Changing Executive Careers in 2021? –5 Moves to Still Make Now

During this challenging time there are many who simply want to stay in their current jobs and not risk changing executive careers.  The reasons are varied.  Perhaps they love their job, work they do, boss and co-workers they work with, etc.  Or some are just scared of changing positions with so much uncertainty in this pandemic environment.  No matter the reason, if you don’t want to change jobs you still have work to do to stay relevant and continuously employed.

Here are 5 recommendations to make if you want to stay in your current career:

Update your resume and profile while you still have access to your position.

This is a mistake that many executives make.  They assume since they are currently employed that they will always be employed. Then when they get canned, they don’t have access to relevant information that can help them land their next job. When this does happen to accomplished professionals, they find themselves writing a resume and profile from memory and find it exceptionally challenging to do so. Even though you might not currently need it, do yourself a huge favor and do your resume or profile before you need it while you are still employed. Need some help?  Find a professional resume service or quality guide to help you know what your resume should be modeled after.

Prepare now for your next performance review.

You will have to promote yourself internally as if you were doing a job search externally. Have a list of your accomplishments, strong and standing relationships, and successful strategies you’ve achieved while working so that you can highlight all you’ve done.  Don’t take it for granted that your boss knows all these. So often they don’t.  So sell yourself well and go in fully armed with the best you have to offer.

Don’t lose the work and connections you’ve made on LinkedIn

One easy way to do this is to make sure the email your LinkedIn profile is linked to isn’t your work email. Go look now!  We bet it is.  Just think if you get unexpectedly laid off, you won’t have access to that email address to log into your profile and get all of your notifications. So change it now. Here are some instructions on how to do that.

Stay active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other relevant social media channels in your field.

Clearly, do more than the minimum whenever possible. But at the minimum, comment on posts of people whose content interests you. Aim to take those conversations off line to a message or Zoom chat. Treat LinkedIn and other social media channels like networking events to meet new people and reinvigorate prior relationships. Find the social media channel that works best for what you want to accomplish and spend more time on that one.  Not foregoing the others, just focusing on the one that will produce more results.

Continue networking even during the pandemic

One way to do this is to set up a networking “lunch” once per week. You never know in this climate who you will want to help or who you will need to tap to help you. So it’s important to continue networking in some capacity.  Clearly, this is meant over Zoom or in some properly socially distanced setting.  However, even with restrictions, know that it’s still possible to network today and should be done regularly. Find out what works for you and continue to do so.  You’ll be so glad you did!  This can help not only professionally, but personally as well as you can beat that isolation that so many are feeling these days.

See how even making small steps today can be helpful in the long run. Being prepared is your ace in the hole to always being on top of your game with a career you love.

This guest post was authored by Lisa Rangel

Lisa is the Founder and Managing Director of Chameleon Resumes LLC the premier executive resume writing and job landing consulting firm named a Forbes Top 100 Career Website.  As a Cornell University graduate, she is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Job Landing Consultant & 13-year Recruiter. Lisa was also a paid Moderator for LinkedIn’s Premium Groups for eight years.

She has been featured in Fortune, Inc., CNN Business, Fast Company, Business Insider, Forbes, LinkedIn, CNBC, Time Money, BBC, Newsweek, Crain’s New York, Chicago Tribune, eFinancialCareers, CIO Magazine, Monster, US News & World Report, Good Morning America, Fox Business News, New York Post, and other reputable media outlets. Rangel has authored 16 career resources found at joblandingacademy.com