Aaaah, my excitement level is at an all time high - one more day until I head to Georgia. Smiles - you would think I was two years old, giddy with joy about going to see my parents for the holidays. I know the importance of family and remain committed to celebrating life and my loved ones.
That being said, I will still be working up until Christmas Eve as resumes, cover letters and career planning need to get done for my proactive clients.
2012 is coming, whether you like it or not, so why not give yourself a competitive advantage over your peers and get clear, focused and organized.
As I continue my 12-day series on career success strategies, here is my tip for the second day...okay, okay, I will put it in the right format.
On the second day of the holidays, my executive coach said to me:
Say goodbye to career mistakes and disappointments
Sometimes it feels like a breakthrough to finally know where your heart is and what you want to pursue and other times, you miss out on new opportunities because you are too busy look at the past.
We have all been there - took the wrong job, made a bad career move, didn't hold out long enough to get the promotion, whatever it is, let 2012 be the year that you let it go.
The challenge is working hard to find the hidden "gems", embracing the learning experiences and positioning yourself for optimal career growth. Sounds logical, makes complete sense, but is a lot harder to practice.
Do not allow past career speedbumps define your professional future; shed the emotion baggage, take a deep breath and begin to forgive yourself. In all my years as an executive career expert, I have NOT met anyone with a perfect career background.
Engage a more positive mindset before making long-term critical career decisions. Instead of complaining and throwing in the towel, try a few career rebounding strategies and get back on track.
-- minimize that "hard-to-explain" job's space on your current resume and career marketing documents.
-- explore the possibilities of getting re-assigned to more challenging roles in current company
-- evaluate how far off you really are from your career goals and develop plan to get back on course
-- consider internal leadership opportunities in a different functional area if a new job is not an immediate possibility
-- keep yourself challenged and motivated by enrolling in evening classes or online programs. What better way to take full advantage of a lull in your career growth than to enhance your competencies and marketability.
-- anticipate future interviews and start building your selling points with strong achievement examples and other S.T.A.R. stories.
-- seek out leadership roles within your community, professional/local associations and even alumni groups.
Basically, I am encouraging you to engage in activities and efforts that will re-build your confidence, motivation and outlook of your career. It always starts in the mind, if you believe that you can rise above this, opportunities will start to open up right before eyes. Try it and see.
Related posts:
Day 3: Jump start your long lost career dreams
About Abby, Executive Career Architect, Job Search Expert, Master Resume Writer
Ask yourself these questions:
-- Does your executive resume accurately describe your management style and leadership capabilities?
-- Is your executive resume rich with compelling Challenge-Action-Results success stories that indicate your value contribution?
-- Does your executive resume convey enthusiasm or energy motivating employers to contact you?
-- Has your executive resume been generating a stream of employer responses for the right jobs?
If you have answered no to any of these questions, you should be talking to Abby Locke. She is an executive resume writer helps senior-level executives to achieve career success through cutting-edge, brand-focused career documents and proactive career management strategies.
Her distinctive executive resume samples have been published in 13 national career publications. Have you seen our holiday specials?
