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How To Address The Root Cause Of Your Employee Engagement Issues

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Forbes Coaches Council -Full Article Avaialable at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/03/02/how-to-address-the-root-cause-of-your-employee-engagement-issues/#490a427f7e7f

Katrina Brittingham gives advice to management on how to get to the root of employee engagement issues.

Encourage open and safe conversations

Conduct forums that encourage employees to be open and feel safe talking about work situations and career development. Really hear what is being said and make changes accordingly. Your employees are your internal customers and you lose valuable talent and knowledge if you don’t listen and come up with a plan that addresses employee pain points.

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15 Tips For Helping You Keep Focus And Get More Done At Work

Originally posted on Forbes.com
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/07/11/15-tips-for-helping-you-keep-focus-and-get-more-done-at-work/#2675c0bc1454

Workplaces are busy areas, with a significant number of distractions assailing the average worker every day. Between the draws of social media, the demands of the job, open office plans and noisy co-workers, getting focused on what really needs to get done is a task in itself.

And when focus is an issue, workers tend to be less productive and may prioritize tasks poorly, ending up with critical problems being shoved all the way to the bottom of their to-do list. To help, 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council offer their best tips and tricks that can help employees find and maintain their focus, even when a storm of distractions surges around them.

1. Block Meetings With Yourself

It seems helpful to work within time units. Best one so far is a 30-minute chunk of undistracted work followed by a short break. Just set the alarm clock and focus on one task. If you want to be sure that nobody will interrupt you, block a meeting with yourself in a calendar. However, the best tool for time management is your willingness to guard your time and say “no” to distractions. – Inga Bielińska, Inga Bielinska Coaching Consulting Mentoring

2. Create A Social Engagement Schedule

Distractions during work are the No. 1 complaint of people who go to the office every day. Co-workers often drop by for a five-minute chat that may cost you 30 minutes. You may check your email or social feeds periodically taking away more of your work time. To increase your productivity, create a social engagement schedule and share it with others. Managing your time is your business. – Lillian Gregory, The Institute for Human and Leadership Excellence

3. Add Mindfulness To Your Life

Adding mindfulness to your daily life can greatly impact your ability to focus no matter what the distraction. The good news is you can do this with mini mindfulness exercises in a short amount of time. Try deep breathing to a count of four on the inhales and four on the exhales and incrementally increasing your exhales to a count of eight, releasing tension or anything not serving you with each exhale. – Debbie Ince, Executive Talent Finders, Inc

4. Silence The Outside Noise

Enter deep work mode at the office by silencing the outside noise and removing unnecessary distractions. Put your smartphone on airplane mode or “do not disturb” so that you aren’t getting distracted by personal emails and social media notifications. Consider wearing earplugs if possible, or putting on light music with headphones that will help calm you and shift your mind into focus. – Wendi Weiner, Esq., The Writing Guru®

5. Become Fully Engaged

When you establish a daily plan of action you love, you will be so focused and engaged, there will be no distractions. Get honest with yourself: Is your mind, heart, and gut fully vested in what you set out to accomplish? if so, you will naturally be so focused you won’t notice what others are doing around you. No one can prevent you from giving full attention to what you set out to do except you. – Susan K. Wehrley, BIZremedies

6. Limit Smartphone Temptations

Every single distraction at work may not be the cellphone, but maybe we can stop calling it a “smartphone” because it has made our workforce a lot dumber. It’s also the Pandora’s box of distraction at work. You can regulate it yourself and save relationships and maybe your job. Let checking it be a reward during a break. Turn it off. Leave it in your car. Discipline the temptation, the usage. – John M. O’Connor, Career Pro Inc.

7. State Your Intention

One tip that I’ve shared with clients with open work environments to help increase their productivity is to give their employees small signs that they can display in the workspace that will help signal their intention to others. One example would be “Do Not Disturb – Deep in Thought,” which gives them permission to be focused. Certain etiquette practices are needed in the workplace to set the tone. – Carolina Caro, Carolina Caro

8. Define Acceptable Behavior

Noise pollution is real. Having a corporate rule that all cellphones are on silent goes a long way to limiting distraction collectively. Our thoughts are interrupted by dings and rings. Our brain is rewarded with a dopamine rush when we get a text or a “like.” Collaborate on a democratic way to define what’s OK and what’s not for your team. – Frances McIntosh, Intentional Coaching LLC

