Popular 7 Ways To Actively Manage Your Career Tracey ParsonsJenna ArcandJuly 23, 2024 Bigstock

You go to work, you do your work, and you come home wondering where this is all going. You wonder what your next step is. What can you be doing to elevate your career?

So, you ask your manager. And your manager stares at you blankly and points to your projects. You're confused and head back to your desk. It is too easy to continue this routine until you get frustrated with your current situation and start looking elsewhere.

What's the problem with this story? You're not managing your career.

You're doing your work, you're talking to your manager, but you aren't actively managing your career. You're actually looking for your boss to manage it for you. The problem is that your boss is busy managing their own career. So, you need to start managing yours. You need to own it.

Far too many professionals today look to their managers to manage their career path and trajectory when, in fact, this is yours and yours alone to manage. It's so easy to get caught up in our work that we lose sight of our career. So, how do you manage your own career with confidence?

Here are seven ways you can start managing your career today...

1. Set & Communicate Clear Goals

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The key to getting what you want is knowing what you want. You must know what you want out of your career and you should be clear about these goals with your manager and your mentor. These career goals are also a great way to measure your progress through the year and should be mentioned in your regular performance reviews.

2. Create An Open Feedback Loop

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The hardest thing to do is to hear honest feedback because it isn't always positive. However, the ability to listen to all feedback and adjust accordingly is what will elevate your career. Be sure you are open to the good, the bad, and the ugly feedback. This will help you adjust your work and your goals.

3. Think About Your Accomplishments Differently

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Try to think about your work in terms of NEAR: numbers, examples, achievements, and results. We all have responsibilities. But the people who stand out talk about their responsibilities in terms of numbers, achievements, and results, and they have examples to back them up. This is called quantifying your work experience, and it's the key to landing a new job or getting a promotion. What numbers, examples, achievements, and results did you produce this year?

4. Manage Your Work Samples

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You probably do a great project once per quarter and one that definitely meets the NEAR criteria. You know, a project or deliverable that you are super proud of that contributed to the success of the company. Take that work and store it in a special folder on your computer or in the cloud. It's always important to have examples of your work in the event you want to angle for a promotion or raise, or give hiring managers a glimpse of the kind of value you add as an employee.

5. Get In The Conversation

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Read industry publications, websites, and blogs. Share the best articles with your connections on LinkedIn and have a point of view of your own. Position yourself as a voice of the industry and a valuable resource within your professional network. When you see great content, make an insightful comment and connect with influencers in the industry.

6. Raise Your Hand

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When a new project comes up and it aligns with your goals, raise that hand. Let your manager or HR team know that you want to learn some new skills or gain new, more advanced experience. Be clear about what you can offer to the project and get involved.

7. Spend Time Maintaining It

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We know you're busy working and getting things done. This is the extra stuff that's required to take ownership of your career. Spend a few hours a week in the conversation and connecting with new people. You should also spend about an hour a quarter maintaining your best work files and your social profiles. It isn't a ton of investment; it's just a new habit to create in managing your own career growth and trajectory.

As a professional and business-of-one, it's incredibly important to take ownership of your career and actively manage it whenever you can. The best way to ensure you reach your career goals and build your personal brand is to "work it daily." Follow these tips today to actively manage your career and you'll find success sooner than you think.

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career management Partner Boost 11 Ways To Enjoy Summer When You’re Working A Full-Time Job Ariella CoombsJenna ArcandJune 13, 2024 Bigstock

There you are: sitting on the beach, covered in sunscreen, reading your favorite book, drinking your favorite drink under the cool shade of an umbrella. Life doesn't get any better than this. Suddenly, a door slams, a phone rings, a printer turns on. You jolt back into consciousness. You're at work, sitting in your cubicle, without even a hint of sunshine streaming in from outside.

When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!

Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.

1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs

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Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.

2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car​

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Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.

3. Plan An Office Outing

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Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!

4. Organize Group Walks

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Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.

5. Eat Lunch At The Park

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When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.

6. Organize Office Sports

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Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.

7. Join A Professional Group

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During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.

8. Have An Office BBQ

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Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.

9. Wake Up Early

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Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!

10. Strategically Use Your Time Off

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Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.

11. Bike To Work

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If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!

There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!

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Become a member to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

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