If you were not aware of it already, today is Friday. This means that most of us have two days of sweet respite awaiting us. Although the thought of sleeping in and relaxing by the pool seems more than appealing in this muggy Indiana heat, I cannot help but wonder whether I could spend my weekends engaged in productive activities relating to career development. Therefore, going along with the theme of Jayne’s latest article “Summer Better than Others,” I am going to look for ways to use the weekend in a manner more productive for career development.
In my quest for an answer, I came across the article “5 Ways to Make a Jobless Summer Productive” written by Katy Hopkins. Although this article focuses on productivity during the duration of the summer, I believe the piece also speaks to anyone looking to increase his/her weekend productivity.
In the article, Hopkins recommends using the summer to boost one’s resume. Okay, that sounds great, but how? Hopkins provides a list of five tips to increase summer productivity: work on your personal brand, consider community college, tap into your local network, turn a weakness into a strength, and find a mentor. Summer classes. Check! A mentor. Check! Two out of five is not that bad, but I definitely could spend my weekends working on the other three suggestions. Now, where to start?
I suppose branding is a great place to begin. Hopkins recommends creating a personal blog. She also suggests using Twitter as a job tool. This sounds plausible. I could definitely spend my weekends updating my social media so that it is at its most appealing for future employers. Hopkins also suggests leaving Facebook as your own personal space used for more casual comments and updates. Although she does not state it, I think it is important to remember that regardless of the fact that you are using it in a casual manner, you should refrain from posting inappropriate pictures and comments on any social media network. A friend once told me that when it comes to social media, even though it is your personal space, you should never post anything that you would not want your parents or a well-respected adult to see.
The next productivity tip Hopkins suggests is to tap into your local network. She suggests attending community events where connections may easily be formed. I really like this suggestion and believe it is a perfect way to spend my weekend and have fun too. In fact, it almost seems geared toward increasing weekend productivity. What better way to spend a weekend than meeting new people and helping to support your community? This would not be a difficult task to accomplish either since many communities, including Tippecanoe County, have wonderful community events, especially in the summer.
Finally, Hopkins recommends turning a weakness into strength. You can do this by volunteering in you community or participating in activities that require practicing your weakness. This is a fantastic suggestion, and one I had never considered before reading this article. This suggestion provides a great opportunity to assess your weaknesses. It is important to know your weaknesses because you may be asked about them in an interview. I know when I interviewed for a leadership position I was asked to name one weakness and how the position would help me strengthen it. Such an experience provided a fantastic learning opportunity for me. Therefore, if you have not done so already, sit down and take inventory of your weaknesses. Be prepared to talk about them. Why stop at a simply acknowledgement of those weaknesses? Follow Hopkins’ suggestion and use the weekend to strengthen those weaknesses.
So, here is my new plan for the weekend: work on my personal brand by updating my blog and Twitter, tap into my local network by attending community events, and turn my strengths into weaknesses by volunteering or engaging in activities that require me to practice my weakness. It is going to take time, but it will be worth it.
I have my weekend planned out to maximize productivity, but what about you? Don’t let your weekend be weak, beef it up with some of the productivity strategies suggested by Hopkins, or, follow LACD on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates related to career development. If you have any creative strategies to enhance weekend productivity, let me know in the comments section. I would love to hear from you!
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