When we start to think about our career content, we often think about our resume.
The place where we capture the highlights of our career.
We think in bullet points, action words, and results.
Is this enough?
Do we capture the images, the emotion, the passion we felt for the project?
Likely the answer is no.
My Perspective
I think the information we keep documenting our journey is too narrow.
And too shallow.
We keep the content aligned with the job description or title.
We don’t include much of our learning (unless tied to a degree).
We leave out images of the work (unless we had a creative role on the project).
There are likely many reasons why this happens.
One key driver is that we don’t regularly pull the information together.
Life is too busy.
Then, before you know it, we’ve left a job only to realize we no longer have files or facts we need.
I recommend taking a few hours in the 4th quarter each year to gather rich content.
Below are 10 things we can collect to ensure we always have a rich career history at our fingertips.
- List significant projects, accomplishments, and completed work.
- Pull work samples that are the most impactful and representative of your work that year.
- Organize the projects in different ways – skill type, industry, type of work, etc.
- Document classes taken, books read, and certificates gained.
- Note performance to annual goals and to individual projects.
- Create a list of new contacts and connections.
- Identify any thought leadership outside of work – blog posts, speaking events, etc.
- Gather and update testimonials and references from key projects.
- Document challenges you faced, how you addressed them, and what you learned.
- Consider your personal brand and note how it strengthened or changed.
A little time each year can be invaluable in the future.
Your Turn
Do you do an end of year work audit?
Which items on the list of 10 do you do? Which ones are overlooked?
How might you change your approach this year to gather richer content?