Back to School, Back to Work – 10 Ways to Go Back with a Bang (Part1)
It doesn’t matter how old we get, or how many years it’s been since we graduated, we all still adhere to the school calendar. The New Year doesn’t start on the first of January; it starts on the first day of school.
Over the summer, everyone is on a physical or mental vacation…or both. They’re not called the lazy days of summer for nothing. That’s the time we head to the beach, read endless novels by the pool, travel to visit with friends and family, and try to do the least amount of work possible.
This is true whether you’re currently employed or looking for a new job. However, all that changes once the kids break out the new backpacks, sharpen those number two pencils and get organized for an exciting new year at school. Kids or no kids, everyone has a renewed sense of excitement at this time of year and is ready to re-engage their brains, buckle down, and get back to work.
And we are excited to get back to work with our next Women ON Point: Next Level Leadership Summit at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa in Beaver Creek, Colorado on October 12-14. We still have space available for those women looking to go back to work with a bang and take their leadership skills to the next level!
Just like the kids have a new school supply list and curriculum to kick off the school year, so should professional adults. Here are the first 5 tips for going back to work with a bang.
- Update Your Résumé — Not only is reflecting back on your recent accomplishments an important mental exercise, it’s critical to your professional success. An updated résumé that reads like a “success story” not only helps job seekers get a new job, but helps employed professionals promote themselves within their organizations. Don’t let the sluggish days of summer cause undue amnesia when it comes to celebrating your successes.
- Reconnect with Your Network — Between varying travel schedules and taking the kids to camp and tennis lessons, there’s not a lot of extra time to network during the summer months. Now is the time to reach out those quality connections and get reconnected. Networking is truly the key to success.
- Clean Your Desk — Whether it’s cleaning out your desk at home or at the office, take time to get organized. Papers, projects, and post-it notes can accumulate over the summer, and no one is fully productive or completely efficient when they need to wade through clutter. Start fresh with a clean slate and a clean desk.
- Find the Focus — Summer is the time for day-dreaming, trashy novel reading, slipping away from work early, and procrastinating. Priorities change and a sense of urgency takes a vacation. Revisiting those professional goals and objectives, making a strategic action plan, and getting focused is the best way to get back to work.
- Lead Your Way Back — Sometimes over the summer we find ourselves thinking of everyone else. Now is the time to refocus on your own leadership skills and seek new leadership opportunities. Whether it’s attending a leadership summit or pursuing a new leadership role on a board, this is about making sure you’re back on your own priority list.
