Are you feeling the doldrums in your career? Even if you are great at what you do, there may be times when it is worth shaking things up a bit. Here are four tips to help you stay engaged in your career.
Learn Something New
No matter how long we have been practicing our career, there is always something more to learn. It could be learning a tool to help you do your job easier, deepening your knowledge in a technical area, or improving your public speaking or communication. Make 2013 the year you learn something new.
If polishing your public speaking skills, Toastmasters is a great place to start and welcomes people of all skill levels. Do you want to head back to the college classroom? You might consider enrolling in a free online offering from Coursera or Udemy.
Sharing Your Knowledge
If you have been in your industry for a while, you certainly have something to share with the rest of your professional community. There are a few ways you can do this. Did you just wrap up an exciting project? Consider giving a presentation at a professional organization or conference. Not only does this let you share your experience and knowledge, it also gives some publicity to your firm or agency.
Another great way to share your knowledge is to mentor someone with less experience. This could be facilitated through your current employer, through a professional organization or even your alumni association. Another way you can share your knowledge is by preparing an article for an industry magazine or journal. Sharing what you know can be a great way to get re-energized about the work that you do.
Expand Your Professional Network
Whether you are new to the industry or a seasoned practitioner, there is always value in expanding your network. This can be done virtually, through professional social media networks like LinkedIn , or face-to-face at professional organization meetings.
Volunteer
Many professional organizations need volunteers for various committees. Keep an eye out for these types of requests and consider getting involved. Working on committees or serving on Boards are a great way to establish working relationships with colleagues in the industry. If you have technical knowledge that can help your community, you might consider volunteering for a non-profit that can benefit. For example, a biologist might enjoy leading naturalist hikes in a local park.