Tips to Improve Career Readiness

It's easy freak out about the job market right now. But, there is a silver lining in all of this uncertainty. The smart move? Use this time to invest in yourself. I learned this the hard way, wasting too much time trying to make a move during the Great Recession and getting no results. At first, I panicked. Then I realized the job market was completely out of my control and decided to focus on something that wasn't: Expanding my skillset and getting a new certification. ⭐Within 10 months, I was promoted from recruiting to leading PR and external affairs. ⭐Within 4 years, I was recruited to a dream job Bottom line: This isn't the time to just sit back and relax. And panicking won't help. When the job market turns (and it will!) you want to be ready to go. Here's what to do now to set yourself up for success: 1️⃣ Create Your Own Opportunities ↳ Volunteer for high-visibility projects ↳ Solve problems nobody owns yet ↳ Document your wins meticulously 2️⃣ Build Strategic Relationships ↳ Network across departments and externally ↳ Find mentors who challenge your thinking ↳ Be the go-to person others count on for something specific 3️⃣ Learn In-Demand Skills ↳ Master data analysis and visualization ↳ Build AI savvy and experience ↳ Pick up tools to manage complex projects 4️⃣ Develop As A Thought Leader ↳ Share insights from your daily work ↳ Write internal newsletters or reports ↳ Present at team meetings consistently 5️⃣ Volunteer in Your Community ↳ Search for organizations aligned with your values ↳ Find out what help they need most ↳ Take on a leadership role to make connections or build skills 6️⃣ Teach Others ↳ Choose something you genuinely enjoy ↳ Take a deep dive into it so you can teach it to others ↳ Check out community centers, and local colleges for adjunct roles 7️⃣ Start a Side Gig ↳ What can you do that others can't or won't? ↳ Let friends, family and neighbors know what you're doing ↳ Ask people to refer you and share testimonials on social media 💡Career growth isn't just about changing jobs. It's about owning your own professional development. ♻️ Share to help others grow professionally. 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career insights. 📌 Need help with your growth strategy? DM me to chat.

Most career advice is outdated. Here’s what actually matters in 2025. I wish I had known these earlier in my career. 1/ "Work Hard" Isn't Enough 💡 30 min of daily planning. → Work on the right things, not everything. 2/ No Job is "Safe" Anymore 💡Create multiple income streams. → Think like a business, not an employee. 3/ Skills Have Expiration Dates 💡 Read 20min daily. → Master 1 emerging skill per quarter. 4/ Trust Professional Boundaries 💡 Work relationships are professional, not personal. → Build friendships outside your team. 5/ Follow Skills, Not Dreams 💡 List your top 3 marketable talents. → Use them to solve real problems. 6/ Your Energy is Your Asset 💡Set non-negotiable boundaries. → Create recovery rituals daily. 7/ Relationships Open Doors 💡Connect with 2 new people weekly. → Give value before asking for favors. 8/ Growth Requires Movement 💡 Update your LinkedIn monthly. → Learn one new tool each quarter. 9/ Balance is a Daily Choice 💡Block 1 hour for deep work daily. → Turn off notifications after 7pm. 10/ Job Hunting is a Skill 💡Join 2 industry groups now. → Share proof of work & results portfolio. 11/Your Growth is Your Job 💡 Track your wins every Friday. → Ask for feedback monthly. 12/Success Needs Allies 💡 Thank someone daily. → Help one colleague each week. 🎯 Start Here: 1. Pick the truth that made you nod. 2. Try it for 7 days. 3. Come back and share what changed. Which one speaks to you?⇣ ♻️ Share this to help others thrive today. 🔔 Follow me (Loren Rosario - Maldonado, PCC) for more.

Are you struggling to get ahead in your career? You might not be focusing in the right places. I used to think success came from working really hard, working long hours and always raising a hand to take the initiative. I was wrong. Career growth is measured in results and impact. This means it is so important that you focus your time working on the right things. Quality over quantity. Work smart, not hard. With the first month of the year almost behind us, take the time to reflect on your accomplishments and outcomes. Are you on track or are changes required as we start into February? Here are a few things to consider for this year to help you get ahead in your current role and career goals: 1. Clear goals. Personal ones, team ones and an understanding of how they connect to the company goals and drive results. Insist on this, without it you don’t have the needed clarity for how you are measured. 2. Clarity on how you are performing in your current role. Use your 1-1s to ask your manager where you should focus. We all have areas that we can grow in. 3. Understand what it takes to move to the next level, or to a specific role you’re interested in. It’s hard to go from A to B if you don’t know the career path! 4. Always be learning. Don’t wait to be assigned training. Instead, research ways to build your skills. Stay updated on industry trends, take note of what peers who are where you want to be are doing. Skills are the currency of the future of work. 5. Network. Build and maintain a strong professional network, both internal and external. Connect on social platforms and nurture relationships for potential opportunities. You never know when a door will open. What other tips would you add for how to get ahead in your career? Please share in comments. #career #futureofwork #careergrowth #leadership

10 Hard Truths I Wish I Knew Before Turning 25. 1. Explore and diversify your skills. For a long time, my focus had always been on hard or technical skills. It has become evident that soft skills or interpersonal skills are equally important. A hard skill will take you there but a soft skill will take you far. 2. Develop transferable skills. Transferable skills are important in our present era. The fact that technology keeps on changing our way of life and enterprise means that one can't stick to one skill all the time. Having skills such as data analysis, project management, writing, teamwork, flexibility, and computer skills among others that are used in almost all endeavors makes one more invaluable. 3. Be a generalizing specialist. To be a specialist or an expert in a particular area is awesome. However, it's even better if one has multiple specialties. 4. Invest in continuous learning. Stay current with technological advancement and trends. This is commonly achieved through continuous training or self-learning. 5. Gain practical experience. The 10,000 hours rule can be used to gain experience in any skill. One needs a lot of practice to become an expert. If one practices a skill 5 hours per day, then it will take 2000 days or 5.5 years to become an expert. 6. Set clear, measurable, and time-bound goals. Planning goals using the "SMART" career goals strategy. The goal should be "Specific", "Measurable", "Achievable", "Relevant", and "Time-Bound." 7. Be flexible and open-minded. New ideas continue to emerge with each passing day. We may be used to doing a task in a particular way but when new solutions are available, are we flexible to try? Are we easy to talk to? Being open-minded unlocks our potential by discovering better ways of achieving similar tasks even more efficiently. 8. Network as much as possible. People work with people. Everything we do in our personal life, business, or even in our profession always comes back to human needs. I have been on #LinkedIn for a long without networking until recently. I wish I had networked as much as possible years back. We never know where our next #opportunity may come from. 9. Seek mentorship It's hard trying to figure out everything when most people have already gone through the pain and have solutions available. Ask if you can but with care. Sending people random messages seeking immediate mentorship doesn't help. It seems people have a lot going on in their lives. So be patient. I learned that the best way is to start engaging with your prospective mentor's content or research (if academic) and let them know what they are doing is valuable. Build a rapport first and progress it slowly. 10. Take care of yourself. This point is important concerning our ways of staying fit or healthy. A great mind thrives in a healthy body. Having enough rest is a way of recharging our brains. Feel free to add what you think. #selfimprovement #continuouslearning #careergoals