The worst time to look for a job is when you must
have a new one immediately. Job searching under
duress often results in nervous interviewing,
surface-level research and decision making from
relatively few options – none of which may be ideal
long-term career matches. Don’t leave your future
to chance. If you are one of the millions who is
professionally employed and not in need of an
immediate career change, here are ways you can
improve your long-term career prospects today:

1. Identify at least two different roles that seem
compelling to yo You do not have to be qualified
for these positions today, nor do they have to exist
in your company. However, these roles should be
remotely related to your current skill set. They are
career options that look interesting. Once you have
a couple targets, think about why and what
interests you. Is it that the role involves travel or
allows you to train and mentor others? Maybe it
pays more or offers some flexibility for working
from home ? Perhaps it is in an industry that
fascinates you or involves challenging projects.
There is no right or wrong answer, but pay close
attention to what appeals to you, and write it down.
This will give insight into your motivations and
targets. With this knowledge, you can examine your
current role to see if there are ways to incorporate
more of your motivators today. Also, you can make
future decisions to aid in moving to a more desired
path. With long-term goals, even if they are lofty,
you can add additional purpose to your daily tasks
and make ongoing decisions that are more in line
with your career “big picture.”

2. Subscribe to an industry or career-specific
magazine or news source. Knowledge is power in
the workplace. All businesses must stay relevant to
their customers in order to beat competition and
increase revenue. Reading about industry trends,
advancements and success stories keeps you in
touch with market conditions. This information
gives you plenty to talk about with peers, managers
and clients, but it also allows you to see which
companies and professionals are leading the pack.
You can follow their examples in your own
workplace and look for opportunities to interact with
the best in your field through industry events,
presentations and associations.
You are often judged by the company you keep. If
you associate with and learn from those that stand
out from the rest, you are likely to find yourself with
better opportunities both inside and outside your
firm.

3. Do exceptional work. In any role, there is a way
to perform at your best. Look for ways to deliver a
top performance. Show up early, be flexible to new
assignments, have a positive attitude, collaborate
with other departments, pay attention to the little
details and figure out how your role impacts the
company’s big picture. Employees who value their
work perform better than those who don’t
understand how they fit into the business.
Also, be honest with yourself about why others are
in roles more senior than yours. Most often,
promotion results from top performance in your
current role and showing the professional skills and
demeanor relevant for the next role. People who get
promoted exhibit the skills necessary for a higher-
level position before you are offered the position.
Make your work count.

4. Be professionally curious. Talk to people about
their careers. Learn more about how success is
measured in other roles, departments and
companies. Ask people their thoughts on different
industries. Take a class on a professionally relevant
subject. Attend an industry conference or
association group. In short, challenge yourself to
expand your business knowledge through
interactions with people every week. This is called
networking, but it can be as simple as sharing a
coffee break with Jim in accounting to hear about
the impact of the new online expense reporting
policy.
People hire people. You never know what
connections may be relevant when you start your
next job search, so make a habit of making good
connections everywhere you go. Be interested,
responsive and polite, and you will be amazed at
how many people will become part of your
“network.” In general, most people like to be helpful.
Take the time to learn about others, and be helpful
when you can. It is no secret that those who excel
socially have a much easier time with the job
search and interview process.
As in all things in life, getting in front of a daunting
task early is always easier and less stressful than
reacting to a career surprise. Changing jobs is to be
expected. No matter how secure you feel today, the
time will come when either you or your employer
will decide it is time to change. Take these small
steps now to prepare for a smooth career transition
on your terms. After all, isn’t luck where opportunity
meets preparation?

Nice piece

Thanks a lot for this piece.