For your career to advance at the pace you choose, there are more than a handful of resources you need to regularly use. With the right over-arching strategy and these tactics, you can make sure you're always growing (and almost as importantly, getting noticed). Whether you're looking for a new job, a promotion or just a change of pace, these seven-plus career tools will make sure anyone you encounter in the working world will know exactly how you could help them or someone they know. The SlideShare presentation below guides you through many of the necessary questions and tasks to set these tools up.
- Personal Brand Statement
- Career Story
- Quantifiable (Not Subjective) Resume
- Keyword-Optimized LinkedIn Profile
- Updated Cover Letter Format
- Interview Preparation
- Interview Bucket List
Your brand statement and career story show the general themes to your accomplishments. LinkedIn and your resume get into the details of the most impressive things you've done. Your cover letter will entice hiring managers to learn more about you. Your interview prep and bucket list will make sure you know how to deal with tough questions and help you see the big picture in the hiring process.
With those seven tools updated, optimized and mastered, you'll be in good shape, but it takes one more thing to put you over the top: creative thinking.
Creative Thinking
To get the most out of your effort and create more opportunities to grow, you need to think differently. "Think outside the box" may be an over-used term, but people talk about it for a reason. In this case, there's a more descriptive and relevant analogy: as an employee of the new economy, you need to be able to show that a square peg can fit into a round hole with the right changes. You can adapt your services to many clients' needs, without changing your core values. After all, you can draw a circle inside that square (or vice-versa), cut out the difference, and still be left with the same piece of wood. Whether it's through help with CareerHMO or working on your own, creative thinking can help establish you as a valuable addition to any team you join.Read moreShow less
