Back to school week – your kids are tucked safely in their classrooms after a summer of frivolity sprinkled with baseball games, family vacations and picnics.
Throughout these past few months, when thoughts about career discontent erupted, you promptly quashed them, as it simply was not a good time. Now, as summer relinquishes its baton to autumn, many careerists hail the opportunity to focus inward.
Just Do It, as Nike says.
But first, some words of caution as you work to ramp up your career visibility and target your next best job opportunity:
- Be Respectfully Visible (but don’t overdo). Though your job search should incorporate a strategic campaign to boost your visibility, be measured versus overenthusiastic in your approach to social media exposure.
- Quash Content “Hurling.” Akin to talking someone’s ear off in a conversation, constantly flopping thoughts or links to articles and blog posts into the social stream will just add to the traffic noise. Stay on topic, speak when it’s your turn, listen to others, respond to their needs, and even, be still some of the time. Constant chattering and talking is not a strong career move.
- Continue Doing A Good Job If Employed. If you are employed, this means unceasing performance, meeting, and even beating goals and objectives and shining in your day to day.
- Continue Contributing Value If Unemployed. This may mean volunteering your time at a local not-for-profit, joining a professional association in your target industry and becoming active on a committee, taking on consulting or part-time work or freelancing from your home computer. Do something to include on your resume as productive, performance-related activity. Despite unemployment reports, there is no shortage of opportunity to which to contribute your valuable mind. Seek it out. Be open and flexible to options. And some of these will pay. Working for free isn’t your only option.
- After Investing In The Proper Career Resume and Plan. Schedule chunks of time to implement your plan, and then step away. Get out of the house. Visit your local aquarium; take a walk on a nature trail; plan a movie with your friends; schedule a weekend trip. Do something—anything—unrelated to your job search.
- Savvy Job Search Is Not “Constantly” Tooting Your Horn. It’s also not obsessively self-soothing and avoiding the problem at hand. Sometimes it is about proving your value and contributing real results to others, despite your turmoil and struggles. You’ll be amazed at the opportunity rewards that you attract through this behavior.
- Unplugging Is Vital. Incessantly plugging into the Twitter stream, inviting hundreds of LinkedIn members into your network and posting hourly Facebook updates will only serve to exhaust you … and your readers. I’ve seen reputations, and opportunities, wither as people escaped purely into virtual life instead of producing, contributing and doing. Find a happy medium.
- All That Said, Maintain a Connection To The Internet (your iPhone or Android is fine when you are out and about), and regularly check your telephone messages. Be available, as they say, for when opportunity knocks.
