Spring Cleaning for Your Career
During this time of year when the weather warms up and things start to look fresh and bright we tend to want to clean. With this renewed sense of self I suggest you take a look at what things need to be spruced up on your career journey. Here are some suggestions for a Career Spring Cleaning.
Tidy up that resume. Sometimes we get so lost in all the things we want to do that we forget all of the things we have accomplished. A great way to boost your self-esteem, help you set new goals, and feel confident in making changes in your career is to update your resume. This is especially important if you have been in the same role or company for a long time and/or are actively looking for a new job. Open your resume and see if you have your most recent projects, accomplishments, or leadership roles listed and quantified (when applicable). Take a look and see if you like the formatting. Decide if you want to tweak it to be easier to read or organized in a way that more effectively communicates your accomplishments. Then when you are done read it and take in all that you have accomplished! I recommend doing this once a year, so why not add it to your spring cleaning list.
Close out those tabs. It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the things we have to get done in a typical workday. It is common to end the day without finishing all of the duties on your to-do list. But what will make you more anxious is starting every new work day with open tabs on your computer, potentially leading to feelings of inadequacy and overwhelm. Instead, at the end of every workday, when you decide that you are done for the day, close all of those open internet tabs and documents on your desktop (save your work first!). If it is important you will remember to do it, and if you are afraid you will forget, add it to a paper or electronic list of tasks you need to complete. Doing this will allow you to feel like every day is a fresh start.
Connect with your network. Networking is an important part of career development, it also isn’t easy for everyone. I suggest connecting with a former colleague or boss, even a professor or mentor for a zoom chat or coffee. Keep it casual and informal. If you connect with people when you aren’t in need of something (like a new job) then it can be fun and pressure free. This way when you do need to reach out for professional reasons the connection has already been established and it won’t make you feel as anxious. It is also important to keep those social connections for your mental health.
Start with these three things for a little bit of a refresh in your work life!