7 Ways to Focus on Your Future Career

7 Ways to Focus on Your Future Career

DANTES works with Kuder Journey to provide US military members with a college and career planning tool to help members focus on their future while serving. It requires learning about yourself first to ensure you choose the right career path for your future. Kuder Journey's education and career counseling program is designed to help military students learn, assess, and plan based on personal interests, skills, and work values. With Kuder Journey, you can develop a college and career plan tailored to your needs and interests to help make life's journey easier and more rewarding. The program is free for US military members. Learn more at DANTES's Kuder Journey page.

Here are seven ways to continually nurture your own personal and professional growth:

1. Expand your network. Join local professional organizations to develop relationships for personal and professional growth, as well as for references and insight on education, training, and job leads.
2. Be a mentor and a mentee. Make an effort to pass along your wisdom and life lessons to others. How about finding a mentor of your own? A mentor can drive your career forward. Challenge yourself to both receive and deliver career advice to others.
3. Prioritize professional development. Seek out professional development opportunities to increase your subject matter knowledge and sharpen your skills. Would a certification or degree put you in a better position to advance in your career?
4. Check your social media presence. What does your online persona share with the world? Does your LinkedIn profile need an update? Run a social media audit on yourself. Are you making a good impression, or a bad one?
5. Evaluate your personal brand. Do you have an elevator speech prepared for transition and your next job interview? A good place to start is by writing yourself a mission statement or manifesto.
6. Volunteer. If you feel like you're "missing something" even in a satisfactory occupation, find opportunities to make a difference in your community. Volunteering also looks great on a resume.
7. Access Kuder Journey® via DANTES.Kuder.com - a customized online portal through which all U.S. military members can access tools to support degree planning and career development within the military or transitioning into the civilian workforce.

Click here to find out more about Kuder and DANTES.