by Lisa Skeete Tatum, Landit.com founder
Sometimes in your career, you need to refresh the old and start anew. Why not do it now? Here are 6 ways to revitalize your career, plus some immediate steps you can take to get going today:
1. Review the past accomplishments and set goals for the future
It’s always a good time to take stock of where you are in your career. Are you doing something that you’re passionate about? Are you leveraging all of your talent and skills? Now is a great time to assess your current situation, especially if you’re ready but not sure how to make your next move. Set new goals or reflect on ones already established and start tracking your progress.
2. Update your online presence
Take a fresh look at your online profiles and make sure they’re up-to-date and truly reflect where you are in your career. Add things like links to your portfolios, presentations, or articles that you wrote or appeared in to demonstrate your great work. Perhaps your personal brand needs some attention? Find out by taking our brand quiz to get your brand score. Then, we’ll give you personalized recommendations on how to boost your score and your brand.
3. Refresh the old resume and bio
Resume editing, even if you’re not actively looking for a new job opportunity, is important to do on a regular basis. You never know when a new opportunity will come along, and it’s always good to have your materials ready. It also takes effort to create something that captures your full set of accomplishments and responsibilities, and sometimes you can even forget to include all of your past wins. If you haven’t already, give your resume a tune-up this spring and have a top (human!) expert review your resume for free right now.
4. Polish your skills or learn something new
Signing up for a professional development course is an ideal way to brush up on skills and learn about other career options without having to officially shift gears. If your goal is to advance in your current role, learn what takes it get the promotion you want. Check out great course options for boosting your skills or try something new across numerous industries.
5. Reinvigorate your professional support system
Everyone needs a board of advisors — a trusted inner circle of peers that has your best interests at heart. As you refresh and review your goals for this year, ask yourself: when did you last speak to your mentor? Have you identified who your sponsors or connectors are? Maybe it’s time to meet some new people in your industry or beyond! A strong personal board of advisors includes six types of people that will help you move forward: mentors, sponsors, connectors, close friends, point experts and coaches. Start identifying and building your board of advisors today.
6. Get expert advice if you’re feeling stuck
Sometimes it’s a challenge figuring out your next step: what do I want to do next? How am I going to get there? A little extra help from an expert coach can help you with issues like: brainstorming options for a specific career decision, help you clarify goals, hold you accountable for executing tasks to achieve your goals, and even bring more awareness about your thought patterns and behavior, and how well these habits serve you.