Celebrate National Job Action day With  My 5 Career Boosting Steps

It is time to reevaluate your career path. Are you still moving in the right direction? Has your job gotten stale  and mediocre? Or are you struggling to stay motivated with your job searching? Monday, Nov 6 is National Job Action Day. This national observance promotes meaningful work, encourages self-reflection & development of job skills while celebrating camaraderie between colleagues.

Here are my 5 action steps to celebrate National Job Action Day and give your career a boost.

1. Host  or attend a networking event

These events are great ways to meet and connect with other professionals in your same field or industry. You can host your own networking event and invite friends, colleagues or even recruiters. If being a hostess is not your jam, attend an event instead. As a blind person I attended networking events all the time. Some were held by  professional associations in my field. Others were a bunch of like minded  people  who had the same passions and interests.

2. Learn a new skill

I am a firm believer in life long learning and this applies to my career. Whether it’s a technical or soft skill, acquiring a new talent can help you in your career and make you more marketable to potential employers.

I love writing and specifically about the disabled. So, this week I  am participating in a writing course on how to write about disabled characters. Although I am not a  fiction book writer I want to attend to learn  the tricks of the trade and interact with other inclusive writers  .

3. Update your resume

How long has it been since you reviewed and updated your resume? I know life gets busy but use this day to look it over and make changes. I decided to do the same by changing the arrangement  and layout. I am going to focus on my work skills and not the places I worked. Employers are more interested  in your skills and if they match  what they want  than the actual places you were employed. I have got a friend assisting me in this change  and she  is confident it will bring positive results.

4. Reach out to contacts

Do your contacts know you are looking for new opportunities? Reach out to them so they can look out for you. Even if you are happily employed  and love your job  be open to new and better opportunities. Also  this keeps your relationships  fresh as you learn what they are doing  and can share possible leads  too.

5. Volunteer

If you can’t find your passion job volunteer instead. This gives you access to  people in the industry while learning new skills and giving back. Plus volunteerism looks great on  your resume  because it communicates   a heart to give and serve your community.

My list is not exhaustive but there are some actionable steps to work on.  Other things you can do are attend a job fair, schedule informational interviews,  meet with a career counselor. And, of course, apply for a new job! Whatever you decide to do on this day, do something to boost your career.