Career Success Day 2: Say Goodbye To Career Mistakes

I am literally counting down the days as if I am 2 years old…I spoke to my parents today and they are in frenzy of activities getting house decorated and in order for their children. I simply love the joy that my parents experience in anticipation of having a full house for the holidays…with all its ups and downs, family is still the most important thing in our lives.

Well, my family members are not the only ones I am committed to…I anticipate working up until Christmas Eve on resumes, cover letters and other executive career needs for my proactive clients. Hey…2013 is coming, whether you like it or not, so why not give yourself a competitive advantage over your peers and get clear, focused and organized.

As I continue my 12-day series on career success strategies, here is my tip for the second day…wait a minute, let me put it in the right format. On the second day of the holidays, my executive coach said to me:

Let your career mistakes and disappointments go

Sometimes it feels like a breakthrough to finally know where your heart is and what you want to pursue and other times, you miss out on new opportunities because you are too busy look at the past.

We have all been there – took the wrong job, made a bad career move, didn’t hold out long enough to get the promotion, whatever it is, let 2012 be the year that you let it go.

The challenge is working hard to find the hidden “gems”, embracing the learning experiences and positioning yourself for optimal career growth. Sounds logical, makes complete sense, but is a lot harder to practice.

Do not allow past career speed bumps define your professional future; shed the emotion baggage, take a deep breath and begin to forgive yourself. In all my years as an executive career expert, I have NOT met anyone with a perfect career background.

Engage a more positive mindset before making long-term critical career decisions. Instead of complaining and throwing in the towel, try a few career rebounding strategies and get back on track.

• minimize that “hard-to-explain” job’s space on your current resume and career marketing documents.
• explore the possibilities of getting re-assigned to more challenging roles in current company
• evaluate how far off you really are from your career goals and develop plan to get back on course
• consider internal leadership opportunities in a different functional area if a new job is not an immediate possibility
• keep yourself challenged and motivated by enrolling in evening classes or online programs. Take full advantage of a lull in your career growth than to enhance your competencies and marketability.
• anticipate future interviews and start building your selling points with strong achievement examples and other S.T.A.R. stories.
• seek out leadership roles within your community, professional/local associations and even alumni groups.

So today as 2013 is less than 20 days away, I encourage you to engage in activities and maximize every effort to re-build your confidence, motivation and career outlook. It always starts in the mind, if you believe that you can rise above this, opportunities will start to open up right before eyes. Try it and see