New Year’s Resolutions

The best place to start is with those things that will upgrade your value.

• Complete that credential. If you’ve stalled out on this process, make it a priority to get across the finish line. Do whatever it takes to put those letters after your name. If you aren’t close enough to complete a credential, then
• Enroll in more training. The BV profession is thick with training opportunities. Not all of them are going to be relevant to your situation. But enough of them will to give you plenty to choose from. Tell the boss you want to attend, and ask about financial support. Worst case: pay for it yourself. Nothing impresses a potential employer like “I wanted the training so much I paid for it myself.”
• Write an article. Does your firm have a newsletter or blog you can contribute to? Is there a BV topic that intrigues you enough to research and write about? Can you be an interviewee for a local reporter who’s doing a business story? If you can come up with the content, you shouldn’t have much difficulty finding a place for it.
• Make a presentation. Groups and organizations of all kinds – some business and some not-so-business – are looking for programs. Talk to the boss about wanting to sharpen your skills as a presenter and ask for help in crafting a presentation you can deliver.
• Network. Network. Network. If you’re not already a member of relevant networking groups and organizations, identify who they are, join and attend! You may not realize how much business actually comes from simply being “top of mind” to the referral source. When an attorney has X kind of case involving valuation, the call often goes to the professional she spoke with most recently. You could be the one.

Are there practices where you can work without needing to do any of these things? Sure. Eventually, though, your career will hit a dead end. Make one or more of them a new year’s resolution and avoid facing that prospect.