The summer holidays are over and the fall winds are in the air.
Before the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities kick in, there’s no better time of the year to reflect on your career goals and take steps to accomplish them – If you haven’t done so already.
Perhaps you made a promise to yourself to ask for a raise or land your promotion this year. After getting passed up so many times while watching others move ahead.
Or maybe you even mapped out strategies to revamp your resume, update your LinkedIn profile and bid your stifling, micromanaging boss goodbye!
Whatever it is, it’s not too late to reignite your passion for the dreams, goals, and aspirations you laid out at the beginning of the year.
The cost of doing nothing is a very high price to pay, so why not do something?
Imagine the benefit of some extra income in your family when you get your raise and what it could do for you.
…or the confidence and boost in morale you’d get when you take the necessary steps to kick-ass so that you can land your promotion.
…or the peace of mind and fulfillment you’d experience when you finally break free from your boring, monotonous job and land the job of your dreams.
Here are 10 easy steps to make a bold career move this quarter
And the truth is, all you need might just be a few tweaks.
And I’m here to challenge you to give yourself permission to take action and make those dreams reality this quarter.
Step #1 – Determine where you’d like to be: What does your ideal work life look like? Job title? Salary? Dream organization, location, work schedule etc.
Write them down and be specific on what that career dream looks like to you.
Step #2 – Map out your strategy to get there: Whether it’s via a promotion, a lateral move to another team, or getting a job with another organization.
You need to have a clear game plan, find out what you need to get there and then ACT on it!
If you’ve done some groundwork and a promotion might be in the picture for you this year, then now will be a good time to make sure it’s still on track.
Gather all the positive feedback from your superiors, subordinates clients and peers etc.
Gather any accolades and significant accomplishments and have them ready for your next discussion with your manager.
Also, make sure the goals agreed at the beginning of the year have been met or even surpassed.
Schedule a meeting to find out how you’re trending towards getting that promotion, so there are no surprises.
Step #3 – Take an inventory of your skills: A lot of times moving into a different domain or area may require some additional skills. Find out what those skills are and close the gaps.
Do some research and make sure you know exactly what you need to get where you want to be.
Step #4 – Revamp your resume: If you’re moving across domains completely, for example, moving from a technical role into something more project-based or less technical, then your current resume likely won’t cut it.
Update your resume. Determine the transferable skills that can be leveraged and include personal projects, training or certifications that are relevant to your dream job.
Step #5 – Update your professional online presence: Update your online profile at work, job boards, LinkedIn etc. to reflect elements of your proficiency in your dream job.
Craft your summary statement including accomplishments or things learned on personal projects. So it’s ready to go when it’s time to move.
Step #6 – Spread the word: Leverage your network either via LinkedIn or networking events, connections, peers, colleagues etc.
Spread the word about your dream job aspirations. Join professional groups relevant to your dream industry.
Follow your dream organizations on LinkedIn and find ways to contribute to online communities.
Step #7 – Decide whether to stick or to quit: If your current organization has opportunities to move into your dream job via internal mobility schemes, start those discussions with your manager and/or HR.
And if there aren’t or you’d rather jump ship, then get out there and apply to your dream organizations.
Step #8 – Prepare to ace your interviews: Be comfortable with the requirements and demands of your dream job.
Be armed with the information and research needed to make a good impression at the interview so that you can get an offer!
Step # 9 – Negotiate your offer: You should have an idea of what the market rates are for your dream job and your goal salary.
Negotiate and don’t be afraid to counteroffer if you’re not satisfied with the package presented.
Step #10 – Do kick-ass work: Now that you’ve landed your dream job and you’re getting paid your dream salary, tap into your zone of genius!
Do excellent work on your job. The effort will be worthwhile for your long-term career growth.
So what are you going to do about it?
Wouldn’t it be amazing to get the most out of your career this quarter so you can launch into the coming year with a fresh set of goals, that will take you even farther?
If you feel stuck and would like some help to confidently make your career move, or land your dream job or promotion this quarter. Here’s my gift to help you get started – 10 Actions To Move Your Career Forward.