It has been quite a year! We bid 2020 adieu and hope to never experience anything like it again. Few people have come out the other side unscathed. Many have experienced unimaginable losses. Now with the year thankfully coming to a close, we need to do the best job we can possibly do to move forward.
Here are some steps to take to prepare for and tackle your career in 2021:
1. Try to "get your head together" - Some people meditate, some people pray, and some people do both. No one will look after you if you don't look after yourself.
2. Exercise - Now is not the time for excuses. Walking and running are free. Track your steps and make it fun. Try other exercises you enjoy. You are bound to feel better.
3. Dust off your resume and cover letter - There are free resume and cover letter samples all over the Internet. You can also find everything you ever wanted to know about job search on YouTube including job interview examples.
4. Join an organization - The Middle Ages poet John Donne wrote that " no man is an island, no man stands alone." Now more than ever, you will benefit from feeling you are part of a group or part of a team. You can join several topical groups on Linkedin or you can join other groups such as alumni, church, political associations, etc.
5. Volunteer - Several people are hurting and need help. During the pandemic, our society's needs have skyrocketed. Do what you can, whether it is donating time, clothes, food, or money or tutoring schoolchildren. Often, we feel better and are able to put things more in perspective.
6. Ask for help - Just as you may feel better by helping others, you may feel a lot better by just asking for help. Ask family, friends, and colleagues to help you. You never know who might help you until you ask. People will enjoy helping you. An old Broadway musical named "Carnival" had a wonderful song called "Love Makes the World Go 'Round". We need to have faith and hope in these uncertain times that that is true.
7. Move beyond your comfort zone - Try something different, whether it be for personal or professional fulfillment.
8. Make new friends and develop some new contacts - Participate in as many programs as you can make time for.
9. Learn some new skills - Now is the time to learn all the technical, communication, and personal skills that you can.
10. Express your gratitude - People always want to hear that they are appreciated. Write email and "snail mail" thank you notes to people who have helped you this year. You can never say "thank you" enough.
11. Don't give up and believe in yourself - It is hard, but you need to keep going to move ahead.
12. Practice, practice, practice - keep applying for jobs until you land something. Practice speaking and interviewing and apply to as many positions as interest you.
Good luck to you all! We wish everyone a blessed New Year!
Margaret “Mag” Gottlieb is the Career Director at the Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University. Connect with Mag on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-gottlieb-1457753/ or contact via email: mag@gwu.edu