9. Focus On Groundedness

Open offices and social chatter are everywhere, and while we would love to spend hours hiding in a conference room with a “do not disturb” sign, that isn’t always possible. Find a picture that brings a feeling of groundedness and comfort. Place that photo on your desk so when you look at it for 60 seconds you can feel grounded and comfortable and are able to re-energize and focus. – Amber Wendover, Thinking People Consulting, LLC

10. Practice Extreme Monotasking

As an adult with ADHD, I know how distractions can hurt productivity. I’ve been in your shoes where cubicle noise is boisterous and piercing, so the best advice I can give…wait, what’s that, squirrel? Just kidding. Do your Pomodoro Technique of extreme monotasking in a private area or little huddle room somewhere else with earphones and Beethoven. Return to your desk after and join the fun! – Brian M Harman, Business Management Hallmark

11. Make The Most Of Peak Performance Time

Structuring the workday around your peak performance time can be beneficial in eliminating distractions. A fresh mind can more easily concentrate without effects from the office environment. If early morning is your optimal time, focus on the work that requires the most thought and creativity. Fill the rest of your day with tasks that are not affected by interruptions and background noise. – Deborah Hightower, Deborah Hightower, Inc.

12. Enter The Matrix

Don’t allow distractions to keep you from completing your best work. Enter tasks in advance on an Eisenhower Matrix to be clear each day what your priorities are. Check it hourly. Focus on what’s urgent and important first. Schedule the important, and keep those appointments with yourself. If possible, delegate less important tasks. Avoid at all costs that which is neither urgent nor important. – Christine Rose, Christine Rose Coaching & Consulting

13. Put Like-Minded Together

It can be helpful to put people who like noisy environments together and those who prefer it quiet together. Some people prefer the noise, and it helps them feel energized, while others do not. Recognizing this can be critical. It can also help to try earbuds and promote certain hours as quiet time. – Dr. Diane Hamilton, Tonerra

14. Focus On One Stimulus

Paying attention to one sight or sound in the environment isolates it from others. This focuses the mind, enabling us to become fully present. Looking at a light for a few moments or listening to a specific sound (rain outside the window, the hum of an air conditioner, birds chirping) can help us regain focus and mindfully go back to what we were working on before being distracted. – Tracey Grove, Pure Symmetry Coaching and Consulting

15. Work From Home

If you suffer from noisy co-workers who drain your attention and energy, inquire about the ability to work remotely at least one day a week. You can take this time to focus and recharge from the distractions of the office. You just need a place set aside for work at your home. If this is not an option, a good set of headphones can block out the noise. – Katrina Brittingham, VentureReady LLC

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Two Easy Steps For Selecting The Right Executive Coach

Originally Posted on Forbes.com

Executive coaching has become an essential part of many companies’ strategies to develop their senior leadership. Companies often leverage coaching to increase productivity and team engagement and preserve the knowledge of seasoned staff by retaining leaders who need some help learning new skills or revamping their leadership style. This leads to greater overall success.

Individuals have also sought coaches to advance their careers because it provides a one-on-one individualized approach to prepare leaders for executive-level responsibility or a support system as they transition.

However, executive coaching may not produce the desired outcome you are hoping for if you don’t find the right executive coach for your company. Here’s how you can do so in two simple steps:

Step 1: Identify what your ultimate goal is.

Coaching means different things to different companies or individuals. If you Google “coach,” you will receive results for financial management coaching, life coaching, spiritual coaching, business coaching and more. Each coach within these categories has a different approach or system to helping their ideal client achieve their goals. As a result, there are infinite potential results you can achieve with the right coach.

Before hiring an executive coach, ask yourself what type of coaching you or your organization would benefit from specifically. What is your ultimate goal for hiring an executive coach? Be as concrete as possible. Develop a concise definition of what executive coaching means for you or your company.

Step 2: Assess for fit.

To identify whether a coach would really be the right fit for you or your company, interview them to learn more about their credentials and certifications as well as their business acumen. Hiring an executive coach is just like hiring any other professional. Do they fit in with your company culture? Will they be able to engage your staff? What are their qualifications working with your industry? Do they have a system that yielded the results you want to achieve in your company or individual as a senior leader?

The coaching industry is not regulated, but there are coaching organizations and associations that provide guidelines for coaching and ethics. All reputable associations use International Coach Federation (ICF) standards for coaching practices, training and ethics. The Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches and The Career Network are two organizations that also accredit coaches and ensure their courses follow the ICF guidelines on training, ethics and confidentiality. Did your coach train at one of these organizations?

