Due to the instability across many industries, never before has it been more important for people to begin implementing some key career management initiatives to strengthen their overall employability.
Here are five key career management initiatives you should begin implementing today:
1. Be relevant
Gone are the days where you attain your degree or diploma and never have to undergo any further professional development throughout the rest of your career.
Companies are continuing their development and advancements so they can maintain their competitiveness in constantly evolving marketplaces, and so should you. Ensure your knowledge and skills don’t become stagnant by undertaking ongoing professional development so you are familiar with latest technologies and methodologies in your specific industry.
2. Be significant
Avoid building a reputation for being a complainer and bearer of bad news whenever a problem, obstacle or issue arises within the workplace. Rather than complaining, be proactive and bring forward some suggestions on how you believe the problem can be overcome. This way you become known as a problem solver, an initiator and a can-do person that can face a challenge head on, rather than someone who is negative and constantly complaining about arising challenges.
3. Be known
Develop a reputation throughout the organisation as a valuable team player that continuously adds value to whatever task or project you are working on. To connect with people outside your immediate team, become involved in special projects that may include people from other divisions/departments that you ordinarily may never have had the opportunity to work with. This will allow people in other departments to become aware of your strengths, enthusiasm and valuable contributions, thus enhancing your overall value to the company.
4. Be prepared
Whether a career change is on the horizon for you, one of the most important tools that you will need during your transition is your personal marketing document – your résumé. Make sure your résumé is up-to-date and identifies your strengths, achievements and overall promise of value, so that you can begin marketing yourself as a valuable addition, should an opportunity arise.
5. Be positive
This is probably the most crucial of all six steps, with your entire persona (either in the workplace or job market) strengthened or weakened, depending on the level of your positivity and ability to bounce back should you be faced with the situation of having to make a change. Every situation can be viewed from a positive and negative viewpoint – how you choose to look at it is entirely up to you.
Remember: what you concentrate on expands, so if you continue to buy into the fear and hysteria the media continues to portray, it will make it all the more difficult for you to survive and thrive.
How are you going to maintain relevancy, significance and positivity during these turbulent times?
Just in case you’ve completely given up hope, coming up on our next CareerCommuniqueRadio.com show - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/careercommunique/2009/07/12/Job-Search-and-Career-Change-Success-Stories, we are focusing on career success stories.
We’ll also hear from two job seekers who have recently secured employment after months of unemployment. Tune in to hear them share their successes and job search advice.
Author:
Annemarie Cross is a Career Coach, Personal Branding Strategist, a triple certified multi award-winning Professional Resume Writer and Author of ’10 key steps to Ace that Interview'.
