ABC’s of Career
Development
by
Debra Manente
A- Assess yourself
and the skills, values, interests, strengths, and goals you possess.
B-
Build
a support system of people who you can offer “ideas and advice” on what worked
for them when they did their job search.
C-
Create
a list of companies you are interested in applying and look at their websites
for job openings.
D- Develop an
action plan.
E-
Explore
career options and execute that action plan.
F-
Follow-up
after every interview with a thank you letter or email. Express interest and mention two or three
skills you discussed that you would contribute in order to be successful in
that position.
G- Google yourself
every few months to verify your online presence.
H- Have a handshake
that is confidant and sets a good first impression.
I-
Intern
to gain experience.
J-
Join
LinkedIn.com to start building your network of contacts and to research the
companies you are interested in working for.
K- Keep track of
the companies and positions you applied to on an excel sheet.
L-
Listen
carefully to questions before you answer them when being interviewed. The rule of thumb is to listen 80% of the
time and speak or ask questions 20% of the time.
M- Market yourself
according to each individual position and company you apply.
N- Network at
chamber of commerce or association events.
O- Organize your
résumé and cover letter with the most relevant information at the top or
beginning of the document.
P-
Prepare
an elevator speech by using Harvard Business School’s Elevator Pitch Creator.
Q- Qualify yourself
for any position you apply for. What
qualifies you to be able to do the job, why should the company hire you, etc?
R-
Research
the companies before you apply to them so you have something about the company
you can reiterate in your cover letter.
S-
Seek
out a mentor to help keep you motivated.
T-
Talk
to people who are working in your field of interest and find out what worked
for them when they were conducting their job search.
U- Use your time
wisely. Set priorities and work towards
them so you feel accomplished – even if it only means sending out 2 – 3 résumés
a day.
V- Volunteer and
stay active while out of work so you can continue to build your skills while
you search for something more permanent.
W- Work at positive visualization and
recall the images frequently. This
increases learning and skill development.
X- Xamine your job
search progress each week and make effective alterations.
Y- Your online
presence is a reflection of you. Take
the steps needed to create a positive image.
Z-
Zero
in on trends associated in your career field so you can impress employers when
you interview.
Copywrite ©
2013, Debra Mallick
