Career Goals

Make sure your career solutions are mapped out

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:15

Unlike many New Year’s resolutions, the ones you decide for your career should not to be broken. According to Kelly, SA’s largest national people organisation, you should take stock of your career regularly and remember this is serious stuff; no decision on your future is a light one.

Kelly’s Marketing Executive, Gina Meintjes, says “It is important to assess your career goals at least once a year. Whether you are happy in your job, seeking to change employer or career or trying to find a job, assessing how you can improve is crucial to sustain an effective career balance.”

Effective workers always seek better ways of doing things. If you are happy in your job, then improving on the way you did things last year should be a resolution.

Here are ways to improve:

· Check out your time management. Yes, you’ve heard it all before, but how effective is your time planning? Are you wasting effective time in unproductive meetings or trapped doing tasks that are not time-effective? The new year is a good time to revisit your time management skills and looking for ways to optimize your time more effectively!
· Think differently. Align your thinking to a vision of constant improvement. Thinking strategically ensures you consider the outcome of your actions. That vision thing is a trait that business pays well for.
· Keep the passion. Being passionate about your job allows you to embrace challenges and achieve above expectations. Procrastination is a workplace contravention; but not for the passionate. They complete their tasks on time and on budget!
· Be the best, nothing less. You may sometimes think that good is good enough. Well, in today’s competitive world-of-work; it is not! Be prepared to do each task better than the last. The old adage; “you are only as good as your last sale” holds true for any job.

Meintjes continues, “Remember that keeping your CV current is not only vital when looking for a job. You never know when opportunity knocks; whether it is a chance for a promotion or a career move, you should be ready. And, if you are a job-seeker, one of your resolutions could be to assess how successful you have been in your job hunting efforts and improve your job hunting tactics; starting with a clear, concise CV and a focused job search. You could be missing opportunities because your CV is not conveying the correct message. Getting your CV right puts you on top of the pile.”

Be sure your CV makes the grade by following some simple essentials:

· Presentation. Your CV should be professional. No fancy designs. A simple Word document provides the interviewer with information without distraction. Address your CV to the company and person and do make sure you have their names spelled correctly and their job title spot on. Keep it brief, this is not an autobiography; maximum three to four pages. Ask friends or family for constructive criticism to improve your CV.
· Be professional. Have your correct contact details in your CV. Do not risk using your existing employer’s e-mail or company cellular phone – believe it, they know the numbers of their competitors. If you have to, set up a separate e-mail address and an alternate telephone number. And, when you answer your phone, do so clearly. Your voice-mail should also be professional.
· Have the correct information. Make sure all information is correct and honest. This will impress the interviewer who will not need to ask questions about things you forgot. Do not include misleading information; if you have not completed your degree do not make it look as if you have. Very important is having the dates and positions you held at previous employers correct.
· References. These are vital and go a long way to help you land that top job. Your CV must convey that you are a solid person; the more highly your references speak of you, the better your chances.

Being ready to find a job is one thing, but looking can be daunting. “It need not be.” says Meintjes. “Daily and weekly media publications advertise vacancies. Focus your job search; don’t just send your CV everywhere in the hope that you may get lucky. You are wasting your time and money! There are exciting careers out there; the Contact Centre industry offers job-seekers great choice and Flexi-Work/Temping has become the preferred career choice for many.”

Skills are critical; whether you are employed or a work seeker. The non-negotiables in today’s world-of-work are: computer literacy on all of the MSOffice products, customer service skills, basic financial skills and above all, excellent communication skills and a good command of English as our predominant business language.

Two exciting options for job-seekers are:

· Flexi-Work. The world-of-work is ever-changing. With the increased trend in Flexi-Worker opportunities, many select a career offering flexibility and benefits associated with full-time employment. If you have the right skills; consider the Flexi-Work option!
· Contact Centres. An industry making huge strides in job creation is the Contact Centre industry. If you have the drive to work hard and deal with people, then this industry could be for you. Contact Centres employ a range of skills; from doctors to sales-people, collection agents and more. With experience and specific skills, including excellent communication and a passion for customer service, you could fill the next seat and become part of this exciting industry.

Meintjes says that having the right skills for the job you’re applying for is critical; as is constant re-evaluation and upgrading of your skills. And, there’s no better time to get off to the right start this year than right now!

Meintjes concludes, “When you set those New Year’s resolutions, remember your career goals. They are often the most important commitments you will make.”

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