For some marketers, the summer is an extremely busy time. But for the majority of us, summer means extra downtime and a much less hectic schedule at the office. Regardless of the current pace of your workplace, summer is a great opportunity to be used as a transformative season for yourself and your career.
Marketing professionals who make use of some spare time to focus on things they didn’t have time for during the busier months will see a great progression in their careers. But, where exactly do you start?
To make it a little easier, we’ve prepared a list of habits to practice that ensures the time you invest this summer in anything you do is time well spent.
Marketing Recruiters’ Top Career-Building Habits You Need to Practice This Summer
Explore New Skills
Let’s be honest, the pace of marketing makes it’s quite impossible to truly know everything about it; meaning you can never have too many skills.
The summertime is a great time to get caught up on trends and what’s to come in your industry. However, this isn’t just limited to the current season – lifelong learning is a habit you need to continually practice to expand your skills and expertise.
Is your boss not up for dishing out money for investing in online marketing courses you’re interested in? While this is unfortunate, it doesn’t mean you can’t take control of your own education.
While you’re not overloaded at work, take this time to read up on current trends and self-educate yourself. This can easily be done by following thought leaders in your industry or taking advantage of online courses through HubSpot and Marketo. Don’t overlook the free training and webinars credible thought leaders provide – there are often the most informative and insightful resources available to you.
While you’re out exploring new territories on weekend getaways, take the time to explore new skills to learn and pick up in the marketing space. Staying abreast of the developments in marketing involves proactive efforts from you. Are you willing to push and challenge yourself?
Conduct an Internal Audit of Yourself
Your annual review is most likely coming up, so make sure you’re well-prepared for it. Do a self-evaluation of all that you’ve accomplished in the first half of the year and identify your KPIs for review. Are you satisfied with your achievements? If not, you know the time is now to make changes in order to improve your performance.
Be aware of your performance and recognize what you truly need to succeed in your current position. With more time to do this, you have no excuse not to. It will set a clear path for you and push you to strive toward attaining your goals. Ultimately, you’ll feel more confident in the value you contribute to your organization, which will motivate you even more.
Upon this reflection, think about where you want your career to go, and how you’re going to get there. Consider drawing out a five-year roadmap to help you operate methodically in how you choose to progress your career.
As experienced marketing recruiters, we know it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks, making you feel that you don’t have the time to think about your career. That’s why the summer is the perfect time to take a step back and evaluate where you currently are, and where you want to be down the line.
This Is the Time to Relax
You’ve probably already had this on your to-do list. But if you don’t have much free time at work even in the summer, don’t fail to take time off to let your mind unwind and clear your thoughts. A clear mind helps you better establish a logical career path to help direct you in the right direction.
Taking the time to relax and enjoy personal time is especially important if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed at work. Summer is here, and it’s time to scale back so you can feel recharged and energized for the busier quarter coming up.
Frankly, a healthy balance of work and personal fulfillment is necessary throughout the entire year. Take time to meditate or take that road trip you’ve been planning all year. Crack open those books that have been on your reading list. Your hard work deserves some relaxation time.
Closing Words
While it’s great to take the summer to relax and enjoy the slower season, it’s even better to use the time to challenge and improve yourself professionally. As a marketer, it’s the extra effort you put into your craft that sets you apart from the rest. Relax, take a vacation, and enjoy your free time this summer – but don’t neglect to leverage this valuable time to hone in on your expertise and become a superb marketing expert.