It’s no secret that the world is rapidly changing. As industries shift from short-term solutions to long-term strategic changes in the face of continuous change, being nimble is paramount to successful career development.
According to financier and strategist Leo Tilman in his book Agility: How to Navigate the Unknown and Seize Opportunity in a World of Disruption, failure to recognize changing tides and strategically adapt early is a sure lead down the path of business extinction. No industry is spared, and none are positioned to be more agile than those already in the digital space.
No matter your profession or the state of the world, it’s good professional housekeeping to regularly assess where your career is at, where you’d like it to go and how you can adapt to take it there. Here are some evergreen tips to help you acheive greater success.
1. Maximize Your Home Office Space
A stunning 42 percent of the total U.S. labor force is now working from home permanently, and this percentage is even higher globally among the digital economy and technology industries.
Now that many of us are working from home, it’s important to be intentional about our workspaces at home. At the beginning of this transition, we found ourselves clumsily set up at the kitchen counter, dining room table or living room sofa. Whether you’ve made a permanent transition or only find yourself working from home on occasion, your home workspace is equally important.
Here are a few universal home office career tips:
- Set up a designated, permanent, and private desk area where possible that you don’t have to reconfigure at the start of each day.
- Organize and declutter. Clutter drains us psychologically, leading to mental exhaustion and overwhelm.
- Keep your environment fresh. Ensure the temperature is comfortable for you, open windows when possible, and diffuse your favorite stress-busting essential oils.
2. Continue Learning with an Online Bootcamp
Continued learning is a life-long process and investment. If it feels like the technologies you use at work are advancing faster every day, it’s because they are. Technological advancement is a force similar to biological evolution, and it’s important to keep up. If you work in the digital economy or a tech industry, you likely feel this rapid evolution happening around you at a seismic level.
Make the most of your day by using time management skills to make the most of extra time, learn something new, and stave off boredom.
But education doesn’t have to be grossly time consuming. Online bootcamps are accelerated, intensive study programs that enable students to learn the in-demand tech skills sought by recruiters. These programs enable you to develop a new skill and add value to your résumé in a matter of weeks, not months. There are many benefits of enrolling in online courses, and this is why you should upskill with an online bootcamp.
- Get real practice with applied learning designed to present real workplace challenges.
- Advance in your current role by showing your employers that you’re capable and trained to take on new responsibilities.
- Become a candidate for an advanced role outside of your current organization. If you’re feeling stuck, you may have hit a ceiling with your present employer. It may be time to sharpen your skills and shop them elsewhere.
- Remain relevant in your industry by staying on top of the latest trends and technological developments. By staying knowledgeable, you’ll always have value to offer your peers and mentors.
3. Update Your Résumé: Simple and Digital
It’s wise to always have an updated résumé on hand, allowing you to respond quickly when new opportunities present themselves. Keep a working master file of your résumé on your desktop so that you can easily update new skills and experience and continuously improve your format and language.
Updating the hard copy of your résumé may sound like an obvious career tip, but here are a few steps to take it further and ensure your résumé stands out in the stack.
Go Digital
Especially if the rest of your workflow has moved online, your résumé and if applicable, your portfolio, should be easily accessible online as well.
Pay Attention to Design
According to Forbes, you have just five seconds to grab a recruiter’s attention with your résumé. This means that if your résumé isn’t designed to visually flow, you’ll have missed a narrow opportunity to communicate your value. Look for templates that keep the most pertinent information like your contact information and current role near the top with well-organized and clear section headers throughout.
Differentiate yourself by visually prioritizing highly sought-after niche skills and unique experience in your industry. Not sure what employers are looking for? Take your time to read through a variety of job postings for target positions or connect with a recruiter.
4. Invest Time in the New Networking
You’ve likely been hearing the networking career tip that it’s not what you know, but who you know since the very beginning of your education and career. No matter how qualified you are, it’s people who do the hiring, and having a solid network of professional relationships will advance your successful career faster.
While the classic coffee meeting or evening mixer have long been networking staples, digital transitions have opened new doors and lifted geographical restrictions. Networking has become more efficient and accessible as the world has changed, and savvy networkers have adjusted with these career tips.
- Leverage your LinkedIn network to stay on top of industry knowledge and take note of who’s talking about what. Thoughtfully send connection requests to people whose careers align with your goals.
- Replace the coffee date with a half hour video call. Remember, just because the world has changed doesn’t mean the human desire to make real connections has gone anywhere!
- Scan networking websites like Meetup to find like-minded professionals in your area who are eager to connect and discuss their work.
- Take on mentorship and seek mentors. A good mentor will ultimately help you better understand what makes a great leader in your industry. Conversely, being a mentor allows you to test your knowledge and exercise leadership skills. It also looks great on your résumé!
