Tis the Season to Network & Connect
“The savvy career searcher maintains job hunt momentum throughout the holiday season and finds fresh ways to leverage networking to open doors with hiring employers. After all, there are increased opportunities to network offline throughout this period, and each event you attend offers the gift of connecting with people you haven’t met or haven’t met in a while.” – Cheryl Simpson of Careerealism.
December is the perfect time to reach out and reconnect with your network, internal to your organization and beyond. From social and professional events, to seasonal office parties, these provide great opportunities to build new contacts and connect with former colleagues.
Focus on building your network and fostering deeper relationships with your current contacts. Extend an offer to grab a “seasonal latte” to break away from the office to celebrate the wrap up of the year, recap mutual successes, and support each other’s career goals for the New Year.
These informal meetings forge stronger relationships, promote the sharing of job leads, and help you get ‘in the loop’. They provide you with the opportunity to research what’s going on in your industry regarding trends and best practices, hear about organizational plans and challenges on the horizon for 2014, and learn about shifts expected in the coming months.
Use these coffees to determine how your expertise can assist your organization (or organizations you wish to work for) to readily adapt to the changes that will take place, as well as demonstrate your desire to be a key player in any upcoming organizational shifts.
(Needing more networking strategies – check out our Networking to Build Career Success article)
‘Tis the Season to Get Ready for New Opportunities in 2014
As 2014 is just around the corner, these final few weeks are an important time to reflect on your successes in 2013. Then, invest time in updating your resume so you can hit the ground running in the New Year.
Take a moment to take stock of your successes in 2013. Create a “brag sheet” – an outline of your key accomplishments, projects led, initiatives delivered. Highlight the goals you have met, and showcase your key accomplishments. Include any recent promotions, board appointments, or other successes you have achieved this year. Then, capture these in your resume so you are ready to launch into 2014, and take on new challenges and opportunities.
So, how are you ending 2013?
December is a great time to get out there, and renew and build your network. Also, the holiday season provides time to reflect on your successes, and plan your career moves for the New Year. Avoid falling into the trap of believing that this is the time of year to slow down. In fact, it is the perfect time to network and position yourself for success in the New Year.
Wishing you much career success!
Joanne
Author: Joanne Loberg of JL Careers Inc. is a Certified Executive Coach and Internationally Certified Career Management Professional. She specializes in coaching professional and executive clients, and providing career advancement strategies. Copyright JL Careers Inc. All rights reserved.
