Well, we are officially at the halfway mark in January 2013…how are you holding up on your career resolutions this week?
One of the main areas I want to focus on in 2013 has been my health and eating habits – I am so determined to not lose steam by the end of the spring that I have been exploring raw food cuisine.
I know it sounds weird and out there, but it’s an interesting concept with tasty options. One simple change I have made is having green smoothies for breakfast everyday – tasty, satisfying and on track for my personal resolution.
Ok, enough about me…do you realize that most New Year resolutions revolve around three areas – work, money and health. So, since I am an executive career coach, let’s talk about careers. If you want better career results in 2013, you have to do something different.
- Where do you keep getting stuck in your career progress?
- What career strategy are you still hesitant about trying?
- Are you still feeling like someone (your boss, senior management, your company) is holding you back?
- Does the term “career limbo” accurately describe your career situation?
Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results? In 2013, get comfortable incorporating these strategies for lasting career success:
KEEP YOUR CAREER GOALS FRESH: You are not bound to the same career goals you made right out of college, but it makes sense to revise and adjust your them as your professional needs change. More importantly, it’s necessary to have/keep clear, SMART career goals as your guiding posts along the way.
STOP LIVING IN THE DARK: So you are not an extrovert and being on display makes you uncomfortable, but ignoring social media and online branding tools like LinkedIn and Google Plus is simply career suicide. You don’t have to spend your life online tweeting and making status updates, join the conversations, add your voice to discussions and make sure that employers and recruiters can learn about your career background 24/7.
KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS: Picture this, an ideal opportunity comes knocking and you are up against 3 other candidates, how will you sell yourself? How will you stand out? Know your strengths, know your value proposition, know your “sweet” spot and know it well. If you get stumped on ideas, talk to peers, colleagues, close associates, former bosses and get their feedback, just have the right language in your mouth when you need it.
QUIT THE WAITING GAME: You should have figured out by now that waiting in the shadows and allow others to control your career is a bad, bad idea. Create new opportunities when the perfect job does not appear on your lap, speak up for new challenges at work, try your hand at something new to gain new skills…just be proactive and stop waiting.
ALWAYS BE PREPARED: The competitiveness of the job market, instability of economy and ever-changing scope of today’s work world means that nothing stays status quo for long. Work hard today while preparing for the unexpected tomorrow; take classes, upgrade your technology skills, get a certification, just stay prepared and current in every aspect.
