Make New Years Resolutions for your Career that Stick

Tis the season for resolutions.

While you have likely made your personal resolutions by now, the New Year is also the perfect time to make your career resolutions. Most resolutions fall by the wayside before the end of January—primarily because our resolutions were unrealistic, ill-defined, or taken over by “life.”

One way to make your resolutions stick is to write them down, break them into achievable steps, and track you progress.

Here are easy resolutions to make 2017 your best career year ever!

1. Track your achievements. Get into the habit of writing down your achievements monthly. Not only can these achievements be used for your resume, they can also be used to provide input to your annual performance evaluation. All of your achievements should answer the question “so what” and demonstrate how you added value to your organization.

2. Identify your career goal, and create a personal plan for getting there. Do you have a specific job you want to move to? Or, are you simply interested in moving from the job you now have? The more focused you are on where you want to go; the easier it will be for you to get there. Investigate opportunities within your organization, focusing on the skills required, the working conditions and the satisfaction you will receive. Sometimes the best move is a lateral one; not all development comes from moving upward.

3. Improve your qualifications. Assess the qualifications needed to meet your short- and long-term career goals. Do you need to refresh your skills? Upgrade your knowledge? Obtain a certification or degree? Improve your currency by reading articles and books in your field? Not only do you need to identify what you need, you need to be willing to commit the personal resources (both time and financial) to achieve the qualifications you desire.

4. Update your resume. You should always keep your resume updated—you never know when opportunity might come knocking. Your resume should be focused on the past 10 years or so, include metrics to give your work context and accomplishments to demonstrate you can achieve results. Remove outdated information and information that does not support your career goals.

5. Broaden your brand. All of us have a brand, whether we think so or not. You can broaden your brand by establishing a more active presence on LinkedIn, publishing a professional article or two, or speaking at a professional conference. All of these things provide wider exposure for you and your expertise.

6. Maintain a positive attitude. Change is ongoing and ever-present. Greet change with a positive attitude. If you visualize your success, you will be more likely to achieve it than if you don’t.

Make the above your career resolutions and follow through. If you do so, you’ll be setting yourself up for a great 2017!

A Thank You Gift From Nancy

Those of you who follow me through this column know that I am a big fan of LinkedIn; its importance in the career world (even in the federal government) cannot be overstated. LinkedIn is always changing to keep its content fresh and it approach relevant.

In September 2016, LinkedIn announced that it was changing its desktop design and user interface. Of course, we do not know what features will be retained or eliminated in the redesign. To ensure you have access to all of your information, regardless of what changes LinkedIn makes, it is a good idea to back up your information.

As a free gift in recognition of your loyalty and ongoing support (and of course, the holiday season!), I am providing you with a short eBook on how to back up your LinkedIn Profile—a good habit to get into, regardless of what changes LinkedIn makes!

All the best to you, your family, and loved ones for a healthy and prosperous 2017!

Nancy

I’m Still Active Duty; Can I Use Veterans’ Preference?

Most military members begin their job search prior to leaving service. If a military member is seeking a federal position, using veterans’ preference is important but if you’re still active duty, you do not have your final DD-214 or a disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

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Thank You Notes; They Matter

You just left the interview. You think it went great. Now what? It is not the time to let up. Everything that you’ve done up to this point is moving you forward in your job search. Keep the momentum going.

Send a Thank You

You can send a thank you via email (quick, but not as personal as a handwritten card). You can mail it (takes a few days, so it doesn’t have the immediacy of an email, but has a bigger impact due to the perceived time and care it took to handwrite a note). Or, you can drop off a handwritten note the next day (a good strategy for big companies when you can hand the envelope to the receptionist). NOTE: If you are applying for a federal job, email is essential. Most federal agency “snail mail” goes to a third party first to ensure that its safe so it may take weeks for a mailed thank you to get to a federal agency; bringing a note to the agency won’t work either as most federal agencies have difficult access requirements.

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Specialized Hiring Authorities

As we have discussed in earlier articles, getting a federal job can be difficult. Most people are somewhat familiar with veteran’s preference but there are other special hiring authorities that may help you get the job you are targeting. Here are a few:

  • Digital Services Experts: In mid-2015, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) authorized excepted service appointments at the GS 11 to 15 level for individuals with expertise in “modern digital product design, software engineering, product management, creating and maintaining flexible infrastructure, and designing and implementing agile governance structures” according to the former OPM Director. If you fall into this category, you may be eligible for this specialized hiring authority. Twenty-five agencies and a number of programs may use this authority. As you network, be sure to mention your eligibility for this appointment; not all Human Resources personnel and hiring managers may know about this. As currently structured, appointments under this authority may not be extended beyond September 30, 2017.

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7 Reasons Why You Should Be on LinkedIn

What? You’re not on LinkedIn yet? What are you waiting for? Join the 350 million people already there. These seven reasons outline why you should be on the social networking site.

  1. Because That’s Where The People Are. LinkedIn is the number one social network for professionals — and, arguably, the most important website for jobseekers — with more than 347 million members worldwide. Not only are people you know already on the site, but so are people you should get to know — recruiters, hiring managers, and your future co-workers.

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