This week is March Break! If you’re lucky enough to have this week off to spend with your family then I’m sure you have the whole week planned out full of exciting activities. And while this week should be dedicated to spending time with your loved ones you should also use some your time off to do a few tasks that can benefit your career.
Things You Can Do This Week (In Between Spending Time With the Kids) That Can Benefit Your Career
Update Your Resume 
You never know when an opportunity is going to present itself. It is important to keep an updated resume on file so you’re not scrambling to remember the specifics/accomplishments of your last job when you want to apply for a new one. Don’t wait until you want to start looking for a new job or are let go from your job to put together a current resume. Keep an updated CV that you can send out to contacts or apply to new positions with if an opportunity presents itself.
Enroll in a Class
Take a moment out of your week to enroll in an online class. Is there a part of your industry you’d like to better understand? Is there a program or concept you could learn that would make your job easier? Or is there just a subject you’ve always wanted to know more about? Now is the perfect time to enroll in an online class that can teach you. There are many websites that offer classes (many free!) from top Colleges and Universities around the world on a variety of subjects. Find the one you’re interested in and get started. The class may not start this week but use a bit of your free time to enroll in a class and invest in your future today.
Here are a few websites to get you started:
Update Your LinkedIn 
LinkedIn is a great source for making contacts and finding job opportunities within your industry. Keeping your LinkedIn profile up-to-date is just as important as having an updated resume. Many people you meet will go to your profile to find out more about you and connect to your professional network. Make sure you have an updated profile so that the visitors to your page can see a complete overview of your work history and accomplishments. This will help with networking and help lead you toward future career opportunities.
Reach Out to Your Network
Use some of your free time this week to reach out to contacts that may be able to benefit your career. Have coffee with an acquaintance or someone in your industry that could help you into a new opportunity or reach out to someone whose career you could help. Many of these contacts may also have time off this week so it would be the perfect time to reach out and strengthen that connection.
Spend Time with the Kids/Embrace the Vacation
One of the greatest things you can do to benefit your career is take time off and embrace the vacations you have. Having time to relax and spend time with your family can help to realign your priorities and put your career in perspective. Work can become overwhelming when we don’t take a break so it’s important to spend time with loved ones and give yourself time to decompress and relax, you deserve it!
Above are a few tasks you can complete over this March Break that will benefit your career. Take a bit of time this week to update your resume, enroll in a class, update your LinkedIn profile, and/or reach out to your network of contacts. These activities do not take very much time but can largely help your career. Also be sure to take advantage of the time you have off to relax and spend time with family. Stepping away from work for a week can actually be the greatest benefit to your career.
Enjoy this March Break and be safe!