What would you do if you had an extra sixty minutes on hand? Sleep in, burn-off a few unwanted calories, or take a casual stroll down the streets of an ex’s Instagram page. True, all of these are fabulous ideas in their own way (we definitely do not recommend the third) but what if we told you it was possible to level up significantly in that same time frame. That you could genuinely make career progress in under an hour. Have we got your attention? Great! read on.
Create An Information Network
It takes a minute to look into your address book and make contact with an existing connection. We recommend phone calls over text messages. Reach out to people you met at a conference, at an industry event, or someone with a similar career course to get a view of what’s hot and trending in your area of interest. Better still, invite them to lunch or coffee and make sure you keep in touch. All power to social, but in person connections tend to seal the deal more often than not.
Pick Out A Skill Or Course To Pursue The Next Week Or Month
The world is fast changing and the only way to keep up is to stay updated in your area of specialization. There are thousands of courses aimed at professionals and you can find and/or sign up for one of them in a couple of minutes. We recommend Coursera and Udemy. Create a sense of urgency to drive you by putting up the list in your direct line of sight. This one can be tricky, so be realistic with your choices.
Ask Your Boss for An Added Task
Establishing yourself as a proactive team player who is willing to go above and beyond is an act that helps stimulate career progress. Reach out to your boss and ask if you could help with an additional undertaking. It could be a team optimization task, a presentation or a client pitch. The idea is to shake you out of your comfort zone. Your boss will love the initiative!
Subscribe To Industry Content
There a lot happening in the world and in your professional stratosphere that’d you’d be oblivious to if you don’t stay informed. A magazine, newsletter, podcast or blog can crack open doors to new information and career opportunities, or connect you to important and like-minded people. Even better, you’d always have something relevant to contribute to a conversation with your boss or colleagues. Trust us, that scores you extra points.
Get Rid Of Baggage
There’s nothing like the stress of professional baggage weighing you down. It could be that you have undertaken more than your capacity or that your priorities are simply misplaced. Even professional priorities need a course correction sometimes. Drop a project or activity that’s draining or holding you back and take some time to declutter your brain. Remember, mental health breaks are a real thing.
An hour is sixty minutes of precious time that you can use to your advantage. Each of these tips could be done in minutes and would contribute significantly to your career progress.
Do you plan to try any of these out? Let us know in the comment section.