3 Basic Things to Do For Your Career

You may be happy at your job and not looking to change. But here are the three minimum things you should always do for your career.

LinkedIn presence. Put up a picture, describe your job, and list your key skills. Even if you are not on the job market, you should have a digital presence. It’s weird not to have one. Also, without it, how will old clients, colleagues, and classmates find you? See #2 below.
Keep in touch with old colleagues and classmates. You never know when you need to activate your network, so keep your connections alive. Studies have shown referrals for jobs as the biggest source for hiring, not job boards, so don’t ghost old friends. Easy things to do: when you read the paper, send notes of congratulations when you see people or their companies mentioned. Be a kind human being by responding to overtures to stay in touch, donate to people’s charity functions, send holiday cards, etc.
Have a resume handy. I’ve seen lawyers miss out on great jobs because they didn’t have a resume on hand, and it took days/weeks to pull one together, by which time, the opportunity was gone. Also, update your resume periodically with the latest metrics and achievements. Throughout the year, send emails to yourself to an “I love me” file to keep track of accolades received, press releases on cases won/deals closed, and certifications completed. Use this data not only for your resume but also prep for your year end review.