5 Ways to Grow Professionally While In Between Jobs

The loss of a job, planned or not, can be a devastating thing. You were once preoccupied with work and barely had time for yourself working 9 – 5, overtime and perhaps weekends too, but now you have so much time, what should you do with it?

You could choose to sleep in and wait for a job to come your way (in this economy it’s hard to tell how long that will be) or instead try using that time wisely towards building your career.

 

Plan Your Career Path

 

 

Now that you have the time, consider some self-reflection and think critically about your career goals. Was your previous job building your career or was it just a job? What kind of career would you like to have? Do you need to change your career trajectory? And if so, what are the necessary steps that you need to take to transition to a new field? Questions such as these will be useful in making you aware of your career needs and desires.

 

Attend Networking Events/ Work-Related Seminars

 

 

Being in between jobs does not mean you should neglect your relevant professional circles. Get in touch with your career peers and find out about upcoming networking events or work-related seminars and adequately prepare for them.

Preparation is more than just picking out an outfit and heels for the event. Look up the career profiles of keynote speakers so that you can be in a better position to hold a conversation with them if the opportunity comes your way. Reading up on the main topic of the day also prepares you to form relevant questions to ask.

Networking events and work seminars are a great place to set foot if you’ve decided to change career directions. You will build new contacts and get an idea of what your desired industry is all about.

 

Read Career Related Books

 

 

Reading is a great way of increasing your knowledge while having some light leisure time. It will also give you something to talk about with like-minded individuals. Great at Work can help you see which areas you need to improve on professionally. Discover whether you need more teamwork in your work style, or if you need to learn how to focus on a single task at a time.

Other fantastic books to help you build on your career goals are Defining Decade, Lean In, The Outliers and The Bigger Deal.

 

Enrol in an Online or Short Class

 

 

Anything is possible in the 21st Century thanks to technology and the internet. With information literally at our fingertips, there’s no excuse for being uninformed in your field of interest. All you have to do is a quick Google search for all the information you need.

Free information on the internet is great, but a well-outlined course from a qualified instructor is better. You will learn faster, and get the relevant information without having to read hundreds or thousands of articles online. And on top of that, you’re likely to get a certificate to add onto your resume.

 

Update Your Resume and Send Out Applications

 

 

Looking for a job is a job in itself. The only way to get a new job is to either make one (by going the self-employment way) or keep applying until you get one. Set Google Alerts on desired job positions and send out relevant applications for jobs you may be interested in. Most may go un-responded, some will be rejected, but there are a few that could get you called in for an interview.

BONUS TIP: Inform all your networks that you are looking for a job. They might know someone who knows someone who is looking for someone with your skillset.