Photo: drum.co.za
Many of us corporate sisters are getting ready to take a well-deserved break this holiday season, to spend time with family and friends, relax and unwind from all the pressures of this past year. And we all know how much R&R we can use, especially around this time of year…However, it’s not because we’re taking a break that we must disconnect completely from our careers. Actually, the holiday break is a great opportunity to invest in our careers by planting seeds of success that will certainly pay off in the long (or short) run…
- Revamp Your Resume! ‘Tis the season to update your resume, re-package it, spruce it up and make it look brand new for this year! From scrutinizing your spelling and getting rid of the typos, translating some of the acronyms and obscure professional jargon buried in there, and updating all of the information that no longer applies, targeting all the much-needed changes in your resume will also make you realize how much you have evolved and improved this year! It is now time to replace the old with the new, once you’ve taken out all of the outdated, unclear, and downright out-of-scope stuff. New accomplishments? New project skills acquired? New classes taken or certifications obtained? Make sure to include them all in, and make it all look like the overachieving chick’s resume that it was always meant to be….
- Update Your Linked In Profile: ‘Tis the season to link up all over again…professionally, that is! Complete your profile as much as you can, with all the necessary details about your current and past positions, where you’ve worked, and what people you’ve worked with or around think of you. The “completeness” of your Linked In profile is actually measured by the website, so the more complete the better. Increasing your connections, adding your (cute, and work-appropriate) picture, participating in groups that are connected to your field or expertise, and asking for recommendations, are all surefire ways to make your Linked In profile noticed by peers, potential network allies, and recruiters this coming year!
- Keep networking: Being away from the office does not necessarily mean that your networking abilities are now limited. There is a reason why we are all connected nowadays, and since connection means interaction, we now have infinite possibilities to network regardless of geography, time of day or year for that matter! Whether through Linked In, with your boss and co-workers, or just with friends, dropping in a hint about this lateral position you are coveting at work, or researching potential contacts in your field of expertise during your holiday downtime, are all ways to continue building your network even as you’re taking a break…
Want to read more about this? Here are some great articles from the Daily Muse on updating your resume and sprucing up your Linked In profile:
http://www.thedailymuse.com/job-search/spring-clean-your-resume-in-less-than-2-hours/
http://www.thedailymuse.com/job-search/best-of-2013-what-recruiters-want-to-see-on-your-linkedin-profile/
The Corporate Sister.
