I am just back from a couple of days in the sun. What I looked forward to most was the opportunity to swim and read by the pool every day. Taking time away from my regular routine reminded me of the importance of taking charge of our physical and mental wellbeing. It is equally important to develop strategies and habits that promote a healthy, successful career. Here are a few suggestions for making the most of career opportunities.
1. Track your accomplishments weekly. Create a computer file or label a file folder, "Weekly accomplishments." Once a week take 10 minutes to jot notes about the week's highlights. A helpful way to frame your thoughts is to consider the specific problem, challenge or objective you faced, identify the actions you took to resolve the issue, then do your best to quantify the results you achieved.
Review your weekly notes in preparation for your next performance appraisal or interview. When you do, you will be amazed to see how many accomplishments you have forgotten. Monetize these successes and use them to negotiate better than average raises, as back up when requesting a promotion and to increase your value during interviews.
2. Review your resume and LinkedIn profile every six months. Update both at least once a year incorporating material from your weekly accomplishment list. If you have aced a major assignment or earned recognition for a job well done, update both immediately.
3. Stay up to date with technology. Don't relay on your company to keep your skills current. It is your job to invest in your career, not theirs. Don't get complacent; be proactive about staying competitive.
4. Life is too short to stay in a job that robs you of peace of mind. If you are miserable at work, do something about it. Change your attitude, reconsider your options or fire your boss. Develop and implement a plan for improving your situation. Even if you can't change your situation immediately, putting a plan in place gives you a sense of control. If you are not sure what to do, consider aptitude testing (Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation jocrf.org), hire a career coach or do both. Act today because you don't want to be stuck in the same place one, five or 10 years from now.
5. Get in the habit of negotiating every raise, job offer and promotion. If you are delivering value, there is no reason to settle for less than you are worth. When you complete a high-profile project or take on a difficult assignment, use the opportunity to negotiate. If you don't ask, you won't get. Build your negotiation muscle, doing so can be the difference between financial independence and retiring in poverty or not at all.
6. Finally, pay attention to red flags - during job interviews and on the job. If something doesn't feel right, it isn't right. No amount of money is going to make a bad situation go away. If you are not respected, valued and compensated appropriately, it is time to take a serious look at changing your job. Waiting is unlikely to improve the situation; it is far more likely that things will deteriorate ending with a job loss when you can least afford it.