Is it Time for a Career Reinvention?

I heard a talk show host talking today about the necessity of reinventing yourself while growing and changing with the evolving economy, market and technology. He was talking in terms of the United States and its need to continue to evolve in order to stay competitive in the global market. However, it made me think about how the same is true about professionals.

If we are resistant to change and growth and we are unwilling to accommodate and adapt ourselves to changing markets and technologies, then we will soon become stagnant. The very essence of our life is change, as we began changing, growing and evolving the day we were born.

Quite simply, we can not have growth without change. Here are some quick and easy ways to help you grow and adapt in our ever-changing job market.

• Evolve the way you connect with the world. I meet so many people who are resistant to social networking. However, I recently spoke with a recruiter that said more than 80% of his candidates come through his research on LinkedIn. With this kind of evidence, today's job seeker can't afford to omit social media from their tool box.
• Commit to constant education to keep your skills and knowledge current. This does not necessarily always mean formal education. However, subscribe to blogs of respected leaders in your industry, follow these same people on Twitter, read new books and take advantage of educational seminars and conferences in your industry.
• Expand your network of contacts. Never count a contact out as being unable to help you just because they are in a different industry. You never know who can make that connection for you until you reach out to them. Simply opening yourself up to new people, new networking opportunities and new contacts can have a major impact on your career.