Do you give as much time to you as you do to work?
Through my career coaching, I see lots of people come to me in a panic – tapped on the shoulder to apply for a promotion, received redundancy, moving location with their partner or really hate their job. There are many reasons for the panic to set in.
With an outdated resume, no plan for what’s next or knowledge of other roles or salaries, they feel uncertain, lack confidence and are ill equipped for the next step.
You give so much to your job and the organisation you work for, but do you invest the same effort in yourself and your career plan? I met a lovely lady this week, who has been so busy at work and hasn’t had time to do a resume. She admitted she really wasn’t putting herself first.
This is your life and future and it is important. Here are some tasks to get you on track;
- Update your resume – You will still need to provide a resume for most roles so make sure it’s up to date and relevant to the current market. Make sure to check in every 3-6 months.
- LinkedIn Profile – Many companies will check you out so keep your profile updated in line with your resume.
- Prepare a Cover Letter Template – this makes it easy to apply for that promotion or dream job when you see it.
- Keep up to date with job market trends and salaries – you may be asked to prepare a business case when it comes to salary review time or negotiating a new role
- Have current referees – Keep in touch with your referees so you’re not contacting them out of the blue.
Earlier this year, I coached a great candidate who felt there were changes happening in the organisation she was working that may affect her role. Feeling unprepared and unsure of the future, she reached out to me for some guidance on the tasks above.
We worked together until she was happy with the result.
Two months later she called me to say that her role had been made redundant. The changes had happened much quicker than she anticipated. I asked her how she felt. She said she was surprisingly happy and felt prepared – rather than shock and panic, she felt empowered and ready to take the leap.
It’s that old cliche…be prepared.
But more importantly, remember your personal equity should be just as important as any company growth.
And don’t forget to take time out too. It’s often the down time where great thoughts pop into your head…
