(By Dan Simmons)
You might have read the title of this article and thought that it was about enlisting in the Army. After all, that’s one of their slogans: “Be all that you can be.”
Well, it’s not just good advice for members of the armed forces. It’s also good advice for members of the workforce.
Yes, I know: many of you are overworked as it is. You figure that you’re already being all that you can be, to the point where it’s stressing you out. Regardless, the points I want to make in this article are worth contemplating and putting into action.
If you’re looking to be all that you can be, bolster the value that you provide for your current employer, and position yourself for future career success, then heed the steps below:
- Engage in additional training—Seek out training opportunities, no matter what form they might take. If your company has a formal training system, take advantage of it. If it doesn’t, then take the initiative and find the training materials you need. Even if your company doesn’t have training of its own, it might be willing to pay for you to attend webinars or one-day sessions.
- Attend industry events—Conferences and conventions are good not just because of the training opportunities that are available, but for the networking opportunities, as well. You never know what you’re going to learn and you never know who you’re going to meet.
- Ask your supervisor for ways you can improve/become more valuable—You can’t go wrong with this one. Your initiative will be appreciated, and more than likely, you’ll receive some very straightforward and frank feedback that will help you immensely.
- Participate in a mentoring program—Once again, some companies have formal programs for mentoring and knowledge exchange, and if yours doesn’t, seek out a more experienced member of your department and ask if they would like to serve as your mentor. Don’t enter into a mentoring relationship lightly, though. If you say you want to do it, make sure that you hold up your end of the bargain.
- Keep current regarding industry trends and developments—There’s a saying that states if you read about something for an hour every day, you’ll be an expert about that subject at the end of one year. Read journals, blogs, e-zines, and news outlets dealing with your particular field, and strive to do so as much as possible.
Being all that you can be is not just for the Army . . . it’s for you, too. Let’s face it, the modern marketplace can be likened to a battlefield—and you need to be ready.
Daniel C. Simmons is a Certified Personnel Consultant who has been recruiting since 1991. Dan has won over twenty awards in the last decade with the Top Echelon Network, America’s leading placement network including Placer of the Year in 2009 & 2010.
Frequently Dan also is a recruiter trainer and has been featured at various Top Echelon Conventions and online as a speaker for various webinars. He has also been published in The Fordyce Letter the recruiting industry’s #1 magazine.
Are You Looking For a Job? Contact Dan Today!
