Day in and day out, I get e-mails from prospective clients in need of resume assistance, which I welcome as a service provider in this area. But a lot of times, after I get this message, I have to start an elaborate dance with them because they have put their job search in complete jeopardy. Related: 3 Areas Job Seekers Make The Biggest Mistakes What’s that, you say? It’s true. Call it comfort. Call it laziness. Call it being too busy or tired to work on looking for a new job when they get home, but many people continue (astoundingly) to conduct job searches from their current workplace. On my end, I can see that the person sent the message from their work account, and now I have to be careful – just in case the boss IS reading the e-mail when I reply back. So, I send a discreet e-mail in return, asking to take this resume service discussion offline to a personal e-mail account. Sometimes, if the person sends an e-mail with a phone number, I call the number and see if I can reach them to ask for that personal address. But I don’t leave a voicemail… simply because I don’t know who is checking their messages (possibly an assistant?) – which could also let the “cat out of the bag.” The point is that I don’t want to be the one to blow the job seeker’s cover. And I shouldn’t have to be. Nor should anyone else, for that matter. Job seekers need to be careful about getting reckless in their quest for a new job. It’s just plain good sense to take ANY job search offline and only do it during your time using your own resources, not that of your employer. So, why should you care? Do you REALLY think someone is reading your e-mails? Do you think this post is a little paranoid? Think again. Many employers have implemented spyware and keystroke monitoring software without the employee’s knowledge. The program could be sitting on your desktop, or on the company server that taps into your desktop. And yes, there are bosses who do read those messages, or set up flags with certain words that would trigger a report that goes onto the supervisor’s desktop about those keywords. Some job seekers are very aware of this software, but think that their company is too small to have spyware installed. Guess again. I once worked at a 35-person office. Thought I was safe until I was at a conference out of town and the big boss was bragging to some board members that he had just installed spyware on all the employees’ computers. So, I found out before I did something stupid that caught his attention. You’d better believe that from that moment on, I kept my work e-mail squeaky clean. So, sending an e-mail to a resume service provider, with a nice subject line of “Resume Assistance” isn’t the smartest move you can make. It boils down to basics: Don’t conduct job searches from work, stupid! Many people have gotten waaaaayyyyy too comfortable sending out personal e-mail messages from their work account. It could turn out to be the biggest tragic mistake any job seeker could make, if they care about being discreet in their search. And once the boss knows you are thinking about leaving, they might just show you the door first. This post was originally published on an earlier date.
Everyone has heard of New Year's resolutions. You know, those promises we make to ourselves about things we'll do better in the year ahead. Sometimes these resolutions work, while other times we end up with gym memberships we never use! But have you ever heard of a career resolution? It's actually the same thing as a New Year's resolution, only career-focused.
However, with something as important as a career, you don't want to break these resolutions. That's why it's important to keep these goals manageable.
Here are four simple career resolutions that are easy to stick to and achieve.
Be Self-Aware Of Where You Stand In Your Career
BigstockBeing honest and self-aware of where you are in your career is the most important step in making strong career resolutions. If your career is going nowhere and you're unhappy, then it may be time to consider a career change, which will take you down a different path entirely.
But if you're happy and in good standing with your career, it's a lot easier to set goals for the year and build out a long-term career plan.
Find A Way To Grow Your Career
BigstockCareer growth is a very broad spectrum that means something different to everyone. It could be something as simple as improving on a weakness or building on a strength. It could also be learning a new skill or taking on additional responsibilities at work.
On a larger level, it could be seeking a promotion or moving into a leadership role.
Whatever the goal is, make sure it includes growing professionally. The worst thing you can do is stay the same! If you're not growing your career, you're dying—and becoming a lot less valuable to your employer. There are always ways to upskill!
Better Serve Your Professional Network
With current colleagues, former colleagues, and other professional acquaintances, you've probably built a solid professional network through the years. A strong professional network can come in handy if you lose your job or are looking to make a career change. However, you shouldn't just rely on your network when you're in need!
It's important to find ways to offer value to your network. This could include checking in with members of your network from time to time. Exchange messages on LinkedIn to see how they're doing or share relevant content of interest. If you can help someone in your network going through a career challenge, you should!
Maintaining a strong professional network is like an investment. If you want it to pay off, you have to put some time into it and be consistent.
Take Care Of Yourself
Bigstock
Working on your career is hard work! It's okay to be selfish sometimes. Whether you're working to grow your career or looking for a new job, it's important to find balance.
Your family and health always come first, so make sure your career goals don't interfere with that. If you want to set aside time during the week to work on your career that's fine, but don't miss important family events or milestones.
Don't let your career goals get in the way of your health goals. Go to the gym, take a walk, or go for a jog. Balance is key to maintaining healthy career and life goals. Sometimes you just need to adjust that balance as you go.
Need help sticking to your career resolutions?
Become a member to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.