Have you heard that the best athletes are made in the “off” season? Taking your career game to the next level requires special focus on certain activities.
I bet you are so busy working IN your career, that you may not have time to actually work ON taking things to the next level.The weekend is the perfect time to begin activities that can change the trajectory of your career.
Build or cultivate new relationships
Remember the person, supervisor or colleague that always invites you to their functions and you respectfully decline? It time to take them up on their offer. This is a good time to mix a little business with pleasure. You don’t have to be in full on networking mode, however, a conversation with new associates can open up different possibilities in your career.
Your connections know people and have resources that you may not have. The wider you broaden your circle, the more opportunities you may be exposed to.
If you don’t have an invite from them, take the initiative to ask them out for coffee or lunch.
The days when the person with the best portfolio and credentials is the one that lands the job or promotion are disappearing. The relationships you build are invaluable and will open doors that a degree and credentials cannot.
Write a book
I know you are asking “write a book in a weekend?” or “Can writing a book help my career ” The answers are yes and yes.
First of all, e-books are very popular and SHORT. The knowledge you have in your head can be formatted very quickly in an e-book format in a matter of hours or days. You already know the process or steps it takes to do your job. Are you able to teach someone what you know in a simplified manner? Of course you can!
If you visit www.amazon.com you may see hundreds or thousands of books on the topic you are interested in writing a book on. Don’t allow that to discourage you. It is actually a good thing. That means that the content on that subject is in demand. Do you know how many books were out there on job interviewing when I wrote and released The BEST Job Interview Advice Book? Thousands upon thousands!
With millions of books online, the kindle version was #1 and #2 in the Internship category and climbed the charts in the Job hunting and Interviewing categories. I put my very own twist on the topics by leveraging my personal experience, Human Resources knowledge and the expertise of 15 people that I admire in the career, business and HR space.
Our unique perspectives on interviewing, personal brand, networking and negotiations cannot be duplicated. Neither can your unique experiences.
If you want a quick and nifty tool to help you organize and format your book quickly, Check out my Book Planning tool.
Start a side hustle teaching others what you know
Leveraging what you know and teaching someone else may seem like a new craze. This is not true. The internet and social media brings it more to the light but people have been doing this for years. In fact, as a Career Coach I had to “catch up” to internet coaches and build a presence online. I have been meeting people in person and giving them advice over 12 years.
You too can use the skills you have to teach others. This information can be disseminated in written format (blog) or video (vlogs). This is a great way to start getting visible. When you are comfortable (and people begin to know, like and trust you), you can charge a fee to work one on one or in group format to teach others.
Sure, you may make a little extra cash but being seen as an expert in your field is priceless.
Ok…time for a bonus tip:
Look for another job
Yep, I said it! Use your weekend to create a strategy to get another job! If there is no way for you to get ahead where you are, the boost you need may be elsewhere.
Sundays appear be a big day in the job posting world. Sites like Indeed, CareerBuilder, and Monster seem to have more new job postings on Sunday than any other day. When I used to create job postings as a Human Resources professional and recruiter, I always asked that the jobs were placed on Sundays in print and online.
The weekend increased the possibility of having more eyes on my job so I could get more bang for my advertising buck. This is the time when most of the individuals that are employed are home and browsing.
To save yourself time, sign up for job alerts from LinkedIn and the sites listed above. It is an easy and efficient way to have the jobs arrive directly to your inbox. Being as efficient as possible is a must when job searching (especially if you are already working). One of the tips I share in The BEST job Interview Advice Book saved me when I was seeking employment.
Check out my Periscope video to get a look at the process I recommend.
At the end of the day, the most successful people make time for self-care and balances their non-work time to plan and strategize. You don’t have to implement all of these strategies. Select one item that you really would like to work on if boosting your career is your goal.
Need help with these strategies or others? Sign up for free 15-minute career boosting consultation to get started.
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About the author:
Devay Campbell is an International Career Coach, certified Human Resources professional, and two-time Amazon best-selling author. Her books include The BEST Job Interview Advice Book and Her Chronicles (co-author).
Devay is the CEO and founder of Career 2 Cents and Career Hustlers Club. She leverages her professional and personal experience to empower individuals and audiences (with an emphasis on youth and women) in the areas of interviewing, personal brand, leadership, workplace success, resumes, entrepreneurship, conflict resolution, negotiating and more. For a FREE Consultation or to discuss speaking opportunities visit www.devaycampbell.com