Time
For Summer Cleaning Your Career
I know,
all of you are working really hard these days, struggling
to meet deadlines and trying to work your way to please
your superiors. In this process, often we fail to take a
break and catch up on some important moves that could enhance
our career growth.
And this summer time may be the best time for that. The
sun is out and it's time to get your act together. This
is the one time of year, when everybody's eager to improve
their lives, so to speak.
Unfortunately, work life rarely gets the same attention.
While your home might be in order, you won't feel completely
refreshed if your work situation is in a mess. Let me help
you with carrying out some summer cleaning of your career.
Update
your resume
Don't
treat your resume the same way you treat your stuffed cupboards.
Even if you're not looking to change jobs, it can't hurt
to have an updated resume. Keeping it current, saves you
time down the road when you are job hunting. Also, you might
not remember all your impressive accomplishments and responsibilities
months or years from now. So go ahead and write them down.
Sort
through your inbox
E-mail
inboxes have become the digital equivalent of the junk drawer.
You don't want to delete the message about the upcoming
meeting (that took place four months ago) or the memo you'll
read when you have time - so they just sit there. Truthfully,
once the message falls low enough on the page to require
scrolling, you're not going to revisit it. Go through each
e-mail, trash the ones you don't need and put the important
ones in an appropriate folder. You might be surprised how
less stressed you feel, when you open your inbox and don't
see hundreds of messages sitting there.
Tidy
up your desk
Odds
are your work space could use just as much housekeeping
as your closets. Aside from giving a bad impression, cluttered
desks are also notorious for making important documents
disappear. Throw away what you can and file the rest. Use
the extra hour of sunlight to admire that desktop you haven't
seen in years.
Clean
your wardrobe
While
you're at home organising your shelves, like a good little
spring cleaner, take a look at your business suit. Does
it still fit you? Is it tangled up in a knot under a pile
of shoes? Is it a leisure suit? If you were to be called
to an interview tomorrow, would you be able - or even want
- to wear it? Much like your resume, your interview attire
should be ready to go at all times. If you need to take
it to the cleaners or buy something new, better to do so
at your convenience rather than in a rushed panic the night
before the interview. This is important because these days
there are enough jobs going around.
Get
schooled
It's
not uncommon for professionals of any industry to grow comfortable
in their positions after a few years. However, as technology
evolves rapidly, it affects every occupation - whether it's
construction, sales or medicine. To keep up with the crowd,
see if your company offers classes on industry trends. Some
employers will even pay for courses at colleges if it benefits
your work. At the very least, pick up a few books or industry
journals to see what's going on around you.
Meet
your neighbours
People
often become so engrossed in their jobs that they forget
colleagues are working only five feet away. Learn the names
and personalities that belong to the faces you see everyday,
or even to those you only see occasionally. It never hurts
to have contacts who can answer a question or help with
a future job hunt. Plus, it's nice to know a little about
the people you work next to for eight hours a day.
Schedule
some interviews
If you're
contemplating a job switch, one way to simplify the decision-making
process is to go on for some interviews. Although you might
not be ready to quit your job just yet, going on interviews
gives you an idea of what opportunities are available. You
can use these interviews as practice for the ones that matter
most, if you decide to start a job hunt.
Evaluate
your situation
You
might not be the type of person who writes out a list of
goals and resolutions each year, but you probably have an
idea of where you want your career to go. Think back to
where you were last spring: Are things going as you hoped?
Are you on a career path that will get you where you want
to be one or two years from now? Are you earning what you
deserve? Decide if you're OK staying where you are or if
it's time to make a change.
Summer cleaning your career doesn't just have to be about
tidying up; it can be about starting fresh in your career.
You are invited to send your feedback to:
editpointfeatures@rediffmail.com
