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Career Development Tips
From Adviceopedia
Contents |
Career Development Tips
Network
Your network shouldn't be just the people you know, but the people they know. When you ask members of your current network for help finding a new job or advancing in your current one, ask them if they can also ask their friends and connections to keep an eye out for you too. This doesn't just add to but multiplies your chance of a useful lead. If you want to switch professions or locations, somebody in your network may be able to give you career development tips for that specific profession or place.
Mentors
A mentor is a more experienced person who serves as a model, coach, or adviser. A mentor can give you personal career development tips based on your strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that you give back to your mentor with your attention and respect, as well as expressing your appreciation. Keep your eye out for chances to return the favor as well.
Clothing
Whether we like it or not, people judge us by appearances. Some research indicates that an interviewer has mostly made up his or her mind by the first ten minutes in a job interview.
Your dress at work should match that of people around you or be slightly more formal. Avoid dressing too formally for your environment as well as too casually. If everybody else at your level is wearing jeans, a three-piece suit makes you look awkward and implies your lack of understanding about the organizational culture. It doesn’t make you look like a rising star. If you aren't sure about your style, ask somebody who you trust and always looks good for clothing advice.
Hygiene
Cleanliness is vital, more so than anything else. Tidy khakis make a better impression than the most expensive and beautifully tailored—but wrinkled, stained, or linty—suit.
Avoid smelling strongly of anything, including body wash, lotion, cologne, mouth wash, or other products, as well as body odor. This isn't just a career development tip; it is simple courtesy to those around you. As for body odor, it never hurts to keep soap and deodorant/antiperspirant in a desk drawer and do a quick armpit rinse in the bathroom if your regular deodorant gives up early one day.
Speaking Style
Ensure your communication style matches the message you want to convey. Ask a friend to role play various kinds of professional conversations, such as asking for an informational interview, applying for a job, or meeting at a professional gathering, and make a recording. A video recording is best but even an audio recording is a good start.
- Is your body language open but professional? Do you fold your arms, put your hands in your pockets, or fidget? Do you look like you're listening intently?
- Is your speech professional and to the point? How often do you use filler words such as “like,” “you know,” “umm,” “okay,” “well,” or “I mean?” We all use fillers sometime, but using more than one every three sentences sounds inarticulate.
- Do you interrupt? This is deadly during a professional conversation.
Web Pages/Blogs
Your individual website or blog says a lot about you, good or bad. Employers (and curious coworkers) do search the web. Don't put anything on the web you wouldn't mind seeing on the cover of every newspaper in the world, because that's how public the web is. Rightly or wrongly, many people do judge by grammar and spelling too.
On the other hand, even if it's just about a hobby, an interesting site or blog can make you come alive as a person and show off valuable personal traits such as a good writing style, sense of humor, interest in the world around you, or capacity for hard work. There's also no better place to show off your professional skills.
Finding Job Openings
Your network is the best source for finding about openings, including the vast majorities which are never advertised. Even for positions that are advertised, your resume will be much more powerful if it comes with a recommendation or even just an“I know this person.”
Remember, hiring managers want to avoid mistakes. If you come with a good reputation, that makes you much more attractive than somebody who's unknown.
The more you want a new position, the more proactive you should be. Ask for informational interviews (another good source of career development tips), attend professional gatherings such as conferences, research companies and search their websites for positions (as well as the job sites), and set up feeds and email alerts to find out about openings.
Office Politics
Avoid office politics and turf battles as much as you possibly can.
The Single Most Important Career Development Tip of All
Develop and live up to a reputation of integrity, responsibility, problem-solving, and aptitude. Not only will you be respected by any intelligent and honest person, but you'll respect yourself too.
