Whether you’re at the peak of your career (something difficult to determine in a rapidly changing workplace environment) or you’ve recently entered the professional workforce, there are important actions, items, and mindsets to consider and work on. I call them your “Essential Career Toolkit.”
Here are a few components:
Your Online Presence: The most important is your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn serves many purposes. It’s the go-to place for all aspects of your work image; it’s your resume. It is easy to use and update, free at the basic level, and where headhunters, recruiters, your present, past, and future supervisors, and colleagues look for you and people like you.
An appropriate photo. A pictureless profile on LinkedIn reduces your chances of being contacted by 90%. Professionally taken is not necessary. Ask a family member or friend who is known for their photography skills. Wear an outfit that is appropriate for your industry — color around the face works best. When in doubt, dress a little more formal than usual (your interview outfit). Take advantage of sunlight and a neutral background. Never look directly into the camera — this is a headshot not a mugshot. Your photographer should shoot a minimum of 10 images. Most people don’t relax until four or five have been taken. Then select the best (ask others, most of us don’t like any images of ourselves) and post.
Your LinkedIn headline is your next essential career tool. Being a “SVP at ABC” does little for you. Saying you are an “Online Media Customer Engagement Expert” describes who you are and what you do, and how you do it. They can find the where in the details below. Like all internet narratives, LinkedIn is keyword driven. Do you want people who don’t know you to find you? Have a very popular and common name? Use the keywords and phrases specific to your area of expertise and you will rise to the top of the search.
Recommendations on LinkedIn are as important, maybe more powerful, than references. The easiest way to get them is to trade. That’s right, “I’ll write one for you, if you’ll write one for me.” Pick an assortment of influence levels — former bosses, colleagues, people who have worked for you and associates from other companies, even vendors. The goal is to show as broad a picture of you, as a leader, manager, and innovator, as possible. Coach people as to what to say and what you want them to emphasize. You’re looking for a minimum of five recommendations.
LinkedIn is the most important piece in your toolkit.
Your Network: I cannot stress enough how valuable a broad and dense network can be for your career. Keeping your networking vibrant and current takes time and effort and is essential if you are to have a professional career toolkit. My most successful coaching clients have vast networks going back to childhood friends, college roommates, and former co-workers. They are constantly meeting new people. They often are available to help others in a variety of ways. The payoff is they know someone who can answer any question, connect them with many people, and enjoy the rewards a large community can bring. They also have access to the best hires and consultants.
Do you have a limited network?
Start by building within your organization. Eat with a diverse group of people, volunteer for task forces that encompass staff from other aspects of the company, get to know people at a personal (workplace appropriate) level. Most important — have a relationship with the senior leaders. It’s easier than you think and more valuable than you can imagine.
Travel within your industry. Maintain connections, especially with people in your former places of employment. They keep you informed about colleagues and activities and are potential references and referrers. Reach out to others in your field. This can take the form of online topic groups, association memberships, professional activities, conferences, and charitable endeavors. It requires a level of commitment and scheduling, and takes less time than you think.
Networking Groups. They exist in all forms and sizes. Some are specific to networking, others have a networking component. Ask friends, colleagues, and online group members who are great at networking, which groups are most appropriate for you. Meetups are a serious source of contacts that more people should be engaging.
Staying Current: Your career toolkit needs to have a strategy and execution plan for staying current. This means insight as to what is happening in your profession, the world, technology, and people near and far. Curiosity helps fuel this endeavor but so does the fear factor. No one wants to be deemed obsolete. Formal education is a possible solution but so are podcasts, broad scope reading, and surrounding yourself with a diverse and interesting group of people.
The trick is the discipline staying current demands. It is setting aside time to update and dig. Unless you book it, it will be displaced with every day “to dos.” Make a point of attending a certain number of outside activities that either deepen your knowledge or exposes you to things not on your radar.
LinkedIn, your network, and staying current are a few of the essential elements of your career toolkit. Work on these and you will find yourself with a competitive edge.
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