To be successful and achieve your career objectives, you need to manage your career like a business. Hope isn’t a strategy you should use for career success. As a result, you can’t rely on your solid performance to get you noticed. Also, don’t rely on someone to push you towards career advancement, it is a passive approach to career success. Instead, be an active participant in achieving your career goals.
Manage your career like a business by being thoughtful and deliberate in the following five areas.
1) Create a personal mission statement
A personal mission statement is a way to articulate who you are, why you do what you do. It identifies your goals and values. Furthermore, a personal mission statement helps guide your decisions to ensure your career path stays aligned with your personal goals.
2) Establish your personal values
Personal values are what’s important to you in life. They are characteristics and behaviors that motivate you. Personal values matter because they guide your decision-making process. Above all, defining and living your personal values helps you be consistent, which is critical to managing your career like a business.
3) Leverage LinkedIn to manage your career like a business
With over 600 million users globally, LinkedIn is the go-to resource for professional networking. It is often the starting point for recruiters. As a result, manage your LinkedIn profile and activity like a business for career development. Write a compelling headline and summary that represents your unique values and strengths. Ask for recommendations from peers and colleagues. Also, craft status updates and share articles that align with your values and strengths. Above all else, make sure your photo is professional, first impressions are critical. Manage your career like a business by being intentional with your LinkedIn usage.
4) Public Relations
Public relations is deliberately managing the spread of information between an individual and the public. Due to the nature of business today, people are overwhelmed and busy. As a result, they might not notice the great work you are doing. Therefore, to be an active participant in your career development, you need to develop a public relations strategy. Putting your name out there is not an indication of ego, but rather a valid marketing technique. It establishes credibility and enhances your reputation. As a result of the digital world we now live in, reputation building has never been easier. Manage your career like a business by developing a thoughtful and proactive public relations plan.
5) Manage your career like a business with DIY professional development
Budgets for training and development are scarce, and organizations aren’t training their leaders. As a result, you have to do-it-yourself professional development. First of all, start by shadowing peers and networking within your organization to continue learning your role. Next, take advantage of the many free and low-cost ways of professional development. These include relevant podcasts, blogs, audiobooks, and the like. Podcasts and audiobooks are a great way to stay productive during your commute. Manage your career like a business by intentionally mapping out your professional development.
Manage your career like a business to improve your chances of achieving your career goals. In addition to the five areas above, solicit feedback regularly and evaluate your career map to ensure your time and efforts are optimized. Be an active participant in your professional future and manage your career like a business.
Last updated on June 3rd, 2020 at 03:44 am
