Last week, during a discussion, I was asked if I had some good career advice for someone who wanted to quit his job.
The following is some of the valuable career advice I have come across over the years I found to be true myself.
This advice did not come from one person; in fact, I've even forgotten who it was from. But it was told to me... I am not sure in jest or in seriousness. But I did take this advice, which I know will serve you well.
I can promise eventually you'll be measured by what you can contribute to a company. So, here's some career advice that will help you "measure up" and climb the corporate ladder.
1. Think Like A Business Owner
You want to impress your boss? The easiest way is to think like the business owner. Whenever things are not approved or does not work in a certain way in the company, there are usually good reasons for it. It’s just that you do not know them. Do not pass any judgment.
Think like the business owner. If you are the business owner and the money is yours... would you do this? Would you make that decision? When you think like the business owner, your loyalty remains with the company.
2. Get Up And Get Going
Wake up in the morning and get going. There is no need to laze or delay. Sure you are human and I am not talking about the hard discipline of being a soldier and be in line when the instructions are called out.
Still, you need to know what gets you out of bed in the morning when it is difficult. That’s what motivates you. What motivates you? Do you know?
3. Do The Right Things
Oh, the huge debate on doing things right and doing the right things. Don’t get into such arguments. It’s useless. What’s useful though is being able to practice them and use them to your advantage.
Do the right thing when the time calls for it. Be guided by your moral compass, if you feel your ethical standards are suspect, well, put them in check. The higher you climb the more these standards will be called into action.
4. Do Things Right
Each and every system is in place so that there is a smooth flow of work. It ensures productivity, it ensures efficiency. Do it right. It means look into the details that goes in and out of the system. Someone needs to attend to the details. Because details are tedious, lazy people forgo such tasks. If you want to stand out, start doing this.
5. Stay On Track
Stay focused on what you want out of your career and do it well today. What matters is today. Not yesterday, that’s gone and no one bothers. Not tomorrow, because that’s too far away. You will be judged for the work done today. Do well on what needs to be done today and tomorrow will sort itself out. Yesterday, that’s too late to fix. Stay on track.
6. Don’t Worry About 5 Years From Now
Does it mean you do not plan? No, it doesn’t mean that. Don’t let plans that are too far away bother you. Again, what matters is doing well what matters now. Don’t get too agitated with things that aren’t working too well and you have no control over. Go with the flow. In the grander scheme of things, it probably won't even matter five years from now.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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