Advancing Your Career During the Pandemic

Pop Quiz Here

Would you rather stay in a job that you can do with your eyes closed or advance to a position where you’re learning and growing every day? 

In a sign of improving economic health, more Americans voluntarily left their jobs in September than at any other time during the pandemic. According to the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Turnover Survey, some 3 million quit their jobs, the most since February, pushing the rate to 2.1% from 2% in August.

The number of job openings in the U.S. has climbed since the spring and is now nearly back to the levels before the pandemic hit the labor. Yesterday's JOLTs report shows there are currently 6.4M job openings here in the U.S.

It’s official. The pendulum has swung. This means that once again, you have lots of choices in terms of choosing what kind of role you’d like to be in and where you’d like to work.

There are two ways you can go here.

·     You can find a job with a new company.

·     You can position yourself to be the obvious choice to fill a vacated role in your company.

In the interest of time and space, let’s focus on How to position yourself as the obvious choice to fill a vacated role in your company.

Here are  five steps you can take today, so you’re well positioned to move into what will hopefully be your dream job come the first quarter of 2021.

Step Number One: First, you have to get clear on what it is that you’re looking for.

Imagine saying to your GPS system in your car, “Take me to a restaurant.” You could very well wind up at a McDonald's, when you were hoping to eat steak at the Capital Grill.

Can you see why it’s important to get clear on your destination before seeking a new opportunity?

Try this:

·     Make a list of what you’re doing in your job right now.

·     Cross out items that you no longer wish to do.

·     Next, write down what your ideal job would look like.

Keep this list handy, as you’ll be using it to assess future opportunities.

Look, some of you may need help with this. Reach out to your college and see if they offer career coaching to alumni. These services are generally free. Or, seek to hire a career coach.

Step Number Two: Get Comfortable with Self-Promotion.

Do you think you might be your company’s best kept secret?

That’s a problem, but it’s not insurmountable. I write about this in my book, Suddenly in Charge. You could be the best singer in the room, but no one will know this if you never open your mouth.

You have to get comfortable with what I call, “Strategic Bragging.” You’ve got to remind your boss of some of the great things you’ve accomplished over the years, especially if you want to be the obvious choice for a promotion.

Let’s say your boss just posted a job that requires qualified candidates to have an MBA. You have an MBA, even though this degree is not a requirement for your current role. I can almost guarantee you that unless you remind your boss of this, she’s not going to remember.

Some of you may be thinking, “Why do I have to tell my boss I have an MBA? It was on my resume when she hired me five years ago.”

This is exactly why you have to remind her. You’re one of ten people she is managing. There’s no way she’s going to remember that you’re the guy or gal with the MBA, unless you remind her.

Step Number Three: Network.

It’s no secret that it’s who you know, not what you know. The way to increase your visibility and your network inside an organization is to volunteer to work on cross-team initiatives. This will give you access to people whom you may not have otherwise been in contact with. Look for opportunities to do this today.

Step Number Four: Make sure you’re as good as you think.

This would be a good time to set up a call with your boss to see where he or she thinks your strengths are and areas where you could use some further development. It’s better to know this now, then finding out later when the job you want ends up going to someone else. If you do this now, you’ve got an opportunity to improve in areas where you may be lacking.

Step Number Five, which is probably the most important step. If you think you deserve a promotion…ask!

I’ve learned over the years that if you don’t ask for something, you’ll never get it. Sitting back and hoping your boss selects you for a newly created position may result in you being extremely disappointed. Why chance this?

Ready to step up and put this into action? Join me for a FREE virtual event on Tuesday, December 1st, from 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM EST on the topic of Elevating Your Career in 2021. Step boldly into 2021. This session will be interactive, and you can ask me any question you like. Email me at [email protected], and I’ll make sure you get the Zoom call-in info.