Did you notice that this is a leap year?
We get an extra day this month, and the opportunity to do something wild and crazy. It’s kind of like found money, so it’s OK to spend it the way you want. Well, maybe not the exact day, since it falls on a weekday and most of us have obligations already. But why not transfer the leap year concept to an unobligated day in the near future?
In my world of career counseling, I’m constantly connecting with people who are behind on their preparations for job search or career transition. They could really use a day set aside to finish a pesky task -- or to remove an obstacle before starting a grand plan.
If this describes your situation, peruse the lists below for ways to spend your extra day, and for ways to honor the leap year by engineering a leap of your own.
One-day projects, to make use of your extra day:
- Write your resume.
- Sketch out a business plan.
- Tour a college.
- Find out how many credits you need to finish your degree.
- Outline a talk to give or a class to teach.
- Put up a website.
- Build your LinkedIn profile.
- Figure out what Twitter is all about.
- Write an editorial or letter to the editor.
- Start a blog.
- Buy an interview outfit.
- Get an image makeover.
- Have a professional business photo taken.
- Work through the tutorial on your computer software.
- Set up your email to sort incoming correspondence better.
- Paint your home office.
- Read a business book.
- Subscribe to online publications you should be reading; then read them.
Did you notice how most of these projects wouldn’t actually take a full day to complete? That’s one of the surprising things about tasks that weigh us down: When we finally buckle down to do them, they often go very quickly.
If it bothers you to have part of the day go unused, switch your attention to a leap year project after you finish the shorter task. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, which smack of self-improvement, a leap year project is just that -- a project that helps you make a leap, to be completed in the 10 months remaining of the year. Here are ideas for you to consider, all within the realm of careers.
Leap year projects to complete this year (in the next 10 months):
1. Explore career ideas and choose a new path. This is probably the granddaddy of big career projects, partly because it can be complex and partly because it can be terrifying. But it also can be exhilarating, which is the part to focus on while you get started.
To keep from becoming overwhelmed, start by setting up a session with a career counselor. He or she will help you define steps to follow; then it will be up to you to jump in.
2. Finish a certificate or degree that you’ve let slide. Whether you’re missing a course, a test or a major research paper, there’s no time like the present. Start by reconnecting with the school and finding an adviser or counselor to help you lay out a plan. Then jump in: Next year at this time, you could have a framed diploma on the wall. Won’t that feel good?
3. Change jobs. Perhaps you want to change positions within your company, or perhaps you need to find a new employer altogether. You know the steps, and if you don’t, there are plenty of people to advise you.
4. Learn a work skill you’ve wanted to master. Maybe it’s welding or public speaking or the ability to operate a graphic design program. If it’s been on your mind to learn, jump in now by signing up for a class.
5. Build a new network by choosing a professional association and attending the monthly meetings. This is the easy-play option for folks who want in on the leap year concept but don’t have a lot of spare time.
Here’s my promise to you: If you attend the same meeting every month through the end of the year, and vow to talk to at least three new people each time, you will build a better professional network in 10 months than most people do in three years. And once you have that network in place, other projects on this list will be easier to accomplish, as you’re likely to know people who can help you. Not a bad result from a leap year leap.
Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com or at 626 Armstrong Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.
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