Career Strategy: Building a Personal Resolve and Reputation

 

            As we move forward in reaching our goals, there are other stakes to put in place with the fast pace of life. Stocking these attributes listed below will keep us built to last, whether we’re operating in a paid or volunteer situation or managing our lives.

·         A Little But Good Attitude

      The rules and conditions will keep changing. There will be failures and setbacks. It’s easy to become bitter. Staying focused and positive is essential to present ourselves well and concentrate for the best decision-making. There may be times to push through obstacles in our way. Gratitude, for whatever the situation, is necessary as well.

·         Get It Together—Organizational Skills

Rounding up all needed documentation, such as résumés (old and new), transcripts, evaluations, job descriptions, and letters of recommendation may be time consuming, but it has a huge return on investment (ROI). You don’t want to go on a fishing expedition when something is needed right away. Next, put them in some type of logical order. A tracking process to catalog research data, log phone calls, résumés sent, and networking cards will also be needed. Use supporting technology in this effort, and don’t forget to record those passwords for company websites when applying online! The same tactics work for tracking any financial expenditures, especially for tax purposes.

·         Who Knows You? References

Have you ‘done good’? Can anyone attest to that? Compile a list of people  who’ve known you in a professional setting, such as supervisors or co- workers. Also include those who can speak to your character. Include personal friends with a solid background; teachers, professors, or family friends. Make sure position titles, addresses (e-mail and postal mail), and phone numbers are current. Contact your references to let them know of your career plans, especially if you haven’t communicated with them in a while. The last thing you want is for a potential employer to call a reference who doesn’t remember you or thinks you’re no longer among the living.

This who-knows-you concept isn’t just for job situations. Many community and professional associations may also require references. Due to the worst of human nature (molesters, scammers, and the like) background checks, of the financial and character type, are now the norm.

Ensure that your social media presence reflects an image that’s aligned with who you are professionally, especially on LinkedIn. Recruiters and interviewers do use Google to check out prospective hiring candidates. Censor your tweets and Facebook posts based on the type of opportunities or community positions you seek.