The Career Planning Category includes articles that provide insight into successful career planning.
The majority of people don’t really stop to think about what they want to do with their lives or in their job. At any point in your career, it can be helpful to write down your goals and develop a plan for advancement. It’s a good idea to revisit your career goals as life changes. Many people will even use a journal that includes their achievements in their current job position so they remember those moments when it comes time to write their resume.
The articles below consider a variety of career planning topics and reflect on interesting situations one may consider as they attempt to reach their objectives.
Career Tips for Using LinkedIn
Last week, we sponsored a Webinar on LinkedIn. In case you missed the Live Webinar, Debra has uploaded the presentation as a video and we have it embedded below.
In this video, Debra Wheatman, President of Careers Done Write, takes you through the best practices in using LinkedIn effectively and efficiently to help you achieve your dream career. The video provides a variety of tips and techniques that can be helpful in landing a job, networking and advancing within your industry.
Enhancing & Evolving Your Personal Brand
This is the age of the careerist in which we must anticipate and fully understand our employers and customers’ needs. In fact, the most successful careerists are those that consider their employer a customer. If you are not growing and evolving to fill those needs, you are not relevant. How do we stay relevant? We do so by developing our skills and evolving our brand. Is brand enhancement a part of your new year’s resolution? Repeat the cycle below to continuously enhance and evolve your brand.
5 Career Tips to Create a Unique Professional Brand
To establish a personal brand that optimizes career growth, you must take a close look at what your distinguishing traits and accomplishments are. Why do people pay more for Godiva Chocolate? Why not just buy any chocolate bar? The answer lies in branding.
Digital Resumes for Career Planning
If you are on the career path to success, one of the latest methods for getting your information to potential hiring managers and marketing yourself effectively in the age of social media is the digital resume. A digital resume can turn your information into a multi-dimensional journey filled with color and visual appeal.
5 Career Management Tips for the Holiday Season
If you are like me, you enjoy the holiday season; for me, it represents a time to get together with family and friends, reminisce, and share good moments. Of course, it can be a manic time – people running all over the place, traveling, and shopping, must have the shopping.
Getting From Here to Here: Gearing Up for Career Transition
I won’t lie; making a career transition is a very difficult thing. In a lot of cases, many professionals have been working for a number of years in one area and then decide they want to pursue a different line of work. Some decide that they want to do something they are more passionate about; work in an area that they previously studied; or even, pursue something that was a hobby and turn it into their professional life. No matter what the reason, there are some basic things that you need to explore and understand to ensure that you are not wasting your time.
Down But Not Out – Dealing with Job Loss
Involuntary job loss due to a reorganization or downsizing happens. Oftentimes, people don’t even see it coming. One day you are employed; the next you aren’t. Of course you will feel that initial jolt of shock; it is important that you take stock of the situation as you prepare to recharge and take the necessary steps to fuel your motivation and begin anew. Here are some tips and recommendations to get you going:
Acronym Soup for Your Job Search
So, you want to change verticals; financial services is no longer your cup of tea — maybe you are thinking of moving to a role in healthcare. Or maybe you spent your whole life working in engineering and think it might be good idea to work for an investment bank. Certainly, it is not uncommon to change jobs or industries multiple times throughout your professional career. But, you better make sure you can talk the talk as well as walk the walk. It is not just enough that you can get the job done. When you walk into the interview, the first thing the interviewer thinks is “Wow this person’s background is impressive but he has no experience in <insert vertical here. >
Tattoos, Piercings and the Art of Your Body
In the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit that I have two tattoos. My husband also has two. So, it’s safe to say that I am not uber conservative. We all make choices. Granted, I decided to get my first tattoo on my 30th birthday. Neither of my tattoos is in conspicuous places. One is never seen unless I am wearing a backless dress or a bikini. The other is generally seen if I wear something sleeveless.
What Color is Your Personality
Not that long ago I had the pleasure of spending some time with Alex Freund of Landing Expert -Career Coaching (http://www.landingexpert.com/) Alex is an unparalleled career coach, and he really believes in and supports his clients. Alex and I met when I spoke in front of a professional networking group in New Jersey. Since then, we have become friends; I thoroughly enjoy sharing ideas with him. Really, I find him very inspirational and a wealth of information. It is wonderful to share career planning concepts with someone who really understands the value of what career coaching can do for a client.
Successful Career Planning
When we are young people ask us “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a common enough question. Our parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends all serve to influence our decisions. Sometimes circumstances force us to choose a particular path. How may times have you heard someone say: “Well I wanted to be a dentist, dancer, actor, or sportscaster,” or something else? But they didn’t become any of those things owning to personal or other obstacles that prevented their entry into a desired area.
Three Top Career Tips During the Holiday Season
Ah, the holidays! A time of joy and fun – and CELEBRATIONS. Almost every office environment no matter how small has something of an end of year celebration. It’s almost obligatory. The New Year is approaching; people are looking toward the future. You get the point. It’s amazing though how many people don’t understand that no matter how close they are with their co-workers, the office is still a professional environment. So here are three tips to keep it merry, but not overly so to ensure you want to return after the festivities have ended:
Career Planning for Success
Successful career planning is a program – not a project. It should be something that becomes part of your life – even if you love your job, even if it is the best job you have ever had, even if you think you might go directly from your current job to the golf course you should always keep your eyes open. I cannot tell you how many of my clients haven’t updated their resumes, gone on an interview or explored their options for years; and one day they find themselves bored with their jobs, frustrated with a new boss or worse laid-off due to circumstances beyond their control.
Planning for Career Success in your Fifties
Who says you cannot have a successful job search if you are in your fifties? I have not seen or heard of any instances that indicated that people in their fifties cannot be a highly valued and productive part of the workforce. That fact that you might be a bit older should not deter you from getting out there and pursuing opportunities that might be appropriate for you. After all you have a lot to offer. So what are your unique selling features? Well, I’m going to tell you:
Developing your Career From the Ground Up
If you’re just graduating from college, or deciding to enter the workforce after spending your adult years involved in other projects, then you have the benefit many others don’t: building your career from the ground up.
This blog's author, Debra Wheatman of Careers Done Write, provides executive career services including resume and cover letter preparation, job search / interviewing strategies and professional branding including how to effectively use LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media in your career.
Visit CareersDoneWrite.com to learn more about how we can put your career in gear with interview catching resumes and professionally written career documents.