February 2017: Spring Clean Your Career

After a full weekend of near record temperature highs in Houston, “Spring Cleaning” is on my mind.  I know I’m probably a bit ahead of the curve on this, but having just put together:  2017 Goals, final tallies for 2016 and all my, not so “New” Year’s resolutions, Spring Cleaning is next on my list.

The Gulf Coast had a rough go the last 12-18 months, especially those in the Oil/Gas/Chemical industry.  During this time, many of my conversations resulted from mid-career professionals suddenly left without a job.  For most, this was a shocking, if not debilitating turn of events.  For many, the last time they thought about a resume was 10+ years ago.  Some haven’t updated their resume or accomplishments since college.  On the flip side, for many, the last interview was sitting on the hiring side of the table; certainly, with no thought they’d be changing places in the not too distant future.

Many were caught without a plan, reeling from the shock.

Although we can’t plan for the unexpected, in this day and time I do think it pays to be as prepared as possible, hence a bit of insurance.  As you browse the article from 2013, “It’s Time to ‘Spring Clean’ Your Career” by Andrew Kosztyo, I think you will find most of the items still impactful in 2017.  Note, small changes can make a big impact.  Key elements like:  Keeping up with your accomplishments and knowing the current industry “Buzz” words are just a few ideas to hopefully help make a smooth transition into a new role, should the need arise.

When it comes to “Buzz” words…it’s time to get rid of these phrases: “Highly Motivated,” “Dynamic Self-Starter” or “Effective Communicator.”  These are meaningless and show you’re out of touch.  Another that I often see is putting Microsoft Office on skills.  In this age of technology, it’s assumed that everyone is fully functional in Microsoft.  Other ideas, joining a new association in your specialty or attending a work-related conference serve a very useful purpose.  This is time well spent in keeping your career on track.  I can’t stress how impactful a deep industry network can be when you find yourself in this position.  If you look at your contact list and can’t find a single current industry contact outside your company, it’s time for an overhaul.

If you need help finding a resource for #3 from the list, “Ring a Recruiter,” please don’t hesitate to reach out to those of us at Whitaker.  We’d love the chance to help!

Karen Walding-Zuntych, Manager Business Development, Whitaker Technical

 


 

So, with apologies to Shakespeare, the question is thus — is your career still mired is its “winter of discontent,” or is it prepared to be “made glorious by the summer sun?” The following “top 11” list — top 10 lists are so cliché — will help you prepare your career for the new, new-normal:

Read full article

Filter Articles & Insights

Newsletters

Our monthly newsletters offer insight on industry trends, career planning and the job market as well as highlight featured job opportunities and industry events. If you’re interested in receiving our monthly newsletter, please complete the sign-up form below. 

IT Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Technical Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Resources

Staff Blogging

3 Factors Driving the Talent Shortage

    DECLINING BIRTH RATE + COVID IMPACT DRIVING EARLY RETIREMENT = TALENT SHORTAGE   Where did everyone go?   For businesses across the United States, locating and attracting people has become increasingly difficult. The talent...

read more

How to Encourage Women in STEM

    HOW TO ENCOURAGE WOMEN IN STEM   As of 2021, women make up around 35% of the STEM workforce in the United States, according to the National Science Foundation. This means that there is a significant gender gap in STEM fields, and...

read more

5 Tips To Recession Proof Your Career

Nothing in life is guaranteed, but if you put in a little time and effort, you might be able to position yourself ahead of your peers when it comes to coping with the next wave of volatility. Five tips to recession-proof your career.

read more