The Start of a New Year – A Good Time to Review Your Career Plan
Every year, our department reviews our yearly departmental objectives – they're either updated, dropped, or supplemented in some fashion. I personally have my own set of career objectives, although this is not required by our manager or department head. It's important to have a career plan and re-visit it on an annual basis, whether you are currently working, or looking for employment.
Things to remember:
- Set realistic goals and objectives for the year. List the steps you would take to achieve them and how you will measure your success (via quantifiable milestones).
- Have a clear direction. What is your ideal job, position, or set of responsibilities?
- Establish a professional presence on social networking tools like LinkedIn. Join groups, stay active on whatever sites you participate in. Many recruiters/potential employers will do background checks. Follow companies that you want to work for.
- Brand yourself. This is a derivative of the traditional "Job Objective" statement that I've seen appearing on the top of a cv/resume. In a short paragraph, state who you are, what audience you serve, what's unique about you.
- Stay positive! Difficult, I know, especially if you've been looking for your ideal job for awhile. Create a balance between looking for a job and taking care of your personal life. Exercise your body and mind. Eat healthily. Indulge in a passion or two!
Have a look at this and additional books:
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