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Turning Career Resolutions Into Realities
By Sheryl Silver
Lots of Americans make New Year's resolutions to lose weight or join a gym to shape up. Many also resolve to make changes in their careers. For some people, it's a New Year's resolution to change employers. For others, it's simply a resolution to get a raise or promotion from their current employers.
Martin Yate, author of the book Knock 'Em Dead 2005, has suggestions about how to turn such resolutions into realities.
"January is a good time for job hunting. The money for many corporate budgets approved in September becomes available in January so employers are able to hire any additional staff they need," said Yate. "January is also the best time to launch a plan of action aimed at getting a promotion or raise later in the year."
For those ready to change employers, Yate said creating a resume that reflects experience, skills and accomplishments relevant to the job being pursued is key.
"Make sure the resume is database friendly," he added. "Most resumes will be searched electronically by keywords. Be sure words used in the job posting or print ad you're applying for appear in your resume."
On resumes and during interviews, Yate also recommends highlighting those behaviors and traits employers value in all types of employees. "Time management, determination, a good work ethic and technological adaptiveness are among the behaviors that will help you stand out as an applicant," he said. "Employers also value an ability to be a team player as well as the ability to identify and solve problems."
If you're looking to advance in your current organization rather than change employers, Yate recommends sitting down with your boss early in the year for a heart-to-heart talk.
"Tell your boss how much you enjoy being with the company. Let her know you want to be as valuable as possible to your department and the company," he suggested. "Then say, 'I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what projects are high priority this year.' If your skills are a fit for any of the priorities mentioned, offer to lend a hand on those projects. This is also a good time to ask if there are any skills you should develop to become a more valuable employee."
Yate also recommends adopting what he calls "The Vacuum Theory." "Look around your department. Look for vacuums --- that is, projects or tasks that need to be done but which no one is doing," he said. "Then volunteer to do them or assign the people needed to get them done. Taking that kind of initiative will demonstrate your determination and commitment to the company as well as your ability to analyze and improve situations, all of which are traits employers value."
You may find additional ideas to benefit your employer by networking with other people in your profession. Yate recommends joining professional associations to stay connected to others in your field. "Most associations have monthly meetings that feature speakers designed to keep you abreast of best practices and innovations in your industry or profession," he said. "At meetings, you also have opportunities to talk with colleagues about initiatives they're involved in at their companies."
However you source ideas, be sure to keep track of any improvements or positive results produced by your on-the-job efforts. "That way, later in the year, when it's the season to discuss raises, you'll have a track record of accomplishments to talk about, making it more likely your request for a raise will be viewed as having validity."
If advancing within the company is your goal, Yate recommends making sure others in the company know what you've been up to. "Don't assume people outside your department know what you're capable of," he said. "Just because you run into people in the hallway or at meetings doesn't mean they know the details of what you do for the organization."
When applying for promotions, Yate said it's important to recognize who else might be competing for those jobs. "If people are applying from the outside for the same jobs, those outside applicants will come in prepared to sell themselves with resumes that highlight their skills and accomplishments and with interview responses that have likely rehearsed in advance," he said. "People who apply internally often are not as well-prepared. Yet, the very same principles of resume writing and interview preparation that people changing employers utilize are the behaviors and skills people need to utilize when searching internally."
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