Jason Howell Company

Every once in a while I receive a ”mailing list” e-mail from someone that is truly worth reading.  Interetingly these are some of the same points that I made  in AMERICA: Still the Land of Opportunity…\”   so naturally I agree with them =) 

Below is the e-mail I recently received from “Catherine” (contact info below) and ASAE & the Center: 

Dear Jason,
As 2009 draws to a close this is an ideal time to assess your career goals start and planning for next year. ASAE CareerHQ.org would like to share some excellent career advice to help you in this process as we highlight a few of our best articles from the year:

Make the best of the current economic conditions by adding some spark to your career transition or job search. One tip:  “Expand your professional “wardrobe” to include accessories like colorful personal business cards, postcards, or pamphlets. Creating these pieces has never been easier or as inexpensive. Using an online company like VistaPrint, you can have a complete portfolio of coordinated self-marketing pieces delivered in a few days, or in some cases, overnight.”  To find more great advice, read Steppin’ Up the Glitz.
Get a strategic plan for your career to have a clear roadmap with these steps: 1) Be realistic about your current work. 2) Get clear on what you most value and want from your professional life. 3) Brainstorm and identify your career options. 4) Create your plan and set goals. Read Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Professional Future for more details on evaluating each of these steps.

Improve your Emotional Intelligence: When an association professional becomes so worried about keeping his job—or about finding her next one—it’s easy to neglect vital workplace relationships with colleagues, with members, even with the boss. To keep your head above watered-down relationships, keep honing your personal EQ skills: self-awareness and self-management. And keep fine tuning your interpersonal skills: social awareness and relationship management. Whether you’re hanging in there or hanging out in job interviews, stop, look, and listen to what people around you are really saying and feeling. You’ll earn your reputation as a keeper. If you need to improve your emotional intelligence, learn how by reading Emotional Intelligence: Career Insurance for the New Year.

Enlist the help of a mentor to advance your career: Mentors are important for those starting out and for those already launched in a career.”Obtaining a mentor is an important career development experience for individuals,” says Lillian Eby, professor of applied psychology at the University of Georgia.  “Research indicates that mentored individuals perform better on the job, advance more rapidly within the organization, and report more job and career satisfaction.” Read The Career Value of a Mentor to find out more.

Take more charge of your career and realize: 1. You are in charge. Think of yourself as working for yourself.  2. You need to know you best. It is imperative in today’s competitive job market to know yourself. Know what you have to offer and then market yourself as the person with that information. 3. You must keep on learning. Look beyond your current skill set and develop additional benefits that will help you market yourself. 4. You become the expert. Read industry papers, keep track of the fast-changing economic and social landscape, and understand your competition. Learn the other steps by reading 8 Steps to Take Charge of Your Career and Market You. 

Ready to develop your own professional plan for 2010? Check out www.CareerHQ.org to create a professional profile and make your resume searchable by employers, browse jobs, and take advantage of career development services and events.

Wishing you much success in the New Year!

Sincerely,

Catherine Lux
Program Director, Career Services and Endorsed Programs
202-626-2891
careerhq@asaecenter.org