to answer: "Tell me about yourself."

Your response should start with an overview of your career:

"I have 12 years experience in project management, where I help complete information technology projects on schedule, within budget and in accordance with project specifications. I manage a staff of six and provide technical direction and support. I also oversee the budget, schedule and technical specifications and work closely with our clients. I have done this at the XYZ company my entire career."

Then explain your specific strengths and give an example of how you've applied those strengths. Be ready to talk about what has made you successful, such as your ability to juggle multiple tasks, stay cool in a crisis or willingness to use innovative approaches to solve problems. Tell about the knowledge you've acquired and where's it's applicable to the new business.

Do all this without using acronyms and jargon that are used at your company and will be meaningless to someone outside your organization.

If you can do this, you will not only be able to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself," but you'll have a better sense of your value, which makes you more confident-and can affect how you are perceived.

The new company is trying to figure out just who you are and if you've got what it takes to solve their problems. Don't assume they'll know that. Consider also, that you may have to look for a new job. If you go through this exercise, you'll be off and running and prepared to talk about yourself to other potential employers.

© by Andrea Kay