Lastly, check to ensure your coach is getting continuing education or professional development to ensure they are current on trends in your industry.

Once you have found the right fit, you or your executive leadership are well on their way to achieving goals. Choose wisely and strategically, and you will build or develop quality leadership and carry your company to the next level.

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How to Work Effectively With Recruiters

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T / find out what it means to me” is a line made famous by Aretha Franklin, and one that recruiters have adopted as their mantra. This is probably because there is a love-hate relationship between candidates and recruiters. Specifically, candidates love what recruiters can do for them, but at the same time, aren’t fond of the fact that they need their services.

One can hardly blame candidates, since over the years recruiters have been branded as uncaring, money-hungry vultures who have their eyes set only on the bottom line. Whether there is a grain of truth to that belief or not, I can’t say for sure. However, what I do know is that recruiters have been, and will continue to be, a viable resource for candidates. For this reason, recruiters shouldn’t be dismissed, but instead appreciated for the role they play in the career services industry.

Many recruiters suggest that job seekers don’t fully understand what a recruiter’s function is in the job search process, and that this is where the lack of respect originates. In an effort to educate job seekers, below are some pointers that recruiters want every job seeker to know.

 

Respect what recruiters do. Although recruiters don’t work for you, the good ones will work with you. With a hiring company in mind, a recruiter will make recommendations on how you should change your resume, the way you interview and/or the way you dress. If this is the case, heed his or her advice. Recruiters have insider information on the specifications the hiring organization is searching for, and the clues they provide are based on that knowledge.

Respect what recruiters can’t do for you. The recruiter’s allegiance is to the hiring organization. Therefore, he or she is going to spend his/her time and resources on scouting a candidate that fits the hiring organization’s specifications, not on finding you a job. That’s why it is important to realize that recruiters are just one source of getting interviews. Your job search plan should include other methods of gaining employment such as networking, answering want ads and responding to Internet postings.

Respect the interview with a recruiter. Save your war stories for your local bartender. When you contact recruiters, be discriminating about the type of information you provide. A meeting with a recruiter is an interview. Don’t allow the informality of the conversation to convince you otherwise. During a meeting with a recruiter you will be judged on your performance; therefore, be professional at all times.

Respect a recruiter’s time. When a recruiter has recommended you for a position, that means he or she has invested time in your career; therefore, respect their time, return their phone calls, and provide them feedback on the company after any interview. Recruiters are especially interested in knowing your interest level, your thoughts about the interviewer, the rundown of the interview process, and the next step agreed to by you and the company.

Respect a recruiter’s reputation. Recruiters aren’t just out to fill a job order. Their credibility is dependent on the caliber of candidates they send on interviews. As a result, recruiters look for candidates who know what they want, present themselves professionally, and are out to win job offers.

 

When working with a recruiter, a partnership is formed; and in order for the relationship to be successful, there must be a mutual respect between the two of you. Recruiters want to work with candidates who want to work with them, not candidates who are having difficulty finding a job and want to be rescued. If you can effectively convey to a recruiter that you have a sincere interest in working with him or her, you’ll find yourself in turn treated with respect.

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Handling Illegal Interview Questions

Jim, 48, is sitting in an interview, which has been going well. He’s confident that his qualifications match those of the position, and he believes he’ll fit into the corporate culture. As the interview is winding down, the interviewer casually asks: “Will your family mind the relocation from New York to Texas?”

How should Jim answer this question?

There are several questions that employers may not legally ask applicants. Federal law attempts to ensure that candidates are hired on job qualifications and not by prejudicial criteria. Questions structured to obtain information on race, gender, religion, marital status, age, physical and/or mental status, ethnic background, country of origin, sexual preference, or any other discriminatory factor are generally illegal as grounds for making employment decisions.

With few exceptions, these factors contribute nothing to your ability to perform a job, and an employer must substantiate those cases where a direct relationship is thought to exist.

Anything that is not a bona fide occupational qualification may not be covered directly, although the interviewer may seek the information indirectly.

So, how do you handle an illegal interview question?

First it is important to assess the intentions of the interviewer.

Most illegal interview questions are asked in true innocence — or, better stated, in true ignorance: ignorance of the law, ignorance of what questions are proper, and ignorance of how the information could be used by others in a discriminatory way.

Ironically, most illegal questions are asked when the untrained interviewer is trying to be friendly and asks a seemingly innocent question about your personal life or family background.

