It’s time to start talking about the last thing you want to think about in October: if you want to make career moves in 2020, the time to start networking towards your 2020 goals is now. That’s right – you need to be networking for 2020. (Now.)
“Tara, are you sure, this sounds a little crazy. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet. Why on EARTH would I start networking — I don’t even have clear career goals for 2020 yet.”
– Every person that reads our website, ever.
If you don’t have career goals for 2020 yet, the time to start thinking about your career goals for next year is yesterday.
The best thing that you can do right now for your career is to set goals that allow you to work with intention. If your life feels like the movie Groundhog Day, you need goals. Knowing where you want to take your career will allow you to base decisions around your desires. Is that class a good idea? Should you splurge for those early-bird conference tickets? Well, I don’t know… it all depends on what your goals are. 😉
Even if networking is the last thing you feel like doing right now, set some goals and then start networking with intention.
Businesses aren’t just getting ready to hire for the holidays – some are getting ready to hire for beyond the holidays.
Your goal for 2020 might be to go into the new year debt-free, and if that sounds like you, a holiday position at your favorite store might be a great idea for you. But, retail businesses are not the only businesses getting ready to hire.
Generally, larger corporations all have a fiscal year. (The government also has a fiscal year, which begins in October.) Most corporations start their new fiscal year in January, and if they have openings, many are hoping to fill those before the fiscal year for budgetary reasons.
If you’re hoping to get hired before January 1, 2020, start networking with this goal in mind – like beefing up your LinkedIn profile so you can make some new connections.
Networking allows you to be noticed.
The whole point of networking is so that you can get noticed by your peers. When you make a great impression with someone in your field, they’ll start to notice the awesome things you’re doing right now. (Networking helps you avoid the feeling of stagnancy too!)
(By the way, what are you doing for your career today that’s worthy of being noticed?)
Don’t forget you can tap in.
The best thing about networking? It’s a constant reminder that you’re not alone out there. Need a quote? Call a friend. Got random career-related questions? Get a mentor. Your work-friends and business besties are literally additional resources that you can tap into for your own career.
Don’t forget them going into 2020.
Are you ready to kickstart your 2020? Book a career-counseling session today to get in-depth guidance on where and how to network with your career in mind.
