This is a continuation of last week’s post, 8 Ways to be Proactive vs Reactive in Your Career, Part 1.
5. Record your contributions. If you’ve been so busy ensuring your job is done right and clients are cared for, that’s terrific and indicates you are achieving results. Have you written those achievements down somewhere? If not, find a notebook or open an online document and begin writing them out.
Don’t worry about perfectly articulating your stories – freeform at first. Begin organizing your stories into a situation, action, result format to ensure you pull the threads of each story all the way through the situational fabric, creating a clear picture. For example:
Situation: One-off sales mentality created a region that was last-place performer among 8 colleague regions.
Action: Introduced under-educated ‘old-school’ sales team to a technology-based culture focused on peer-driven accountability and implemented a series of sustainable programs.
Result. Drove region from #8 to #1 in country within 12 months.
6. Research companies. Delve down into their culture, their hiring process and what their employees are saying. Create a target list of companies that appeal to you and begin the conversation with employees and decision makers within those organizations.
7. Build your resume. You’ve already identified your target role, begun compiling your achievements stories and pinpointed companies that appeal to you; it’s time now to pull together a more formal story that you can share with company representatives when discussing how your experience complements their needs.
8. Audit and bolster your social networking presence: Ensure your public profiles, from Facebook to Instagram to LinkedIn, etc., not only are complete but also present your professional essence in a positive light. Assess your profiles for potentially negative vibes then delete negative, and add positive, content to improve your persona, where needed. Intentionally add value to your audience with professional content and organically market your skills versus focusing solely on personal travel, parties and activities, for example.
Change rarely is as sudden as we like to believe, so don’t ignore the red flags, rumors or gut feeling that change may be afoot at your company or job. Continue working hard to prove your value in your current role while also taking time to prepare for the eventualities that can occur in an ever-changing workplace climate.
Click the link to read the first half of 8 Ways to Be Proactive Verses Reactive in Your Career.
Rick Christensen: Director, Career Transition Practice
Rick has been a career consultant for over 20 years, serving a very broad-based and diverse clientele. His specialties include effective group facilitation, one-on-one coaching and consultation at all levels including senior executives.
Rick’s passion is coaching individuals through career transitions, developing career management strategies and in identifying and sharpening competencies to open doors to new opportunities. His efforts have assisted thousands of individuals achieve their full potential.