Therefore, any attempt by the candidate to assert his or her constitutional rights will merely throw up the defense shields and put an end to any future consideration for employment. Warning lights go on, sirens sound, and the interviewer begins backing down from what otherwise may have been a very encouraging position.

So what is the proper response?

Any response depends on the particular situation and the personalities and motives of those involved, but overall you have three basic options:

(1) Answer truthfully if you feel your response will not hurt you;

(2) Inform the interviewer that the question is illegal and risk offending them and ending your chances for the position;

(3) Base your answer on the requirements of the job and your ability to perform it.
Here are a few examples of casually asked illegal questions and suggested responses:
Q: Does your family mind the travel required for this position?

A: I am accustomed to significant business travel. In fact, I find being on the road invigorating, and my track record has been very consistent under these conditions.

Q: Are you religious? Will your religion prevent you from working extra hours or on weekends when we have a big project?

A: I suppose everyone is religious in their own way. I do not foresee any circumstances that would interfere with the quality or commitment of my performance.

Q: You have a very unusual last name. What is its origin?

A: It really is a mouthful, isn’t it? I’ve always used my first name and last initial in my business e-mail address, as it is easier.

Q: Are you planning a family in the near future?

A: Currently, I am focused on my career and although having a family is always a possibility, it is not a priority at the moment.

Q: How many more years do you see yourself in the work force (before retiring)?

A: In today’s world people don’t retire like they used to; some can’t. My career and my need to earn an income are priorities that I do not foresee changing in the near future.

How you choose to handle these types of questions depends on the perceived motivation of the interviewer as well as your desire to have the position. However, no matter how badly you want or need a position, always keep in mind that if a company is capable of asking illegal questions before you are an employee, there is a greater potential for mistreatment after you are hired.

Your best bet is to try and keep the interview focused on the qualifications of the position and your qualifications as a candidate.

Blatant discrimination does take place. If it does and you are offended, you have the right to end the interview immediately (“I don’t think we’re a good match. Thank you for your time.”) — You never wanted to work there in the first place!

So, how did Jim in our example above answer the question? He could have said, “It’s none of your concern,” which likely would have quickly ended a promising interview.

But Jim thought about the underlying intent of the company in asking the question, which was “Will relocating an employee who likely has a family be so troublesome that he/she will be unproductive for months?” Considering that, he might have responded, “My family and I are committed to my career, so relocation is absolutely not a problem.”

But Jim’s family of five was used to moving every several years because of his ascending career, so Jim responded: “I’ve moved my family every three years, and they always consider it a great adventure. I’ve talked to them about the possibility of this move, and they’re very excited.”

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How to climb the ladder you have created for your career

How do you advocate for your career in today’s workforce?

Simple. Own your success instead of having it predetermined for you.

Katrina Brittingham, Chief Resume Writer & Career Coach at VentureReady LLC provides some tips on how to climb the ladder you have created for your career.

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Resumes Win Interviews, References Win Job Offers

Inquiring minds want to know, and no minds are more inquiring than those about to hire you. Rest assured, you will be investigated. As a rule of thumb, the better the job and the higher the pay, the tougher the screening process. If you are up for a good job at a visible company, your references and past employers will be checked in great detail. Your list of references is simply the beginning of the investigation a prospective employer will conduct.

When a prospective employer has completed the first round of interviews and you are among the top candidates, its next logical step is to check your references and interview those individuals to whom you reported. Are you certain these individuals will seal the deal for you, or will they blow it away? If you are like most people, you probably haven’t given your references much thought. Instead, you have focused on your resume, interviewing skills, networking, and what to wear to the interview. Now the focus shifts.

Your biggest concern should be the quality of your references and recommendations from past employers, because they can make or break your chances. About half of all references that get checked range from mediocre to poor, so it is very possible that the great job you lost out on at the last moment had nothing to do with your skill level. It could have had more to do with what a reference or past employer said about you. So, if you are concerned that someone, somewhere, might be giving you a bum rap, you are probably right. That’s a frightening scenario when your livelihood is at stake.

Here is a sampling of the damaging comments HR people and line managers hear when they check references:

  • “Our company policy prohibits us saying anything. We can only verify dates of employment and title.” Then the reference goes on to say something like, “Check his references very, very carefully.”
  • “Are you certain he gave my name as a reference?”
  • “After we settle our lawsuit…”
  • “Let me see what the paperwork says I am able to give out regarding _______.”
  • “Is he still in this field?”

