Author: Contemporaries Team
Tips for Career Success in 2025
As our Boston-based staffing firm Contemporaries Inc. approaches its 27-year anniversary next month, we have seen numerous employment trends, cycles, and behaviors come and go. However, there are universal actions you can take to help achieve career success in 2025!
We will be providing these tips throughout the coming months, via our blogs. The information comes from our many years of interactions with job candidates and our observations. Based on certain behaviors, some will succeed and others with have a much harder road to travel if they are to attain the same outcome.
This is our checklist for would-be job seekers:
- Creating and updating a quality resume which should include all the skills you have acquired, in addition to all the software programs and platforms you have worked on. A well put together resume will also include concise bullet points or statements indicating clearly what duties and responsibilities you were charged with performing.
If you are applying for a specific position, make sure to include the work and tasks you have performed in the past and which are also included in the job description.
2. Maintaining a strong work ethic throughout your employment experience. While most candidates will say they have a good or strong work ethic, actions speak louder than words. It means not only doing your job but doing it to the best of your ability. It means that if you are given a task or tasks, do them sooner, rather than later, and do them well. Meeting all deadlines, taking your work seriously, and understanding that no matter what the job or position others are depending on you and not letting them down.
3. Keeping Professional References up to date and with all the relevant contact information. Make sure to reach out to previous supervisors or colleagues and let them know you would like to use them as references. Have their contact information handy including the name of the individual, title, business or organization, time(s) you worked with them, and their email addresses and phone numbers.
4. Performing a dress rehearsal for your interview. If the meeting is going to be in person, make sure to map out your travel arrangements before it counts, or visit the site in advance. There is nothing worse than arriving late for an interview with a potential employer. If you take public transportation and there is a documented problem, a Hiring Manager will not hold the incident against you. But if it is not documented (and employers can simply read the news to check) or indicating you woke up late or saying you did not know how long it would take, does nothing in terms of getting you closer to being hired.
5. Remaining available on the employer’s schedule, not having them work around yours. Being flexible and open to a potential employer’s schedule – whether it is for an interview or starting a new job is a chance to present yourself, or an opportunity to shine. While it would be nice to delay a start date or an interview time, the most successful candidates will accommodate a Hiring Manager, proving how truly seriously they take their career and how much they do want the job.
6. Separating the person and the position, when speaking of previous work experiences. If you did not like your former employer or the workplace, it is better to explain that you were looking for other challenges. Bad mouthing a supervisor, colleague, or others is a red flag for most employers. If the candidate has spoken negatively regarding previous organizations and individuals, the employer might think you will do the same if you are hired and it does not work out.
Make sure when asked about your previous tasks and duties, that you provide real examples of work that is related to the position you are applying for.
7. Understanding what commitment is when accepting a position. Think long and hard before you accept a job offer. It can be difficult if you have been searching for work for a while, and an offer pops up. Because, in the event you do commit to taking the position, understand that you will have to give 100% once you start the assignment. Such commitment means that you show up every day and on time. You work hard and meet deadlines and perform all the tasks and duties you are charged with performing.
8. Staying flexible about work duties and responsibilities. Even though you were hired to perform a group of specific tasks, there may be times when you are also asked to pitch in – for the benefit of the team or organization. Most employers will add a line in the job description that states, the “duties include (but are not limited to),” as a means to give the candidate a heads up that other work may be required at times. Rather than complain that the tasks are not within your job description, you would be better served by embracing the opportunity and allow yourself to “Wow” your employer.
9. Researching the company or organization you will be interviewing with. Nothing is more indicative about whether a candidate really wants a job, or is just going through the motions, than how prepared the individual is or isn’t when interviewing. Learn as much as you can about the company or organization you are applying to, prior to submitting your resume.
10. Being a team player because no one succeeds on their own. If you complete your own assignments, offer to lend a hand to other colleagues or teammates. You will not only earn their respect and admiration, but you will also show your supervisor and employer how dedicated you are to the organization and its mission. And it will also let them know their decision to hire you was a wise choice.
In the future, we will be providing more in-depth information on each of the tips contained in our checklist. The rest is up to you!
Picture by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay