January brings with it a natural audit of where you are right now, and where you thought you would be. This is true for most individuals. One of the areas we are particularly most anxious about is our career. We ask ourselves questions such as “I’m I in the right career?” if not “how do I get back on track?” “I attended so many job interviews last year and never got an offer, what I’m I doing wrong?” or simply make declarations like “I need a new job”, “I need more money” or “It’s time I changed my work environment”. Well, that’s the easy part! Making the actual change would require a more deliberate effort. We live in a world where 80% of jobs do not get advertised, so if you are going to make any career changes this year, you are going to have to be a whole lot smarter and more resourceful than you were before.
So this now begs the question what can I do differently this year? For starters; Figure out exactly what you want to achieve for your career this year, write it down and start making plans on how you will achieve this. It seems goal setting follows us wherever we go, we cannot run away from it, so, therefore, embrace it.
Candidates that usually get the job offer are those that have learned to put their best foot forward. One may ask what this means. The Grammarist (this awesome website that I guarantee will help improve your grammar and become smarter) defines the phrase of putting one’s best foot forward as making the best impression one can, or getting off to a good start. In other definitions, it is described as embarking on a journey or task with purpose and gusto! I particularly like this definition as I believe that your journey to becoming the best you can begin with a single step.
To learn how to put your best foot forward, you are going to have to pay attention to what your strengths are. Knowing what you are good at, what skills you have mastered, and what your qualifications entail will allow you to play them up in any interview or networking opportunity. You will have to learn your weaknesses too. This is in itself a strength as it allows you an opportunity to learn something you did not know before. Your personal development is your responsibility. Attend some classes in areas where you fall short, network A LOT, perfect your elevator speech, and check our website and Facebook page for upcoming training courses ☺ Do something different!
I will leave you with a quote from a guy called William Shakespeare (you might have heard of him) that goes “Nay, but make haste, the better foot before the other”. So step out there and be great!