Summer is the perfect time to focus on professional success and career. Why? Because the work inevitably slows down a bit then. People take vacations and leave early on Fridays. In most industries, it is a time to relieve some of the pressure.
You also need to use your vacation time to recharge and get some perspective, so do not miss the beach and patio barbecues. But as you do so, take some time for a career-focused action that will boost your personal brand when the workplace returns to its bustle in the fall. Here are four things that will help you and your brand reach September.
1. Prepare for your annual review.
For most companies, the annual review process (often feared) occurs sometime in the last four months of the calendar year. Do not wait for your boss’s email to schedule your review meeting. Prepare now so you can.
That is how:
- Make an inventory of your earnings to date. Think about the first half of the year and document your greatest contributions. Focus on those that are really important to your manager and help him show the value he gives to the team and the company. Document them using this formula: C-A-R.
- C is for the challenge. Describe the challenge that the resolution sought.
- A is for the action. Describe what you did to solve the problem or meet / exceed the need.
- R is for the result. Record the specific and measurable results of your action. How can you measure the value of your contribution? If you can quantify it, much better.
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- Obtain information and opinions from others to help you present your case. Pick up your fan mail and your compliments, especially from top leaders or respected people in your field.
- Think about what you would like for next year. More responsibility? A leadership role? An international mission? Build the playing field that will convince your boss to help you achieve it.
2. Mentor, lead and support the intern.
If you want to show that you are a leadership material, assume the role (official or not) of administering the summer interns. You will feel great about helping a lower level colleague develop skills that will be useful for career success. In many companies, the intern does not receive much guidance, support, feedback or tutoring. That creates an opportunity to be known as someone who leads the way.
3. Put your Q4 social media calendar together.
You know how you always say: “I wish I could be more regular with my social networks”. If only I had more time. “Well, with summer here, you have a little more time, but instead of increasing your contributions to social media in the summer, prepare a plan for the fall that will ensure that it will be visible, valuable and available to the people you want to influence.
- Identify the most important social media platform to increase your visibility among stakeholders.
- Determine what you would like to say. What is your message and point of view and how can you express it better?
- Create evergreen content for the platform you selected. If you chose LinkedIn, for example, write articles for your LinkedIn blog. Commit to writing four so you can publish one each month, from September to December. They do not need to be long, just be sure to deliver value to the community in which you want to influence.
4. Update your digital brand.
Egosurf. That’s what it’s called when you search on Google. Then review what is shown on the first page. Ask yourself what people would think about you if they did not know you and give you a first impression based on Google results. Then, determine what changes you want to make to align that first impression with your personal brand of the real world.
Pay close attention to your LinkedIn profile. It is likely to appear at the top of the results on page one. If your head shot is not updated, update it. If your About section is missing some of your latest victories, edit it. Make sure your LinkedIn profile conveys your authentic credibility and sympathy, and make sure the answer to these questions is yes: Does anyone want to meet with me after reading my LinkedIn profile? How is that for a list of summer camp activities? When you complete it, you will feel satisfied and you and your personal brand will be ready for the last quarter to be effective.
This article is base on Four Things To Do This Summer To Advance Your Career from http://forbes.com
