6 Ways to Put Your Holiday to Work for Your Career

For many of us the holidays offer an opportunity to take time away from the office to enjoy time with family. We might look at the holidays as a way to think about anything but work.

However, it can also be a great time to consider the new year and prepare to get off to a strong start.

Here are six ways to do just that:

Clean out email. Achieving in-box zero is a lofty goal for many and perhaps one you’ve failed to realize. Take an hour or two, if your email habits warrant it, and clear out as many old emails as possible. You’ll experience less stress and anxiety when you return to the office with a more stream-lined in-box.

Update your wardrobe. If you receive some cash or a gift card or two for a holiday gift, and even if you don’t, pick up an item or two to spruce up your style at work. Improving your appearance at work can instill greater confidence and increase your prospects for that promotion in the new year.

Update your resume. This is a great time of the year to update your resume (and LinkedIn profile) with your work highlights from the past year. Do this while these are still fresh in your mind. You might also rethink and reconsider your career plans and objectives.

Reach out to key contacts. The holidays are always a great time to connect with family and friends and it can also make sense to reach out to some of the important connections in your network with a Christmas card or even a brief email or Facebook message to extend wishes for a happy holiday and happy new year. 

Resolve to make changes. If you’ve taken some time for self-reflection regarding your career, you’ve likely identified some areas you can make improvements or some habits or practices that are holding you back in your career. Resolve to sign up for Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, or take that coding class, or new manager training you need to become more effective.

Rest and relaxation. Despite everything mentioned above, do not spend too much time over the holidays focused on your career. Use the time to get away from the daily emails and phone calls. Turn off that mobile and unplug for a few days while you enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 50 Thoughts That Can Motivate You to do Anything

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 50 Thoughts That Can Motivate You to do Anything: "You deserve a better life -- whether that means a better job, a healthier body or more money. Work for it."
• How to Change Your Eating Habits for a More Productive Year: "It's not that coffee, alcohol, and extreme exercise are the enemy, but if your body cannot survive for three days without caffeine, and you feel exhausted when you're at the gym, what you need is not to push yourself harder, but to give your body time to rest and recuperate."
• 3 Ways to Plan Your Professional Development for the Year: "If you’ve been at your company for a while and already have a robust network, you can look outside for your connecting goals: who else do you want to meet in your field, or in your local business community?"
• 4 Ways to Perfect Your Resume in the New Year: "Resumes without a specific purpose – or objective – do not fare as well as those that are targeted. Remember, it is the job seeker's responsibility to establish his worth if he wants to capture the attention of a busy and distracted hiring manager."
• 4 Ways to Stand Out When You're New: "Many newcomers don’t ask important questions of colleagues because they don’t want to bother busy people or make poor impressions. Recognize the minimal social risk in asking a dumb question."

4 Things to Do for Your Career Before Year-End

It's almost November and with that we head into holiday season and the weeks seem to speed up. Before we get to the end of the year there are a few things you should consider doing for your career in order to get 2016 off to a good start.

1. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. You've accomplished some great things and learned new skills this year so be sure to document it by making the necessary changes to your resume and LinkedIn profile. It will also help you be ready in case you decide to start the new year off with a job search.

2. Evaluate your performance. If your employer does not conduct formal reviews or evaluations at this time of year ask your supervisor or manager for feedback on your performance. Get a sense for the things you did well and the areas that need improvement. This will provide you with a clear road map as you enter the new year.

3. Check in with your network. Before everyone gets busy with the holidays take a few minutes to check in with some of your key contacts, including your mentor if you have one. Make sure you are continuing to develop the important relationships in your life and career.

4. Set preliminary goals. Now is a good time to begin to set some goals for 2016. Is it time to look for a new job, find a mentor, or take some classes? Consider what you can do next year to strengthen your skills, increase your knowledge, build your network, and improve your life and career.

Do these things now, enjoy the holidays, and enter 2016 feeling confident and focused!

Evaluating Your Career Goals Mid-Year

It's June and that's a good time to evaluate progress on your career goals and perhaps reset your priorities if necessary.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Evaluate career goals. What goals, if any, did you set for the year? How are you doing? You might realize that a goal or two you set no longer fits your current situation and it's time to revise. Or perhaps you've accomplished several goals already. If so, celebrate!

