We know how important it is to proactively manage our career for the long-term, but we’re busy just staying afloat with what we need to do right now.
Is there a way to build in good career habits in five minutes a day? Here are ten ideas.
Send an e-mail to someone you haven’t connected with in the last thirty days.
We get stuck focusing on our immediate circle and forget about classmates, former colleagues, and even old friends. Pick a name out of your Microsoft Outlook contact list and dash off a quick hello.
Scan the headlines on a general news site.
Share online or forward to a friend.
Update your LinkedIn status.
We all have news — a conference you attended, a good book, an interesting assignment.
Drop by on a colleague outside your immediate department.
What are they working on? If you work independently or in a small office, call on a customer or vendor.
Think of someone who helped you and send a thank you e-mail.
If it is work-related, send a compliment to their manager. Your friend and their manager will appreciate it and become closer connections.
Look up the calendar for a professional group or other outside-of-work organization.
Sign up for something.
Order your annual report.
It is becoming more typical for companies to check the credit of job candidates. Even if you are not actively looking now, it can take months to fix mistakes. You want to identify any problems early and have adequate time to fix anything.
Schedule a personal day for the next quarter.
Time for yourself to rest and recharge is critical to remaining at your best. By scheduling early, you are as deliberate about taking care of yourself as you are about serving your clients.
Add one item to your resume or online profile.
It might be the most current bullet point on your job description. It might be an edit to your summary or expertise. It might be an addition to your interests section. Keeping your resume fresh is important for unexpected opportunities and to stay vigilant about your career.
Google yourself and see what comes up in the listings.
Do you like what you see? Set a Google alert on your name so that mentions of your name get e-mailed to you regularly and you stay vigilant about your online brand.
Originally published on Ellevate.
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