Here’s how to level up your career this year

Michelle Schafer wants to help you! She's a Career Coach and Author and she's going to walk us through her guide for leveling up your career.

Getting a promotion at your company or finding a new job are not easy tasks, as they require planning and being proactive, according to an Ottawa career coach.

Author Michelle Schafer walked CTV Morning Live Friday through the steps you need to level up your career.

“Hit the pause button. Do some reflection,” Schafer said.

Assess career wellness through reflection

The beginning of the year is the time when people start assessing their career wellness, she says.

Assessing your career wellness starts with reflecting on your job, the company you work for and your career goals, she explains.

She suggests asking yourself the following three questions:

1. What is the work that really gives you energy?

2. What is the profile of the right organization for you?

3. What are your non-negotiables or deal breakers?

“These questions can really give you some good information to see what’s in alignment, (and) what’s out of alignment and then that information can help you decide,” Schafer added.

Take action

When it comes to growing at your company, she says, you have to take action.

“Go and initiate a conversation with your leader, talk about the kind of work that really does fire you up and see what kind of opportunities there are internally that align with what it is that you really want to do,” she said.

You can ask your leader for mentoring and job shadowing opportunities to improve your skills internally, she adds.

Building connections within the same organization is also important, she says while recommending asking your manager to introduce you to new people.

And if your goal is to find a better opportunity in a different company, taking action is also important, according to Schafer.

According to Schafer, monitoring what’s available on LinkedIn and Indeed is not enough.

“So, looking online certainly (helps), but that’s only 20 per cent of your work effort to find a new job. The remaining 80 per cent is everything to do with relationships,” she explained.

“Reach out to recruiters, reach out to your network, (and) have conversations with organizations of interest to explore those opportunities that might not be posted.”

Update your resume, LinkedIn profile

She also recommends updating your resume and your LinkedIn profile.

“Make sure that all of your achievements are in there (your resume) and that those achievements are packed with results,” she said. “Same goes with your LinkedIn profile.”

More information about career growth is available at Home - Michelle Schafer Coaching.