Congratulations! You’ve landed that dream job, and everything has been smooth sailing since then. But don’t get too comfortable… Even if you’re not currently in the market for a job, staying relevant and up-to-date is crucial to your professional development. A job opportunity you weren’t expecting could be right around the corner. Here are three simple strategies to help you to continue to blossom into the workforce rockstar that you were meant to be:
• Keep your resume up-to-date. Updating your resume at least once a year is important, so that when job opportunities unexpectedly come your way, you are ready to hand over a resume highlighting your best and most recent skills and experience. Don’t underestimate how time consuming reformatting and tweaking your resume can be!
• Continue to gain experience and knowledge in your field. One mistake people often make while they are not actively seeking employment is staying mentally, academically, and professionally stagnant. Seek out opportunities to learn more about your field, including current and upcoming developments.
• Evolve your network. Continue to build your network of contacts within your occupational field to help make the job search process much easier. Use resources such as LinkedIn and local networking events to develop a circle of individuals you can reach out to.
You’ve already got the job—the hard part is over. Now it’s time to build upon that base. Don’t let your appeal to potential employers become stagnant. Keep growing yourself as a professional, and eventually employers will seek YOU, and not the other way around.