Essential Career Strategy Tools to Get What You Want

I am always amazed how many smart, successful, on top of everything, leaders fail to take care of such simple but important disciplines of their career. They give 100% at the office yet when it comes to their career strategy, they barely give it a thought or the time required.

Career Strategy Toolbox

Here are some simple career strategies and suggestions on how to operationalize.

Networking: Everyone needs a career strategy network. How you do it and how often depends on a few points.

1. Decide what you want to accomplish. Meet new people, strengthen existing relationships, or revitalize old connections, increase your technical expertise, be exposed to new ideas or career options, or all the above?
2. Create an annual events plan. Block out time beginning with high-value, high exposure events and networking opportunities for the next twelve months (aim for at least one per month). Next, slot in those repeating commitments — monthly meetings or quarterly get-togethers. There is something to be said for repeated contact with a dedicated group. Then start planning your one-on-ones and/or small group get-togethers. Set a goal of so many per week, month, year, and keep track.
3. Go through your contacts list. Find people who you want, and need, to remain in touch with, even if it’s only once a year. This could be one-on-one coffee or drinks, or small groups of co-workers. It may be business or strictly social. Work that list, so if you had to call anyone on it, you would not be embarrassed to do so because it feels “too long since we’ve spoken.” Long distant connections? I sometimes have a phone date with colleagues who no longer live near me. It works with or without the glass of wine.
4. Holidays and remembrances. Look for opportunities to stay in touch. Most people are happy to receive a birthday greeting, or a New Year’s message. Forward links to individuals who you know would be interested. Make it light and easy to handle but do it on a regular basis.
5. LinkedIn. It continues to be the way businesses connect and how people check-up and inform colleagues and business associates, as well as look for employees. Make sure your profile says what you want others to know. Remain active on the site. This is particularly important if you have a common name. Rise to the top of the list.

Resume/Bio: Your written tools, such as a resume, and probably a bio, need to be current and compelling, and a major part of your career strategy.

1. Results driven. What you have accomplished is far more interesting than what you are “responsible for.” Make accomplishments the focus of your resume.
2. Headline focused. There needs to be a few powerful descriptive highlights at the top of the resume that tells the reader what you do and what you are looking for. This is often the hardest section to write because it must be concise and attracting. You may need a few different ones depending on the targeted reader.
3. Speaks the language of the profession. Nothing says, “I’m one of you” more than technical terms. One of the issues when using a resume writer is many don’t know your industry at that level. It’s your job to make sure all explanations or terms are accurate and current, regardless if you or someone else creates the document. There is less demand for bios but if you speak in public, or are quoted, you want to control how you are credited. Have a one-page bio, another that’s a paragraph, and a final comprising of only three sentences — just in case.

Recommendations: Those essential good words potential employers or membership organizations need to hear to give you what you want — entrance.

Act as if you need the endorsements of specific people right now. Another reason to stay in touch with your network — it prevents the embarrassment of having to ask a favor of someone you haven’t seen in years.

If you are leaving a job, ask for a written reference from your supervisor, colleagues. Trade recommendations with them on LinkedIn. When asking for a reference or recommendation from a connection, make sure you coach them on the reason, the nature of the work, and what you’d like them to focus on, “They’re really most interested in knowing how I manage people.” Be prepared for the person to say, “Write it and I’ll sign it.” That works. Also, have a few references in your back pocket — it’s part of your career strategy.

Offer to write one for a colleague and contribute to others on LinkedIn.

Continuing Education Plan: How you stay current, get exposure to new ideas, learn some useful technology, build a larger network, or explore areas of interest not directly related to your career.

Making time for enhancing your knowledge base, outside your current work situation, can be difficult, but possible, and should be a part of your career strategy. Only a small percentage of workers take advantage of the education benefits their organizations offer. Even if this is going to be out-of-pocket, getting that certification, next degree, or strictly an opportunity to satisfy a part of your brain that is underutilize, it’s important to expose yourself to new ideas and ways of thinking. You’re more interesting to yourself and others. Online learning makes this easy. The array of courses is staggering. It requires a strategy, planning, and commitment.

You’re probably saying, “I already do all of this.” If so, congratulations. I suggest you take another look because what you think is current might just be five years old and not quite who you are today. If you don’t have time to give networking, a resume, or more education a thought, think again.

How are you investing in you? If you are spending all your time targeting the strategy of your department or organization, and nothing on your own career strategy, how vulnerable are you? Creating this Career Strategy Toolbox is not as time consuming as you might think. It takes discipline and dedication but can be fun.

Partner with someone (like a coach) and get it done. Networking is often life-enhancing in that it brings new people into your world. Writing a resume might surprise you as to how many things you have accomplished. Try them and have a dynamic career strategy.