If you have
been in the industry for a while, these tips may be helpful in revitalizing your
career or in focusing your attention on the need to make a change.
1. Take
responsibility for building your own career
In today's work environment
managing your career is your responsibility. Even if you are lucky enough to
have a mentor you are the one that needs to take charge of building your
career. Mentors make suggestions but you decide if the suggestions fit or if
they will work for you and then act on them. You must have a vision of where
you are headed and then find your own path!
2. Define
career satisfaction for yourself
Notice what gives you the most satisfaction
and where your passion is. Know your life purpose and use it to guide your
design career. Once you know what you love [your niche] and what is most satisfying to you, find
ways to do meaningful work either on your current jor future projects.
3. Have a
detailed career plan which you update regularly
Make a career plan and follow
it. Watch for opportunities that meet your career goals and go for them.
If you miss a goal in your career plan, update the plan and create an action
plan to attain the missed goal. Use your weekly career time (see #8) to call
people (see #6) who can help you to reach your goal.
4. Build your
own brand
Find a facet of your work that interests you and that is useful to
others. Develop an expertise [a niche] so that you are the "go to" person for
this expertise. This gives you a competitive edge and you become known for your
knowledge (the expert).
5. Track your
accomplishments
You can not rely on others to remember
and credit you with your accomplishments. Keep a list that gives your
accomplishments in the format that states the problem, the solution and the
result. You can use this document as a reminder for yourself during your annual
review and also as a basis for updating your resume.
6. Build
relationships
It is all about your network. Building and maintaining
relationships with people in your field and people who are in a position to
help you move forward in your career is imperative. Start with your college
professors! Find other mentors, advisors and coaches along the way to help you
expand your network. Stay connected to colleagues from past jobs who may be
able to help you in the future.
7. Communicate
frequently
To become known as an expert in your field you will need to write
and speak frequently. Work with the leading professional organization in your
field to speak at meetings and write for their publications. Find other places
to speak and write on your expertise. This will help you to build your brand,
become an expert in your field, and meet other people who can help you to move
forward.
8. Set a
regular time each week to work on your career and brand building
It is easy
to get caught up in the activities of the job and to convince yourself that
there is no time for working on your career. Doing that may be good for the
company you work for but it is not good for your career. Setting time aside
weekly to add accomplishments to your list, to identify people to network with
and to find meetings to go to is an investment in yourself and your career.
9. Know your
value to your clients & industry
Why would others want you on their team? Be very
clear on the value you bring to the project and be able to say it simply
and clearly. Take credit for this value and let others know about it. It is
part of gaining credit for being an expert and branding yourself.
10. Be
proactive
Don't wait for others to do this. Get started today! In this case
the early bird gets the client, the best projects and the bigger jobs.
By Alvah
Parker
Photography by Francois Etienne Du Plessis
Photography by Francois Etienne Du Plessis
Alvah Parker is
a Practice Advisor (The Attorneys' Coach) and a Career Changers' Coach as well
as publisher of Parker's Points, an email tip list and Road to
Success, an ezine. Subscribe now to these free monthly publications at her
website: http://www.asparker.com/samples.html
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