We’re already half way through January. Have any of your resolutions already fallen by the wayside? Or maybe you haven’t even started that one thing you promised yourself THIS was the year to achieve.
If one of your resolutions for the year is to seek opportunities outside of your current company, what are you doing to help make it happen?
Here are three quick tips for being mindful as you consider a career change in 2016.
Be clear about what you want to do next
It’s one thing to say you want change, but are you running toward something new, or away from your current situation? Take the time needed to really be clear about what “new” should look like. Ask yourself questions to establish not only the kind of work you want to be doing, but the type of people and environment where you would do that job. The more clear you are about what you want, the more likely you’ll recognize it when you see it.
Connect with your network
Networking may sound awful to you, so instead, think about those people you know – both personally and professionally – and deliberately connect (or reconnect) with them. Have a conversation, do a beginning of the year catch up call. As part of that discussion, talk about what you’ve been doing professionally, and what you hope is on the horizon. It doesn’t have to be a plea for someone to connect you to that next job. Instead, make it about brainstorming who you should be talking to and plant the seed to be kept in mind if any great opportunities surface. Don’t forget to reconnect with those recruiters who are in your specialty. While you may not be anxious to make a move, you want to be on their radar in case they are working on that perfect position.
Set weekly activity goals
You likely have a lot of people in your network, so it can be overwhelming to reach out to everyone. Like any goal, success is assured if you focus on the activity to help you reach the goal, rather than just the final result. Set aside an hour a week to reach out to a handful of people. Maybe you send five or 10 emails every week so you can connect with four or five people per month. If you’re between jobs or actively searching for that new role right now, you will want to up that number significantly.
Here’s to making 2016 your year for achieving your career goals.