References and past employers won’t call and warn you that they are not going to be complimentary. The reference situation is ever changing and therefore very volatile because of shifting company policies (not that many employees choose to follow them anyway), new employees in HR departments, new laws governing references, and company liability for giving references.

You are well advised to take more control of your career momentum by finding out what every potential reference will say about you. If the odds hold, as they will, those references will range from stellar to negative; yet when you know what someone is going to say about you, you can pass on your best references with greater confidence. You will also have the opportunity to stop references from saying things that are not true or inaccurate.

Increasing Your Chances of a Good Reference. Here are some general rules of thumb to maximize the tone and accuracy of your references.

  1. Make sure your records are correct. Occasionally an interviewee looks bad because his former HR department did not have the same job date and title information in his file as he did on his resume. Data entry or communications errors are not unusual, so check with your HR department to ensure that their records correspond to yours. Conflicting data will be perceived as a big negative to a prospective employer.
  2. Maintain active and positive relationships with your references. Stay in touch over the phone or over coffee. Keep the reference up-to-date about your progress, and make sure you have the most up-to-date information about them. If the reference’s title (or name) has changed, or if they’ve left their position and you’ve provided old information to the prospective employer, it doesn’t look good.
  3. Advise a reference about an important opportunity. To avoid burning out your references, you don’t need to call about every single job opportunity. However, if a particular position is very important to you, call the reference and give them details about what the company may be looking for.
  4. Know reporting relationships. Even though you’ve given the senior vice president’s name as a reference, the prospective employer may resort to calling the director you reported to because she can’t reach the senior VP. Even though you have not given that person’s name as a reference, it is on the application that you probably filled out. You may want to advise your former boss about the potential for a reference check and explain what the company is looking for.
  5. Know your company’s policy. Although federal law restricts reference information, some states now allow more extensive disclosure. Know which regulations and policies govern your company. In addition, be aware that some employees will break company policy. Make sure that works in your favor by checking with references to gain an understanding of what they might say.
  6. Don’t rely on relatives or letters of recommendation. You are well advised not to let Uncle John regale a prospective employer about your antics as a youth. Also, although letters of recommendation can be helpful, information such as titles and even names can change over time. Make sure that the information on your letter of recommendation is correct by contacting the reference periodically.
  7. Use a reference-checking service. If you want help in providing good references or if you find that you are losing too many opportunities after several interviews with an organization, you might want to commission a professional reference-checking service. Check to ensure that the service has the professional and legal personnel that can develop a strategic use of your references. Typical service fees range from $59 to $99 per reference checked, depending on level of job position being sought.
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Set SMART Goals

In this video Chief Resume Writer and Career Readiness Coach, Katrina Brittingham provides you with the tools for setting SMART goals for your job search and continued professional development.

Set SMART Goals

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What You Should Do With Your Life?

Job satisfaction: We all want it, but we’re not exactly sure how to secure it.
That’s because we believe our satisfaction is dependent on factors we don’t control, like the work balance at our current company, or the specific tasks our supervisors delegate to us. And while it is true that some of the job satisfaction factors are outside our control, that doesn’t mean we have no control at all!
Not satisfied in your job? Here’s a quick exercise many career coaches use to help you get to the core of what it is you should be doing with your life:
What Drives You?
1. What did you dream about doing when you were a kid?
2. What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about making money?
Make a list of the above. You should start to see commonalities in terms of general skills. It should come as no surprise, but those general skills will probably be related to your biggest strengths.
What Are Your Natural Talents?
1. What do people most appreciate about you and what you do?
2. What are the unique skills you have that people comment on at work or at home?
3. What areas do you excel in? For example, are you always being thanked for your insight, objectivity, organizational skills, etc.?
What Are Your Work Values?
1. What do you value in your work?
2. Do you appreciate the ability to work independently, or is a team environment something you value more?
3. Do you prefer constantly learning new skills, or do you value having the opportunity to really fine-tune one skill?
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Your combined answers to the questions above can guide you in your job search and will help you figure out if you’re on the right path or way off course.
The good news is that even if you discover you’ve gone astray, you’ll now have a roadmap to get you back on track.

