Careers Tool-Box

The Careers Tool-Box is designed to equip you with skills and techniques to get the most out of your career

It is time to make our resolutions for 2010

As well as packing in the cigarettes and losing a few pounds it’s time to overhaul your career. Follow our 10 career resolutions and you can’t go wrong.

1 - Use the phone.  A surprising number of people are phone-phobic.  Emails are great, particularly if you need to keep a record of an agreement or deadline, but phone calls are a much easier way to build a personal relationship with a client or journalist.

2 - Find a mentor.  Sometimes you just need someone to bounce ideas off of and a fresh pair of eyes on your career.  Ask someone you respect to be your mentor.  It may be someone in your current work place or an ex-boss, or just someone you admire from the industry.  Arrange to meet them once a month to discuss your career goals and achievements to keep you on track.

3 - Network.  Set yourself a target of ten new people in your contacts list every month.  Go to a few networking events and make a conscious effort to actually talk to a few people there.  It’s not as scary as you might think.

4 - Update your skills.  When was the last time you had a new skill to add to your CV?  Now’s the time to make a change.   Learn a new language, ask a colleague to teach you how to use a new bit of software, or go on a creative writing course.  New skills stop you getting stale and keep you ahead of the curve.

5 - Write thank you letters.  Every time someone goes out of their way to help you, write to them to say thank you.  A hand written note has much more impact than an email as these days we rarely receive letters in the mail.  It marks you out as considerate and thoughtful, and is sure to make you stick in the recipients’ mind.

6 - Take someone under your wing.  Just as it’s important for you to have someone give you a nudge in the right direction with your career, it’s equally important that you help those who can benefit from your experience.  Choose a junior colleague, or a recent graduate and ask them if they would like some help developing their skills and experience. 

7 - Improve your writing.  Written skills remain a core competency for communications practitioners.  Practice makes perfect so start up a blog and get typing.

8 - Start a hobby.  A well rounded person makes for a good employee.  Having an interest outside of work keeps you balanced and having a passion for something gives you great dinner party conversation. 

9 - Exercise.  Stress is inevitable and one of the greatest stress busters of all is regular exercise.  It’ll get your endorphins pumping and have the added benefit of shifting the excess pounds.

10 – Smarten up your image.  A professional appearance is essential for a good first impression.  Book to have a regular hair cut and manicure (boys, this includes you too) and clear out your wardrobe.   If you haven’t worn it for over two years you never will.