Welcome To Traverse's
Resource Center

In 2020, you likely discovered your resilience, based on the many challenges you faced in life and career. Resilience speaks to your ability to bounce back from a setback, overcome adversity, and strengthen yourself mentally.

But what about your resourcefulness?

Resourcefulness hasn’t gotten as much airtime, although it is just as crucial in this new, Covid-19 landscape. Resourcefulness is your ability to think creatively or imaginatively in finding solutions, and it can be key to conducting a successful job search during challenging times.

Instead of: Waiting for a recruiter to find you, crossing your fingers you will do well during that interview, or hoping the universe sends you the bat signal ...

Try: Shaping and executing your job search – resourcefully.

1. Use LinkedIn to help you goal-set and gather new information. When embarking on a job search, it’s important to know what you want. For example, if you are a project manager and like what you do but want to change companies or industries, that is a much different scenario than finding yourself at a “what should I do with my life?” crossroads. As a Career and Executive Coach, I can assure you that both can be done, and both require gathering important data.LinkedIn is a great tool for this, and I don’t mean simply building your profile to say you have one. I mean using this platform to dig into companies, make connections with people who work inside organizations you are interested in, and identify people who are in careers that appeal to you. THEY have the information YOU need to make a well-informed career decision. Is working in the nonprofit industry as rewarding as it looks? What does starting your own business entail? Stop wondering and find people who can tell you.

2. Think of your resume as a tool to open doors. You will always need a resume, and you should keep it updated as your career evolves. Once it’s good to go, think (resourcefully!) about how you can get it into the right hands.

   For example, it’s obvious that you’ll need your resume handy when applying for a job. But how do you use it when networking or conducting an informational interview? In these scenarios, you may shirk from sending over your resume, for fear it will look like you are asking that person for a job. However, think about it another way: Sending your resume prior to the call or virtual coffee provides the other person with important information about your career history – something you will both be prepared to talk about. Really, this document is a conversation starter.

3. Research your interviewers. In job interviews, the key is to know yourself so well that you can speak to your strengths, provide examples of your achievements, and translate your value into how you can do the same for a potential employer (and in a very short period of time). Take your resourcefulness to the next level by researching your interviewers, and bringing that data into your interview through active participation.

   For example, be prepared to ask your potential manager about her career path, what it’s like to work for the organization, and what her own goals might be. You may also pick up cues about her leadership skills, employee morale, or challenges that exist internally – all of which help you decide whether you would like to work for this company. What’s more, asking good, specific questions allows you to personalize your exchange. They’ll notice you’ve done your homework, and they’ll remember you for it.

   If you work on one skill to help advance your career this year, let it be your resourcefulness. Thinking resourcefully about how to search for a job, expand your network, and participate in an interview may be the next “it” skill as this new, Covid-19 landscape continues to unfold.

   Look for “How to Be Resourceful at Work” in my next Career Hack!

Amid the bustle of the holidays, this time of year reminds us that a new year is around the corner -- and that means it’s time to begin setting our career goals for 2024.

However, December is also the ideal time for taking stock of what happened with our careers in 2023, especially when it comes to evaluating our accomplishments and even assessing what we would have liked to have gone differently. Taking this step now will help you set clear goals for 2024.

But how do we tackle this during SUCH a busy time of year?

Instead of: Jumping to set your new career goals for 2024…

Try: Taking stock of your career in 2023 now to get even greater clarity on what you want for your career next year.

1. Pick a time and place to reflect. It’s that most wonderful time of the year…and you are very busy. That’s why you need to intentionally set a time and place to reflect on 2023. Maybe it’s a quiet spot at your local library, or a coffee shop with a peppermint latte. Maybe it’s a weeknight when you are done working. The most important thing is to set a time and pick a place – and commit to it – allotting 30 minutes to an hour to reflect.
2. Start with evaluating your 2023 career highlights. 

   What comes to mind when you think about your career highlights? Maybe you won a promotion or got a new client. Maybe you got a new job! But what else? Dig deeper. Make sure you recognize and take ownership of things you deem a success – even if others didn’t. The small stuff is equally important as the big wins.

   Maybe you helped a team member get promoted, or had that difficult conversation with your boss, or asked for feedback even when you were super nervous to do it. Maybe you went to a networking event (and you hate networking!) or you made new contacts at the conference you attended, or you did an exceptional job in a high-stakes meeting. Keep the wins coming – you will be in awe of how amazing you are!

3. Capture what you would have liked to have happened differently. 

   Reflecting on what you would have liked to have gone differently this past year is different from capturing your career losses or focusing on your weaknesses. These are learning opportunities for how you might change up an approach to solving a problem, or how you might communicate something differently, or how you might address a team member in a different way.

   If you find yourself beating yourself up (I wish I had spoken up during that meeting! I should have left my job right then! I KNEW I should have asked for that promotion when I had the chance!), you are wasting energy trying to change something that is in the past. If you find yourself getting into this frame of mind, reposition these failures as learning opportunities. Write down what you learned, which is a gift.

4. Assess your reflections for themes and even “ah ha!” moments. Congratulations, you did it! You reflected on your 2023 career. What can you take away from this exercise? Spend some time answering that question. Maybe it was a better year for you than you thought. Maybe you are feeling it’s time to make that major career change you have been noodling. Maybe you want more from your role and feel you can make a bigger impact. All of this insight is invaluable. You now have data that you can use to set your goals for 2024 in a much clearer, more deliberate way.

Goal setting is always a great idea when it comes to our careers – it’s how we drive career happiness. Reflecting now on your 2023 career year will help you get clear on what you really want for yourself professionally – and personally – in 2024!