By Tara Weiss
Forbes Online
updated 8:01 a.m. ET, Mon., Jan. 5, 2009
Update your resume, focus on your goals and increase your visibility.
It has been a rough year for the American workforce. Jobs have been eliminated left and right. The threat of downsizing continues to loom. For those who still have a job, raises and bonuses are a receding memory.
Yes, times are tough. But that doesn’t mean you should put your career goals on the back burner. This downturn will pass, hiring will ramp up again and you will want to be ready. With that in mind, here are career resolutions that will help you achieve success in 2009.
Your first one: Update your résumé. The end of the year is an ideal time to reflect on your accomplishments, especially if it’s slow at work. When writing your résumé, don’t just list all your job responsibilities. That won’t set you apart. A more impressive résumé shows results, too. Briefly describe projects and then detail what they concretely achieved.
“Having a career plan doesn’t mean it will all happen immediately, especially since the market has changed,” says Laura Hill, founder of Careers in Motion, a Manhattan-based career coaching firm. “But it’s good over time, since it allows you to direct your career.”
As you consider your career plan, be honest about whether you’re happy in your current job and industry. Is the job still a good fit? Are you still learning and growing professionally? What are the longer-term threats to and opportunities for your company, your career there and the industry?
Take an assessment test
There’s no reason to wither away in a job you hate, and there are plenty of books that can help unhappy employees match their passions with more appropriate jobs. Many have assessment tests that ask probing questions to help you figure out what field best suits you.
Laura Hill recommends “Now, Discover Your Strengths,” by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. There’s a unique code on each copy’s book jacket that you can use to take a career assessment test over the Web. She also recommends “Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You’ll Love to Do,” by Shoya Zichy and Ann Bidou, which has an assessment test between its covers.
Next, consider the skills you need to get ahead and take classes to acquire them. Some employers offer in-house training; others will reimburse you for courses you take at a local college. This will make you more marketable both inside and outside the company. Classes are also a good way to dip your toe into another profession to see if it’s something you’d want to pursue full time.
Join a professional association
This year, join your industry’s professional association. Every industry has one. Just type the name of your field and the word “association” into an Internet search, and most likely more than one will pop up. But don’t simply pay the membership dues and put it on your résumé. Get involved. Join committees. That’s how you network, says Alexandra Levit, author of several career books, including “How’d You Score That Gig: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs — and How to Get Them.” You’ll meet industry leaders you wouldn’t normally be exposed to.
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It’s also an easy way to get experience in another area. For example, if you’re a marketing executive, join your association’s finance committee. Voila, you now have finance experience to beef up your résumé.
Meanwhile, up your visibility at work. If you’ve just completed a big project, don’t assume the higher-ups know how successful it was. A great way to tip off the bosses without boasting, says Levit, is by sending a thank you e-mail to all the team members who participated in the project, with a CC to the bosses. The e-mail might say, “I’d just like to thank everyone who was involved in this presentation. Because of your hard work we were able to bring in X dollars for the company.”
If you recently lost your job, allow yourself a few days to wallow. Then move full speed ahead. Attend activities at your professional association and get involved in its committees. Do one thing a day to push your job search forward, whether it’s sending out a networking query, applying for a particular job or signing on with a temp agency that places professionals in your industry.
Don’t forget, Levit says, “The business world is going to recover.”
