Sunday, December 8, 2013

23 Days and counting …. Tick Tock, Tick Tock …



Enjoy the (for some) loooong Thanksgiving holiday? I sure hope so.

Want a dose of reality – as this blog posts there are only 23 days to the New Year. Yup – only 23 and it is history and on to a New Year …

… A year of promise, opportunity and moreif you act and plan NOW!

This past Tuesday I appeared on my twice-monthly (first and third Tuesdays of the month at 9:00) Talk 1300 with Paul Vandenburg. We always talk about an array of issues on the job market and other career issues. This week however, we spent time talking about 10- steps one can take now in the waning days of 2013 to set themselves up for a strong 2014, ready to break out and achieve what one wants to achieve in their career, and therefore life. I want to review the first five with you this week, and the next five next week.

If you are committed to making a change in your job or career – really committed – take it from thought to action. Talking about it gets you nowhere; taking action does.

Ready?

One to Five: 10-Steps to Set up 2014 to be a Great Career Year for You

Determine your options – Is it a new job you need, or a new direction in your career. Have you asked yourself these questions?

… Am I utilizing my professional and personal skills and talents?
… Am I maximizing my earnings potential?
… Am I doing what I was born to do and truly passionate about?
… Am I happy and fulfilled in my life.
… Can I visualize doing the same thing one to five years from now?

If you answered no to two or more, it is time to assess your style, personal characteristics and interests and discover a career that highlights them – and do this before you send one  resume or make one contact – get your direction with clarity first.

Tune Up – Build Up – Evaluate Your Skills

The key is to stand out among the applicant crop or other employees and investing time into developing your skills – relevant for your current job or desired career – is an excellent way to do this. It doesn’t have to mean attending night college classes; there are many, many online resources available to you. Check out www.TheeLearningCenter.com .

Know what is Expected – Meet with Your Boss – NOW

Would it surprise you to know that most employees do not know what their boss expects of them? According to a recent survey from Glassdoor, 6 in 10 (61%) employees reported that they’ve found aspects of a new job to be different than expectations – and as a result – feel they are not meeting their boss’s expectations. In this situation is danger – you think you are doing great; boss has another opinion. Nip this in the bud – schedule a meeting – one-on-one – with your boss and ask for clear expectations and feedback on performance. If you don’t know how you are being measured, you cannot manage yourself.

Set Goals for Your Career – Realistic Ones that is

This is critical. Without goals you have no road map. Identify what you want to achieve professionally in 2014 and write your goals down. Then, prioritize the goals from top to bottom in rank priority. Be sure each goal is attainable and measurable – this is important. Also, each goal should be very specific. A goal such as “Get a New Job” isn’t measurable or maybe attainable. Rather “Get a new job by 3/31/2014 in the field of XXX that I am passionate  about” – that is a measurable, attainable and specific goal.

The Most Important (in my mind) – Build a Plan
You woke up this morning with a plan – it was maybe coffee, shower etc. – it was a plan and plans rule your life and keep you on track. The same goes for planning to achieve – you need a plan to make it happen and the plan must be thought out, specific, and measurable. Establish deadlines and hold yourself accountable for them. Be sure your plan is realistic and can be executed.

Okay – Ready – Get in Gear ! Back to you next week with the next 5-Steps!

Start now – make 2014 soar for you … and thank you, as always, for reading this. - Dan


Dan Moran
President & Founder
Next-Act, Division of DVG, Inc.
Career Management & Transition Specialists
Corporate Management Services
Celebrating 25 years providing career & corporate management services in 2013!
125 Wolf Road, Suite #128
Albany, NY 12205
Phone: 518-641-8968  dmoran@next-act.com
Author: Accept-Commit-Permit: Three Essential Steps to Achieving Happiness & Success in Career (and Life!) ... Exclusively at Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/lluzsyd
Visit the Assessment Center: next-act.com/assessment-center.cfm
Manage Performance & Achievement: next-act.com/prescriptive-performance-analysis.cfm
Accept ... Commit ... Permit ... Then Achieve!
   


1 comment:

  1. Nice tips! I won't just look forward to 2014 with a come-what-may attitude. I'll welcome it with new goals in mind.
    -Aki Suomela

    ReplyDelete