2016: A Year in Review
As the year draws to a close, I have been reflecting on what I think are the key things that every professional needs to know about managing his or her career. It’s difficult to condense an entire year’s worth of advice into one short article, but here are my top level Most Important Things to Know about Managing Your Career from 2016!
Never stop managing your brand. Your brand is what you make it. It is the mythology you create about yourself, and it’s built through every interaction you have with people, either online or offline. You cannot afford to be passive about your brand. You want to be in charge of what your brand communicates, and not allow anyone else to do that for you.
Build your brand both online and offline. Having an online presence is absolutely crucial, and it’s a great way to position yourself as a thought leader in your field, but don’t neglect the real world. Get out of your house or office, go to networking meetings, meet people in person.
Realize that networking is a two-way street. Don’t just ask for help from your network. Be sure you offer to contribute as well.
You must be on LinkedIn. As a recruiter friend of mine is fond of saying, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you do not exist. The importance of this tool not only for active job seekers but for anyone who takes their career seriously, cannot be overstated. You need to be active on LinkedIn, have a full profile, and have a photo.
Learn new things. Don’t stagnate. Take courses, teach courses, speak at industry events, speak with others in your industry. All of these will teach you something new. Everything that you learn is a valuable component of your brand.
Be the CEO of your career. This is the most important advice I can give to anyone. You cannot rely on your employer, your manager, or anyone other than yourself to guide your career and its progression. You must stop thinking of yourself as an employee of X Corporation, and begin to think of yourself instead as a professional with a certain set of skills and qualifications who is contracting her services to a given employer for as long as that is mutually beneficial. Your brand, of course, is central to this because it is one thing that is undeniably portable.
Thank you all for being loyal readers this year. May you achieve the successes you pursue in 2017!
As my New Years gift to you all, I have TWO posts this week. You can also check out my Expert Interview Series on Media Shower which is all about building your personal brand. Check it out by clicking here.