Why the "H" Signal Flag? 

Until the development of flag signals began in the sixteenth century, communication between ships at sea was impractical. For the most part, tactics at sea were thought to be driven more by the winds and the current than by the sailor.  Tactics so primitive, by their nature, that there was no need for a sophisticated communication system. During their long development, these signal systems conferred on the navies who used them significant strategic advantages in battle, when decisions had to be made—and communicated—rapidly.

Early systems consisted of raising a flag on the Admiral's ship—the flagship—that indicated all ships' captains must gather for conference. Before a major naval expedition in 1596, Queen Elizabeth I issued sealed instructions for the use of flag signals by her fleet commanders. In 1673, James, Duke of York, Lord High Admiral of England, commissioned the volume Sailing and Fighting Instructions, to aid the fleet in the final of the Dutch Wars. The instructions included a more complex set of flags and message combinations, beginning a complex 300 year evolution of maritime signaling.

Today's nautical flag system was established after World War I, at the International Radio- Telegraph Conference in 1927. It was finally adopted in 1934, and has been adapted for use by numerous countries and navies, including that of NATO, to include specialized secret code combinations.  The "H" signal flag, with its distinctive red and white vertical stripes signals "PILOT ON BOARD."

Conditions are always changing, you're changing, the world is changing—and the pace of change is increasing by the moment. How do you keep up without falling victim to failing trends? How do you avoid being "dot-gone"? How do you adopt the only certainty—change—as a matter of principle and practice? How do you navigate change? Effective communications can make a difference.

Throughout the Careerpilot's nearly quarter century of helping organizations achieve their goals, I have developed Personal Marketing, communication oriented,  programs that anticipate the future for both individuals and organizations that employ them.

Why the CareerPILOT?  

From a candidate's perspective, career management is a noun used to describe the penultimate destination in one's career "journey".   One might also use the term as an active verb, meaning the collection of activities and decision-making events that lead to the state of career management.  

As a professional Career Consultant, I offer my assistance in the career management or career decision-making process of the Candidates I serve. This nautical metaphor, then, is struck using the definition of PILOTAGE  taken from the Website of The International Maritime Pilots' Association (IMPA).  On rivers, harbors and coastal waters, even the most seasoned skippers call on "pilots" to guide them through extreme local conditions. Pilots are uniquely skilled, experienced and knowledgeable of those conditions, enabling them to assist the skippers in getting their ships through the challenging waters!

This metaphor best defines the Internet presence of the (www.)careerpilot and is offered in order to stimulate dialog aimed at defining a profession for those who assist others, usually corporate sponsored, in the broadest reach of career decision-making.

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