We all mean to tackle big goals for the new year. Before you get swept up in the holidays, take out your daily planner or log into Outlook and actually block out the following good career habits for the upcoming year.
We all mean to tackle big goals for the new year. Before you get swept up in the holidays, take out your daily planner or log into Outlook and actually block out the following good career habits for the upcoming year:
Schedule lunch breaks for specific dates. Pick people that you want to reach out to – for social reasons, for professional networking – and email them now. But instead of saying, “Let’s get together in the new year”, offer a specific date (“How about January 17 at 1p?). Aim for 10 dates in the first quarter. You can get away one day a week!
Schedule 4 times in the upcoming year when you will update your resume. At the very least make sure your contact info is updated and all jobs are represented. Then add your latest projects (since you are doing this every few months your memory should be pretty accurate). Remember to refine the job descriptions so they are relevant to what you’re interested in today.
Schedule training days. Look into your company’s offerings now and register. This way, you reserve the time. If you can’t register yet, block out a half or full day each month. If nothing is offered on that day, catch up on professional reading.
Subscribe to trade publications. If you don’t already, find out what publications service your industry and see if copies are available in your office. If you need to pay for it, it could be tax-deductible as a professional expense.
Join trade organizations. At a minimum, you will get newsletters and announcements. It would also be ideal to attend meetings and join a committee. Many groups also experience a ramping up after the new year so they may welcome eager, new members.
Bonus tip for the slow week between Christmas and New Year? Update your professional wardrobe. Get drycleaning and tailoring done. Get shoes shined and repaired. Discard worn or out-of-date items and include replacements on your after-holiday sale shopping list.
Is Your Job Search Flexible or Just Unfocused?
As a recruiter, I’ve seen lack of flexibility on the recruiting side with employers clinging to every last detail in their ideal spec while perfectly good candidates get overlooked. As a career coach, I see jobseekers prematurely dismissing possible targets waiting for that perfect job. It’s true that you want to be focused in your job search (otherwise you dilute your efforts and come across as scattered and possibly desperate).
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter’s attention in the hiring process – scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more – the resume review process is ruthlessly quick.
Why Conventional Wisdom On Work Flexibility Is Always Wrong
In a previous post, I wrote about why employment statistics are always wrong. In a similar way, conventional wisdom on work flexibility is always wrong. It is impossible to generalize something that is inherently case-by-individual case. Therefore, any boilerplate advice or conventional wisdom is bound to omit a key consideration, underweight or overemphasize other considerations, or take too long-term or short-term of a view.
