The Future of Your Career
Feeling a little stuck on the carousel of life? Shift your mindset because opportunity lies ahead.
Across the globe, 2020 has been a stressful year. We have all been impacted in one way or another…probably in multiple ways, if we’re being truly honest. The way that we work is changing, and many industries are being forced to shift their business operations. Unfortunately, the economic fallout from the pandemic, coupled with these operational changes has led to sweeping job loss and role elimination.
The hard truth: the working world is likely to look very different in 2025 than it did in 2019. Change is coming, so now is the time to prepare. Here are some tips to get you started:
Refresh: Now is the time to refresh your resume and update your LinkedIn profile. Your LinkedIn profile is your most important career branding platform, so make sure that you’ve filled out your profile and that it contains a narrative that reflects who you are as a professional, as well as listing the accomplishements that you’ve had in the different roles you’ve held during your career. Yes, it’s good to include your role responsibilities, but make sure you include how you made an impact and helped to advance your team, department/practice area, and your company. No need to be modest!
Along the same lines, it is always smart to keep an updated version of your resume on hand. Again, make sure to include your achievements and include any relevant data/stats that support how you’ve contributed to the overall goal. You can use your updated resume as a starting point for when you apply for jobs, but make sure that you customize your resume based on the company and role for which you are applying.
Research: When change rolls in, it’s best to adapt, otherwise, you risk becoming irrelevant. At the same time, change and disruption can be exciting, as they allow the opportunity for exploration and reinvention. So ask yourself, in the next phase of your career, where would you like to go? If you’ve worked within the same industry for most of your career, maybe take some time to explore other areas that look interesting to you. They say that the world is a stage, but avoid typecasting yourself in your job search. Most roles have both hard and soft skills that can be applicable across various jobs and industries. Take the time to do some research on companies that you would like to work for, as well as, jobs that seem interesting. Look for roles where your skills can be transferred, so even if the next role is not your dream job, it might be the foot in the door that starts you down the next path on your career journey.
Reach Out: I cannot stress how important your network is for your job search. In fact, while doing some personal reflection, I realized that most of my career opportunities came out of networking conversations. Cold outreach can be an effective tool, so lean into your LinkedIn network, as well as friends and colleagues as sources for your job search. While it’s not the best strategy to do a cold outreach to ask someone if they will hire you, you can ask if they would be open to networking, as you are interested in learning more about their industry or company.
And of course, if this advice resonates with you, please feel free to reach out to me! I would be happy to provide additional career insight and guidance.
As we prepare for the future of work, use this time as an opportunity to take charge of your career and set a new course. The job hunt can be stressful, and sometimes demoralizing, but by applying strategy to your search, you can give yourself a leg up in the market and find a role that fits the forward-looking vision your have for your career.
