Spring has finally sprung and at a time when you may be thinking about making some changes it’s important not to forget about your job. Making sure you’re happy, still progressing and making the most of your talent is just as important as getting organised in any other area of your life, but if you’re not sure how to get started then we’ve got advice on how to spring clean your career!
Scrub up your CV
Mary Poppins famously said ‘In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun, you find the fun and snap! The job’s a game.’ You may not automatically see any fun to be had in tidying up your CV, and it’s a task that most people find boring, but the result will be worth it. Having a CV that is up to date, beautifully presented and easy to read means you will be good to go when your next job opportunity comes around and will mean you can get on with writing a cover letter. Want to know what to avoid? Here are 5 of the worst CV mistakes you can make.
Climb the email mountain
Emails can easily stack up before you know it and become an overwhelming mountain, but maintaining your inbox is one of the easiest ways how to spring clean your career. Firstly set aside specific time for doing this once a week or once a month depending on how busy your inbox usually is. If you can’t make time in your work diary, a lengthy train or bus journey is an excellent opportunity to get the job done.
Don’t use this time to reply to emails, it’s a purely cut and sort exercise, and anything you need to reply to can be flagged for later. Sort your emails by sender or search for a specific sender and then work your way through their emails deleting anything you don’t need before moving onto your next contact. If you get emails you no longer need from a reoccurring contact or spammy emails from a company you’re not interested in, unsubscribe to minimise the number of messages you’ll get in future.
Adding some folders to your email may also help you feel more organised and moving any relevant emails into these categories will make it easier to find them in future.
Refresh your skills
One of the best ways to spring clean your career is to boost the skills you already have or learn new ones. Look at areas you excel in and ones where you feel weaker, are there things you always struggle with? There’s no better time than the present to correct this and not only will you find your current role easier if you’re able to fix issues you may previously have needed help on, but you’ll be building your personal value for other companies when you want to change jobs.
Do your to-do
Do you find it difficult to stick to your to-do lists and follow through with the tasks you set for yourself? Taking back control of your working day is an easy way to reduce work stress and to maximise your productivity levels as you won’t find be putting things off or procrastinating. One way to get back into the habit is to reward yourself for getting things done. Think about going to get a treat on your lunch break to keep you going through the morning, or look forward to a relaxed night knowing you achieved everything that you wanted to do.
Time for change
If you think you’ve done everything you possibly can to make the most of your current career and enjoy your role and are still feeling dissatisfied then it might be time for a change. Take a look at what you’ve done since you started, has it lived up to your expectations and what your interviewer said the role would entail? Have you felt challenged over the course or have things gone a bit stagnant? What would you like to improve about your situation and do you think that could be achieved in your current job or would you need to move on?
It can be difficult to leave a job you feel comfortable in, even if it’s no longer exciting or developing you how you’d like, but sometimes tough decisions are necessary to improve your situation. If you think it’s time to find a new opportunity and see what another position could off you, our team will help you find the perfect role.