The 3 Keys To Career Success In The New Economy

The 3 Keys To Career Success In The New Economy Todays post is by Drew Tewell, author  The Dream Job Program: Get the job you want. You can connect with him on  Twitter  and  Facebook. In my job as a recruiter, I review a lot of resumes. I have to find the right people so I interview job seekers on a regular basis. But, if you were to ask me what the most important things you could do to be successful in your career, I would not talk to you about updating your resume or brushing up on your interview skills. These things may come up, but they are not the most important. Here are the three keys to success in the new economy: 1. Never Stop Learning We live in a world that is constantly changing. If you want to be successful in your career, you must be constantly learning. Learning gives you new skills. It also keeps you current with what is going on in the field that you work in. One way that I do this is by listening to audio books. I use Audible, which has an app for my iPhone and iPad and can be used on almost any media player. You can even burn a CD of your book. The convenience of audio allows me to learn while I drive and also at other times throughout the day. (Note: If you are interested in trying Audible, they have a promotion where you can try it out for free. Just google “free audible promotion” and you will be able to get more information.) Choose to be a lifelong learner. 2. Build Relationships Seth Godin, in his new book, The Icarus Deception, calls our new economy The Connection Economy. The internet and social media give us the opportunity to connect with others like never before. When it comes to your career, building relationships with other people is vitally important. For years career planning and job search experts have said that the number one way to find a job is through relationships. Are you meeting new people in your field or in the field that you someday want to go into? This is something you can do online or offline. Personally, I use blogging, Twitter and other social media avenues to connect with people. As I get to know them, we generally also connect in other ways, like over the phone. I also recently started a Google+ group with two other people. Each of us invited two more people so we have a total of nine people in our group. We meet for an hour monthly via Google Hangout, which allows us to video chat with up to ten people and it is going great! Don’t wait until you need a network to build a network. Start today. 3. Get Your Finances in Order Have you ever wanted to pursue your dream job but you were unable because you had certain financial obligations? You may want to start a business or volunteer your time to something you are passionate about but because you have a lot of loans to pay off, you don’t have the time or money? Getting out of debt and having fewer payments gives you  the freedom to pursue your dreams  on your terms. At the end of 2011, I started a personal coaching business. The first month went very well and I made more money than I did at my job the month before. The second month didn’t go as well. In fact, I didn’t get one new client. When I started the business I had very little (if any) savings and was not prepared financially. If I had saved up an emergency fund to cover our expenses when I had an off month, I wouldnt have been so stressed. I ended up having to find a job to help with our expenses and decided it was best to go in a different direction. Of the three things I mentioned, this is the one that I struggle with the most. It is not easy. But just because it is not easy, doesn’t mean it is impossible.  Anna is proof of that on this post. Your career is important. Consider today becoming a lifelong learner, being intentional in building relationships, and beginning to get your finances in order. Your dream job is waiting! What are the keys to your success in the new economy?