2. Update resume and LinkedIn profile. Take a few minutes to update your resume and LinkedIn

profile now with any important accomplishments or skills gained during the first half of the year. This will make updating your resume and profile easier next year.

3. Evaluate skills. In light of your current responsibilities and career goals take some time to assess your current skills to determine where you might want to focus your attention. Then you can sign up for a training session or online course over the second half of the year to develop these skills.

4. Evaluate your relationships. How engaged are you with your networks? Have you been staying in touch with your friends and key business contacts? If not, make plans to reconnect before the year passes you by.

By taking a few minutes to evaluate your goals now you ensure that you progress steadily throughout the year rather than getting off track.

4 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Career

It's nearly spring and traditionally that is a time when some give their house a thorough cleaning and remove items that are no longer needed or require updating.

Here are 4 tips for spring cleaning your career:

1. Update your resume. Take a new, fresh look at your resume and remove anything unnecessary or outdated.

2. Update your skills. Perhaps your technology skills have fallen behind or you could benefit from some additional knowledge of your industry, now is a good time to evaluate this and find way for a skill or knowledge upgrade.

3. Refresh your contacts. Identify three to five professional contacts that you haven't spoken with in
a few months and reach out to them. In addition to providing an update on your work be sure to take a genuine interest in their activities.

4. Update your wardrobe. Be sure to dress the part and if that means some of your wardrobe has become outdated spend some time and money to upgrade your look. This can also help you feel more confident on the job or in a job search.

What suggestions do you have for spring cleaning your career?

 

3 Steps to a Successful 2015

We are a week into the New Year and some of the "newness" is rubbing off but don't let that diminish your enthusiasm and energy to make 2015 a great year personally and professionally.

This is a good time to assess where you're at in your life and career and begin to develop new habits to ensure more happiness and success. Work on the following three steps in the next week and you'll be off to a productive start for the year.

1. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile: The beginning of the year is a good time to go back over that resume and tweak it to ensure it highlights your strengths and successes, including those from the past year. Also update your profile on LinkedIn.

2. Work on your self-talk: If you haven't yet, watch the video we posted Monday on stopping negative self-talk. You have the ability to be your greatest supporter or your most severe critic. How you view yourself goes a long way toward how others view you and it starts with your self-talk.

3. Find a mentor: If you don't have a mentor, someone you can meet with on a monthly basis to discuss your career plans and goals, use the next week to consider who you might approach about this. It could be your boss, a former supervisor, a professor from school, or a business leader from your community. Once you've identified someone contact them and invite them to meet you for a coffee.

You might also be interested in this article highlighting 6 ways to start 2015 on a high note.

What are you doing now to make 2015 a success?

Always be Prepared. Keep a Current Resume at all Times!

I am a big believer in the Girl Scout and Boy Scout motto "Always be prepared." When I teach a resume writing class, I always tell my workshop attendees that once you get your resume done, you must always keep it current. Let’s look at some of the main reasons.

You Never Know What May Happen.

Many years ago, my husband and I were both laid off from our jobs within 6 weeks of each other. Now, this was before I started my resume writing business, but I can tell you that neither one of us had a current resume in hand. When you are laid off, let go, or feel the need to resign a position, you want to be able to jump right into the job market again.

When I am faced with change, action is often the best method for me to feel better about what is happening. Don’t force yourself to wait on getting your resume updated. Have your resume current with your most recent job and all your fabulous accomplishments waiting in the wings (or your computer).

You Never Know What May Come Your Way.

When opportunity knocks, you want to be ready to take full advantage. Often the window of these opportunities is short. Whether this new opportunity comes in the form of a networking contact, someone who finds you on LinkedIn, or you find a job posting on the internet, you want to be armed and ready with a current resume that you can send out on a moment’s notice.

Do You Remember What You Did a Year Ago?

My memory has been likened to Dory the fish from Finding Nemo. However, I know I am not alone. When I meet with clients, I often have to help them dig deep and mine out their accomplishments that they have forgotten or overlooked. Keep current and updated records of your accomplishments as they happen so that you are not scrambling for details when it is time to update your resume. What better place to store these than in your own resume?