We are halfway through Spring and six weeks away from Summer. It’s hard to believe but we are getting close to the half-way through 2018. Doesn’t it feel like we were just saying Happy New Year? I’ve finally stopped accidentally writing 2017 in my notebooks! It’s time to do the six month check-up. Are you where you want to be? What goals did you set in Jan 2018? Any new years resolutions? Here are a few tips to get yourself back on track! These are some tips that I offer my own coaching clients...simple and fun ways to re-energize your career.
Refresh the Resume
What a great time to reflect on the past few months. Have you gained new skills, reached new milestones, completed new projects, or volunteer projects?Does your resume give an glimpse of who you are and your values? What story does your career tell? Does your resume tell a story? Add all this new information in there. It’s a great way to see how much you’ve accomplished and learned. Plus, mid-year reviews are always around the corner, so it will help you to see what you’ve accomplished and hopefully provide some ideas and insights of where you are heading.
Game Plan
This provides a great opportunity to re-evaluate what was your overall goal or vision that you set at the beginning of the year. Activities may have occured that may change some of your original assumptions. Do you have a story for your career? This will help you find experiences for growth, rather than just matching your skill set. If you could do 100% of a new job, then how quickly will you get bored in this role? If you had to write a bio for yourself, what would your career portion say? How does one role help you grow into another role? Do you have an overall story that you want your resume to tell? Were you looking to gain a skill? New job? Promotion?
Doing self-reflection really helps you re-prioritize. Perhaps, you need a lot more flexibility as your home dynamics have changed. Are these goals still valid or do you have other areas that you want to explore? Perhaps, you’ve found something else that has peaked your interest? Figure out which direction you want to head, so that it’s easier to program your GPS to get you there! I have some big goals that I publicly shared on the CanInnovate podcast (E09- What Worked, What Didn’t and What’s Next) and I might need to tweak or re-prioritize a few of them.
Networking
Based on your objectives above, are there people that you want to re-engage in your network? What a great time to get social and engage your network. The weather puts a bounce in everyone’s step and your game! You can invite them to events, share relevant articles, or if there are companies that you’re interested in, you can attend their open houses and other corporate events. Get out there and talk to people.
In every one of the CanInnovate podcast, each of our seasoned guests always offer this advice. Talk to everyone and be open to listening. You’ll discover new opportunities, strengthen relationships and even identify new areas that you’re curious about. We had an amazing podcast episode with Andreas Souvaliotis (E16), the founder of Carrot Rewards. His business advice is to never eat lunch alone! What a great principle! You can connect with others, learn new things and take a break!
Outfits
Dress for the career you want!
I know this sounds like an odd one...but it’s good to update your wardrobe so that you have a couple of perfect business casual outfits for those hot summer days. You want to look confident and be at ease. This air of confidence, really projects well and you’ll attract the right people, with the right attitude. The last thing you want is to wear an old T-shirt that has holes, swimming trunks as shorts or a dress that says 'I’m going clubbing after this BBQ'. Dress for the role or level that you want. You’ll definitely discover a new spring in your step!
Digital Declutter
Social Media Declutter and review. Have you reviewed your LinkedIn profile lately, or Facebook, or are you Tweeting with purpose? A few small edits & tweaks to your LinkedIn profile, will make you feel that you’re ready for new opportunities to arise. Don’t forget to also clear out your inbox. Create a folder called ‘B4 June 2018’ and put all the unread items there. Keep the items that are on your to-do list in your inbox so that you can close things up.
And here is a bonus tip… clean out your desk. Spring is in the air, so get rid of all that clutter at your desk. You’ll feel like you’ve got more control of your career and you’ll seem like you’re much more put together and ready to take on new opportunities! Maybe even bring in a plant! It can grow with you and provide you a lot of oxygen. If there are no windows, then put a picture of nature on your desk. It will provide you with a sense of calmness, wonder, and grounding -- a different kind of energy.
I would love to hear your thoughts. You can leave a comment below or email me at Sapna@Digiruptor.IO
We can always find ways to innovate our lives, our businesses and our careers!
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About the Author
Sapna Malhotra brings more than two decades of domestic and international management consulting experience in sales and business operations in the technology, financial services, and telecommunications industries. She has significant experience in leading large-scale business and IT transformation programs to deliver consistent end-user experience in demanding and fast paced environments. Sapna is known for her constant industry curiosity and new and emerging technologies that will enable different industries to be on the forefront of this digital revolution. In June 2016, she started the Women Digital Network (WDN) in Canada with over 400 members and growing. Its focus is to enable digital literacy and mindset.
She has also started CanInnovate podcast focusing on Canadian innovators that are changing the game. She truly believes that education and awareness is instrumental in overcoming any obstacles and perception challenges both globally and locally. She is a globally recognized Certified Management Consultant (CMC), and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). She also holds certificate in Change Management Leadership, Lean Six Sigma accreditation and DevOps & UX Design foundation certifications. You can find Sapna walking / hiking & exploring new areas, trying to win the world’s greatest aunt award, discovering new brunch places, and inventing new recipes. Contact her at: Sapna@Digiruptor.IO
