This is your year for A New Career, Will your current strategy help you achieve it?


You have decided that this is the year that you will move forward in your career by getting a new position.  You did the humbling mental work of changing your perspective of blaming everyone else for your current situation.  You now realize that you own the decisions that led you on your current journey.  In self-analysis you have also figured out that what you do bring to the company is of great value.  You found that you have accomplished a lot in your career and are pretty proud of it.  As such, your confidence to move forward has soared.  You are ready to take the next step. Congratulations!

Faced with a competitive labor market that emphasizes technical prowess in every industry, a candidate has to demonstrate flexibility, ingenuity, collaboration and expertise.  As with anything job-seekers today must have a strategy for achieving their next position or pursuing career growth.  The following tips provide helpful guidelines to help you stand out from other candidates to get the position.

Take a critical look at your career. Focus on the imprint you want to make in the lives of others through your job or as an entrepreneur.  Be clear on your career choice.  Be specific about the position that you are interested in.  Try to think about what does the “end” look like?  Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?  How will you get there?

Assess your skill-set. Do you have the skills and experience to do the job with excellence?  Looking forward what will you need for future growth?  What are you willing to invest or sacrifice to become excellent in position?  Are you willing to dedicate extra time, money, effort or take courses if necessary?   What is your key differentiator?  What in your experience or knowledge makes you stand out?  What do you uniquely bring to the table that others can’t?  

Do your research.  Know what you’re getting into. Take steps to understand the business and your chosen industry.  Research the targeted position, what is required, what does a normal day look like?  What ideal companies would you prefer?  Depending on the position, what industry are you most interested in?  Identify the greatest challenges the industry/position currently face and will be an issue in the future.  What does future growth look like?  Are you choosing an industry that is in decline?

Establish your personal brand. What do you want people to think of when your name comes to mind?  This is your personal brand.  Professionally, you will want a good professional photo for your website and social media profiles.  If a professional photo is out of reach, then minimally take a professional photo of yourself (not family and pets) dressed appropriately and relevant to your targeted position. Other things that can be done include: 
  • Create a professional website that highlights your skills and accomplishments.
  • Create a complete LinkedIn profile.  A LinkedIn profile has become just as important as a resume for many hiring companies. The platform is in the midst of changes that may help make a digital job search easier.
  • Become a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in your field.

o   Create a professional website that highlights your skills and accomplishments.
o   Create a completed LinkedIn Profile.
o   Become a subject matter expert in your field.  (Find out more here: www.netkienterprises.com).     
o   Contact your professional references to build your credibility.
o   Create or invest in your professional resume.
o   Invest in a good personal branding coach.

Tap Into your Networks. Get the word out that you are looking for a new position and check-in with them periodically. You will find that most people actually rally behind other’s goals.  Ask for leads and referrals. Other things that can be done include:
  • Attend professional networking events in your area.
  • Attend job fairs to build contacts, meet as many companies as you can.
    • Let’s face it some are not the greatest.  However, they are great opportunities to practice on-the-spot interviewing, and build your contacts.  Also, I had a client who attended a career fair and received an offer for a higher position that was not intended for the job fair.
    • Use resume networking cards that lists your key information.
  • Join professional associations
  •   Reach out to potential hiring Managers from your list of target companies.
    •  Leverage your connections on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) all of your networks and professional associations.
  • Reach out to professional recruiters in your industry.  

Key to remember:  A great strategy paired with flawless execution will produce desired results! 


We’ll discuss next week what to do when your strategy works and you get the interview! 


Nanette Kirk is the President and CEO of NetKi Enterprises, A resume writing and motivational services company. We are taking a step to improve our perspective and help our clients reach newer heights in their career. To learn more about us or receive career tips in email go to www.netkienterprises.com or be inspired at www.netkient.com. Follow me on LinkedIn and the NetKi Enterprises Company page on LinkedIn. You can also learn more about our company and product offerings via our digital catalog at https://view.publitas.com/netki-enterprises-llc. 

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