Take Baby Steps to a Better Career…
posted in Baby Steps, Visualization |I took a detour and lost my way as I was moving along with my baby steps… 
Here’s the continuation to the baby steps series to better career…
If your career appears to be in the doldrums, take time to take stock of where you are and where you want to be. This is especially critical as before you start making any changes or taking baby steps to improve your career, you need to know what’s bothering you, where it “hurts” and what needs to be rectified.
Here are five baby steps you can consider for a better career -
1) Take stock
Ask yourself if you are still aligned with your career goals. Are there good value exchange between you and the company? Be realistic. Don’t cheat yourself into staying on with the company by such self-talk like “Things will get better after the project is over”, “when the economy improves” or “when the additional staff comes on board”. Are you staying on because you’re afraid to change, feel that there’s no choice or are pretty certain things will improve?
If you are staying on and there’s no positive change in sight, ask what will it do to you as a person and your relationships (be it colleagues or family)? Will you always be a foul mood which will impact anybody who comes in your path? If you’re able to see yourself learn and accomplish more in the next 12 months, then plan and make sure it materialises.
2) Focus on what’s important
When committing to a new work assignment, ask yourself how it can add value to your employer or your client? What will you be giving up to accomplish the assignment? How will it enrich your life? Once you’ve committed to the work, file away the list of work you’d completed, so that you can use them at your next performance review or when you ask for a raise/promotion.
3) Don’t be too social
Social support from your colleagues breaks work monotony, improves comaradarie and communication. However, don’t fall into the trap of being too sociable that you don’t have time to finish up your work and “eats” into your official work hours. Learn to say “No” or provide good alternate solutions to colleagues who consistently asks help from you, especially if you have not completed your own tasks. However, if you’ve been assisted during the course of your work by your colleague, then spend time to send a “Thank You” note to show your appreciation. It goes a long way.
4) Update Your Resume
Your resume is a living document. It must be updated as you progress in your career. Ensure that it contains lots of action words and documents accomplishments you have achieved.
5) Take courage and just do it.
Change is the only thing that is constant in this current economic & globalization climate. It is always scary. There is always the possibility that you might fail. But, how will you know if you don’t give it a try? Take courage. Move out of your comfort zone and take calculated risk. Envision yourself succeeding. Model yourself after someone you know who are successful in making an effective change or made that bold step of getting out of his comfort zone.
Here’s a quote by Jack Welch, “Change before you have to.”
Carpe Diem!
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