How To Make the Most of National Career Development Month

How To Make the Most of National Career Development MonthHow To Make the Most of National Career Development Month While every day presents itself with new opportunities to make the most of our career, November presents a special opportunity. This November, join professionals across North America in celebrating National Career Development Month. Taking time away from your desk can be challenging, but parte owning your own career involves investing in yourself and your own development. Whether youre choosing to read for 5 hours a day like Warren Buffett, or reflecting for two hours a day like Jeff Weiner, the best leaders out there recognize that commitment towards self-improvement is necessary for success. Need some inspiration on how to make the most of this month? Heres a handy checklist to help jumpstart your personal and professional development.Get in touch with 2-3 former colleagues, classmates, or professors to catch up over coffee. Nurturing your network is an important part of building your career. This should not be something youre only doing once youre looking for a job. Rather, staying in touch should be an active practice. 30% of jobs are filled through employee referrals, so take the time to keep in touch and maintain relationships with the professionals you meet along your journey.Attend a Meetup or industry networking event. If networking is not something that comes naturally to you, take advantage of these pre-organized events, and meet like-minded individuals. This is a great way for you to make new connections, gain inspiration and knowledge, find new opportunities, and even enjoy a nice drink or two Have coffee with someone from a different team whose work interests you. Find out more about their day to day, broaden your professional horizons, and in doing so, youll become a more rounded professional. This is an important part of building your cross vertical relationships at work, and getting on peoples radars for ne w opportunities. Look into your organizations education and training offerings. Take the time to see what your organization has to offer, and how you can take advantage of different courses or opportunities for development. If youre not familiar with your companys Learning & Development department, meet with a member of that team to learn more about their programs. Meet with your manager and discuss your career plans. Dont expect your manager to know your dreams and goals. Your manager is there to help facilitate the process, but its up to you to express your interests and make things happen. Create yourself professionally driven S.M.A.R.T goals for the next quarter, the next 2 years, and the next 5 years. This will also help you stay in touch with yourself, and keep yourself committed to your professional wants and needs. Think about 1 new skill youve been meaning to develop. Commit to working on this skill for 1-2 hours a week, all month. Download a podcast, an app, read a book, create Google Alerts, or find a webinar in order to help guide your learning. There is no shortage of free information out there Reach out to any of your mentors/mentees. According to the Deloitte Millennial Survey, those with mentors report 81 percent higher job satisfaction. Mentorship provides a resource for advice and an opportunity to develop leadership skills. See how your mentor/mentee is doing, and thank them for the help. Update your resume and LinkedIn. Your resume and LinkedIn are dynamic pieces of work that should be updated every month. Dont wait until youre looking for a job to start working on your resume. Rather, make it a continuous practice and always make sure your resume reflects your current portfolio. Theres no time like the present to start owning your career, so join professionals coast to coast as they celebrate their careers and participate in National Career Development Month