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Need A New Year’s Resolution? 10 Ideas For A Stronger Career In 2017

As we finish off one year and prepare to start the next, it’s a good time to think about how we want 2017 to be better, which for purposes of this column means a better career. Here are 10 ideas for new year’s resolutions to adopt for a stronger career in 2017:
1. I will stay in touch.
You can start the networking habit with a holiday mailing. You can continue by reaching out in the new year to ask about people’s holidays. You can make additional contacts throughout the year by dedicating your lunch hour to meeting up with people and getting out from behind your desk, or reconnecting with at least one person you don’t see day-to-day. Even if you only do this once per week, that’s 52 chances for staying in touch.
2. I will manage my professional online presence.
You probably already surf your social media platforms of choice to keep in touch personally. From a professional standpoint, you can extend your outreach to a broader network (to help with #1-staying in touch!) and you can post about topics in your industry or functional expertise. You can also update your profiles, including your picture (it needs to look like you do now, not five years ago).
3. I will preserve my focus.
One of the most common obstacles for my clients when reaching for a career goal is the fatigue factor – most are working a hectic, complex day job and feel too depleted to take on something else. Unfortunately, that something else is often what they really should be focused on – the search for a more ideal job, the pursuit of a promotion, the transition to a new career. If this sounds like you, then make 2017 the year you carve out specific time before, during and at the end of each day to take action on your “real” career aspiration, not the one you happened to be assigned to in your day job.
4. I will maintain my energy.
Part of the focus problem stems from a lack of energy. Demanding jobs are physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. This means that in addition to preserving a focus on career action, you need to focus on preserving your energy reserves. Exercise, meditation, enough sleep, and good eating habits are all career moves when they give you the stamina to make that extra push.
5. I will spend my mornings wisely.
Adopting a good energy habit is a logical candidate for how you might remake your morning. If the days seem to get away from you before you get the important stuff done, create a new morning routine. Take one hour and spend 20 minutes each on exercise, meditation and reading. Or spend 10 minutes each and add additional habits, such as journaling, prioritizing the day, or reconnecting with your network (staying in touch!). Or resolve to spend the morning on your most important task. Whatever you decide, if you get your morning right, even if the rest of the day does get away from you, you will have at least have accomplished one thing.
6. I will stretch.
You could take this point literally and add stretching to your morning routine, which would also be a good idea. But from a career standpoint, stretching means doing something outside your day-to-day and perhaps beyond your comfort zone. This could mean taking on a cross-functional activity (which could be joining an employee resource group or even the company sports league). It could be stretching for a leadership role (which could be a committee role in your community non-profit and not necessarily at your current job).
7. I will grow.
You want to take on new activities outside your day-to-day so you keep yourself challenged and grow your career. You can also grow by updating old and developing new skills and expertise. Definitely see what your company offers, but you can also find professional development opportunities for yourself by tapping resources in your own network and community.
8. I will ask for what I want.
Of course, if your company doesn’t offer the professional development opportunities you’re seeking, you could ask for them. Learning to ask for what you want is a critical career skill, and finding opportunities to ask is the only way you’ll get practice at this. Ask for training, ask to attend a conference, ask for a membership to your industry association, ask for a mentor, ask for feedback so you can identify areas to develop (and strengths to build on).
9. I will be marketable.
You want to keep growing and developing so you maintain your career value. Even if you aren’t actively looking for a new job, you always want to be marketable. A change in business conditions or new management can quickly alter your otherwise comfortable situation. In addition to keeping your skills and expertise updated, you stay marketable with resolution 1-staying in touch. If your network doesn’t already include recruiters and other people active in the career field, then make it a priority to develop relationships here. Finally, your marketability means you have updated tools, like resolution 2-a professional online presence, as well as a resume and cover letter template (so you can quickly put together an introduction of yourself and your value when you need to).
10. I will keep my options open.
You don’t need to actively look for a job, but resolve to keep your options open. Return recruiter calls. Look at LinkedIn invites you don’t automatically recognize. Don’t be so quick to dismiss a request to work on something outside your normal expertise. While you don’t want to overextend yourself unnecessarily, you might have gone the opposite extreme, where you’re only interacting with people you already know, working on assignments you know you can do, and keeping the same rut, I mean schedule, day-in and day-out. Keep your options open by keeping an open mind.
You may already be doing some of these things but not others. Think about whether you want to focus on doing more with the good habits you already have, or on adopting new habits altogether. If all or many of these are of interest to you, consider focusing on one at a time – making a 30-day commitment to just one and then building from there or switching it up if you want variety. If you resolve to do just one more activity than you did this year, it will already be an improvement.
Contributor – Ms. C. Ceniza-Levine

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