The document provides 10 ideas for building a stronger career in 2017, including staying connected through networking, managing your online professional presence, focusing on career goals like promotions or new jobs, maintaining work-life balance, creating a productive morning routine, challenging yourself with new skills and roles, asking for what you want from your career, keeping your skills marketable, and keeping your career options open.

1. 10 ideas to build
a stronger career
Prepared by Miguel Lopez
PrepCan Senior Webmaster
Based on
Need a new years resolution? 10 ideas for a stronger career in 2017

2. 1. Stay in touch.
• Make networking a habit.
• Get out from behind your desk
and meet up with people.
• Reconnect with at least one
person every week.

3. 2. Manage your professional
online presence.
• Update your online profiles.
• Join the conversation.
• Post about topics in your industry
or functional expertise.

4. 3. Preserve your focus.
• Take action on your “real”
career aspiration.
• Pursue a promotion.
• Transition to a new career.
• Search for a more ideal job.

5. 4. Preserve your energy reserves.
• Exercise.
• Meditate.
• Get enough sleep.
• Eat well.

6. 5. Create a new morning routine.
• Schedule an hour everyday
to practice new habits such
as meditating or reading.
• Spend the morning on your
most important task.

7. 6. Do something outside your day-
to-day.
• Take on a cross-functional activity.
• Stretch to practice a different role.

8. 7. Keep yourself challenged.
• Take on new activities
outside your day-to-day.
• Grow your career by
updating old skills.
• Grow your career by
developing new skills and
expertise.
• Tap resources in your own
network and community.

9. 8. Ask for what you want.
• Learn to ask for what you want
is a critical career skill.
• And ask for feedback so you
can identify areas to develop.
• Ask for training and
development opportunities.
• Ask for a mentor.

10. 9. Be marketable.
• Keep your skills and expertise updated to
maintain your career value.
• Include recruiters and other people active
in the career field in your network.
• Make a priority to develop relationships
here.
• Update your marketability tools (online
presence, resume and cover letter).

11. 10. Keep your options open.
• Keeping an open mind.
• Look at LinkedIn invites.
• Don’t dismiss a request to
work on something outside
your normal expertise.
• Return recruiter calls.

12. Have you been approved to come to
work to Canada? Prepare yourself!
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