Being Ready
How often do you look at your portfolio or CV, assuming you have one, or your LinkedIn profile and think “I really must update that” and then think of something better to do?
I think we have all been there, and in our heart of hearts we know we really should be keeping it up to date but still we think we will do it tomorrow.
But there are two really good reasons why you should keep on top of it.
Firstly, have you ever tried writing about a project that happened months ago? Can you really remember what happened? All those rich details which make the project something people might want to read about?
I have been working on a navigation project which was supposed to last six months. A year and a half later and we are still working on it. Once we hit six months and I realised it was going to run and run, I started making notes about what we did, why, when and how. I tried to include everything, after all this is not going to be the finished case study, but something to jog my memory when I am writing it up and know what points I am trying to make.
Now when I am starting to think about writing that case study, everything is there and rather than a blank page and a feeling of panic about where to start, I can just look over my notes.
And second, you never know when someone might be looking at your profile. Do not wait until you are looking for a job to make sure your LinkedIn profile and your portfolio are all up to date.
You do not want a mad scramble to get everything sorted if you accidentally see something good on social media. Or what about that person you were talking to at that UX event? You made a great impression but when they look you up everything is out of date.
The really great jobs are the ones that are not even advertised, but someone sees you and thinks you would be great for the role.
You should to be ready for the opportunity when it arrives!