networking

Eight ways to max out the remaining months…

Hey savvy readers – dare I say it? Xmas Decorations! I know right? They’re already appearing in the shops – a fitting reminder that yet another year is about to wrap. At work we’re prepping the Xmas party plan, The Mighty Annual Bakeoff ( a seriously competitive gig in my office), secret santa, closure holiday planning. At home, ‘must catch up before Xmas’ texts, selecting party outfits, booking said holiday, and..oh wait! Just when you think you can’t squeeze another ounce out of the year, I’ve found 8 ways to do so. Yes seriously! Read on…

Gear up for 2018

A great way to transition into a new year is to get organized beforehand. Sorting out paperwork, clearing the closet, even doing a spot of redecorating – how refreshing to wake up to the new year with order in place of chaos (as well as the obligatory hangover)? Build your plan, lock in a few hours and look at how you might gear up home and heart for the new year

Love those longer evenings

Extended daylight just begs to be taken advantage of so why not make a plan to make the most of it? After-work drinks on a sunset viewing balcony? Call your buddies stat! Moonlight cinema? Book it! Balmy evening walk? Grab the dog! Twilight picnic with your besties? Organise it! Favourite personal goal? Set aside an hour for it. Less evening TV, more fun.

Reflect on the year thus far

Rather than worry about what you haven’t done this year, reflect on all that you have achieved. Grab that journal and list everything you’ve actually accomplished – bet that list is longer than you realise. If it’s been a tough year for whatever reason, use the opportunity to put it to bed, secure closure and promise yourself you’ll start the new year with a clean slate.

Plan that holiday

Short getaways are a great start – use any remaining leave you have from work to take a long weekend or a short holiday. Whether grabbing a little respite from our long hot summer through a winter-themed activity or trading our sun for another with a tropical escape, you’ll be ticking a new country off the bucket list (check out Let’s talk Bucket Lists Baby) while doing so. Worried about the money towards the end of the year? Read Career Girl’s budgeting for Christmas now guide to making traveling the world super affordable.

Embrace party season

As the calendar starts filling with those ‘must catch up for drinkies before Xmas’ gigs; look on them as a chance to make the most of having friends around. A chance to regroup, celebrate, commiserate, let them know you care, the perfect opportunity to agree that we’ll all make the new year the best year yet.

Consider yourself an introvert? Compile a list of fun questions everyone likes to respond to e.g. holiday plans; best/worst xmas pressies ever received; best/worst parties attended; New Year goals etc. Then choose the gigs that will feel most satisfying and consider them a perfect opportunity to have a good laugh while leaving a positive reminder of your fabulous listening skills. It’s ok to sneak out before the party starts getting out of control, knowing you’ve left a positive impression with reputation intact.

Make new friends

I call networking ‘making new friends’. Introduce yourself to just one person you’ve not met before while you’re at those gigs. Ask them what they love about their jobs, their career goals for the new year, if you might connect on LInkedIn. If you’re in the job market, Christmas is actually one of the best times to network for people are more relaxed, and so are you. A perfect way to get your personal brand out there too.

Plan something for the coming year

Do you experience that post-Christmas dip? Even when you love your job, returning to work after the magic of Christmas can be downright sad! If you have a January birthday, yay! You get to plan another party, if not, make something happen! Whether it’s something you want to kick the year off with, or a party or social gathering – get your Facebook invitations sent out now.

Start something new

You don’t have to wait to start a new activity. If you want to train for a marathon, join a gym or take up a new hobby, there’s no time like the present. The perfect anecdote for New Year Resolutions and just think of the head start you’ll have on everyone else beginning in January.

Looking for a proactive and rewarding approach to job search?

You’re now in the market for a new job…a good job, the best job right? Not just a job for the sake of a job but one that’s a good ‘fit’ for you. You’re picking over the papers, seeking on search engines and sending applications with fingers firmly crossed. Go for that advertised job certainly but remember, you’re just one of many vying for the role, your competitors likely boasting the same qualifications and experience as you.

We call this a ‘reactive’ approach to job search, a romp in the ‘visible’ market, yet statistics tell us that 60-70% of jobs are actually obtained in the ‘hidden’ market. So how does the ‘proactive’ job seeker tap into this market? Well they are out there talking to people.

No, they are not asking for jobs, rather, they’re researching their targeted companies…asking questions about the culture, industry specific challenges, skills the company looks for when recruiting. They’re looking to see if the company might align with their strengths, values and preferred work environment…and they’re seeking further referrals and introductions, all of which has great potential to uncover the perfect opportunity, one that never makes it to the job boards.

Sure, but doesn’t that smack of ‘networking’? I’m not good at networking I hear you say. Let’s take a step back…

Networking is a vital resource for promoting your ‘brand’ in the marketplace yet the very word ‘network’ strikes fear in many a heart. So why don’t we change the language? What if we were to replace the word ‘networking’ with ‘let’s catch up for a coffee’?

Still feeling out of your comfort zone? Why not start with the people you already know…friends, colleagues, ex colleagues, neighbours? You know who I mean. People who know you, know what you do and can speak well of both. Your questions could simply start with ‘who’s a good recruiter you think I should be talking to?’

Coffee conversations present great opportunity to tap into a contacts’ knowledge and insights on what is happening around town, industry trends and challenges, market movement, who’s who in the market and of course, the names of additional people who may also be worth contacting based on their introduction.

This path will help you to identify the companies you want to target in the first place and lead you to the people you need to influence there. Think about it…five coffees a week, that’s 250 a year…imagine the progress you could make with 250 short, relationship focused ‘information gathering’ meetings?

Now what’s the worst that can possibly happen? You make a good impression with a decision maker? You have the opportunity to broaden your network; you get out of the house and your doing something productive on your job search that will stand you in good stead for managing your career in the future. Now isn’t that alone worth the effort?

Oh! And don’t forget our good friend LinkedIn…find the people you need to coffee with, connect with them then shut the computer and go for it!

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Maxing out 2017…