Being Proactive! Are you running your career (or is it running you?)

Are you proactive in your career? Often I work with clients who return. Perhaps they first contacted Design Resumes to write their very first resume targeting a college internship.

Upwardly trending career path

For many people during most of their career, they have an upwardly trending path but there was a time when your position was eliminated. After a frustrating search, perhaps you took a job but weren’t very happy. But then you found a new role, you’re back on track and in career management mode again.

Long-standing clients see me as someone they can turn to for a clear vision of their career and the economy driving that career. They know I will be direct with him and tell them if I think they are steering the wrong direction.

Being proactive puts you in control of your career

When you are very analytical, you will weigh your options. While continually looking for the next step, you want to make sure your path is clear. You don’t want to be in a reactive mode but a proactive one. As you evaluate what you need to update your resume, you will learn about the accomplishment focus. You might find you would like to inject graphs or testimonials into the resume.

Are you proactive or reactive?

Even proactive clients can be caught by economic shifts like the last recession but the individual who is never in a planning mode and just lets life happen around him is the one who gets hurt the worst in a recession.

By being proactive, you make sure you have an updated resume, a LinkedIn presence, and you continuously build your network. If you wait for life to happen around you, it will.

In addition to career planning, I think everyone should look proactively at their finances. If this last recession taught us anything, it taught us that the rug can be pulled out at any time. If you are one of those who lives paycheck to paycheck, it is time to start a budgeting plan and start saving. This is a deep topic and I am not going to address it today but I believe that proactive people will be continuously in a mode of career management and fiscal management. What are you doing today to be proactive?

Need help? While job search is often painful, I take the pain out of writing your resume and even make it fun with a personalized, interactive process. Hire me, Julie Walraven, Certified Master Resume Writer.  Click Here.