Career Control: To Drift or Not to Drift... That is the Question

It's always a good time to re-focus on what is important in your life: relationships, work-life balance, giving back, and your career. Whether you’re a senior executive, mid-level manager, or recent college graduate, "Career Control" is hard to manage. If you're struggling to gain control over your career, here are 3 tips to help you focus your efforts and avoid career drift.

#1. Opportunities Within the Company
Need career growth? Think about adding skills to your resume and re-positioning yourself within your existing company. Talk with your manager, your mentor, human resources, and others—you’ll rarely see a straight line when it comes to a career path. Communicate your professional interests within your company and find opportunities to advance by broadening your skills and areas of experience.

#2. Similar Roles in Similar Companies
Stymied by no-growth at your company? Consider companies that have similar jobs and need your skills. This will take a bit of research and preparation to target companies, update your resume, and network—but you’ll find it's well worth it to focus your intentional efforts on where you’d like to be in 2-3 years. And if you realize your current employer has more positive benefits and opportunities than you thought, you’ll be prepared.

#3. Total Reboot
Don’t delay! Sometimes we just need a long overdue change. With powerful resources and ideas at your fingertips, a job search and networking strategy can be more efficient and rewarding than ever. Job boards and applications are very different than they were 10+ years ago, so if you over-rely on the Internet it will only create more “career drift.” Remember, some things never change: networking, professionalism, focus, and making personal contacts are still the key components of a successful job search.

These are several of the many ways to reassert Career Control and ensure positive career prospects. To avoid career drift, the common denominator is a commitment to focus, planning, and action. And for that, there’s no time better than the present.

Happy Job Hunting!