R&D: the basis of your career

R&D departments are integral parts to any thriving business. A thriving career can massively profit from such a “department” as well. The professionals who grasp this concept invest in their careers and use Research to ensure that their careers stay in line with their long term aims, personal values and goals and that they stay current and competitive in their industries.

In depth research into what happens “out there” regarding our niche, allows us to discover new perspectives and to adopt innovative ideas which can develop our personal brand proposition. 

R&D helps us

• become more competitive by learning about and adopting any new trends in our Industry
• make informed decisions regarding the direction we want to give our career in the immediate future
• reduce stress by predicting any developments through in depth research into the practices of fellow professionals  in other countries all over the world

For all the above reasons it is necessary to systematicall invest sometime into building the R&D department of our career. But how can we do that in a way that is fun and inspiring enough?

1. Study the LinkedIn profiles that appear next to yours in the section “People who viewed your profile also viewed”
2. Look up in LinkedIn profiles that share similar keywords to yours
3. Follow on Facebook or LinkedIn corporations or professionals you admire, respect and look up to.  
4. Subscribe to specialist blogs and groups and actually invest time in READING relevant articles. 

I suggest that you choose one or two of the above and stick with them, keeping notes and writing ideas down. You will be amazed by the results! 

Until next week take good care of your career.