by Alexis Rohlfing, Head Editor, INALJ New Hampshire

A Midsummer’s Resolution

Resolutions are something we usually associate with New Year’s: new year, new goals, a way to restart some aspect of our lives. By the time we hit midsummer, those resolutions are usually in the rearview mirror — we’ve abandoned the gym membership, the new diet disappeared around the same time as the snow, and all those good intentions we have for professional development have been forgotten in the wake of day to day work.

During the summer, we tend to focus on the beach or relaxing at the beach. Why not take this summer to focus on one thing you can do to further your career? It doesn’t have to be big, just something that you have identified as an area that you can improve in or learn. Remember, every class you take or skill that you learn now is another skill you can offer a future employer. Looking for some inspiration? Here’s a few suggestions to get started:

• Think about the direction you want your career to go, and identify an area that is holding you back. It might be technical, emotional, or plain old knowledge. Think of a way that you can address that issue.
• Try a simple coding class — there are many free coding opportunities out there (I wrote about them a few months ago — check here). Rather than get overwhelmed by the many choices out there, focus on one area. My midsummer’s resolution is to refresh my knowledge on HTML and learn CSS coding, to help with the technical side of things as I pursue a content management position with my current employer.
• Go to a networking event — whether it’s a big national conference like ALA or a local event held by your state or local library association, get out there! Networking can be hard, particularly if you are not outgoing by nature. Make it your one focus for summer so that you can’t give yourself excuses to get out of it.
• Expand your blogroll — don’t have a lot of time? Read through the article archives here at INALJ and discover new library blogs. If you only have 5 or 10 minutes a day, you can read at least 1 or 2 articles a day to keep up with the industry.
• Take to Twitter — maybe you have 15 minutes instead of 5? 140 characters goes by quick — retweet articles you found enjoyable, react to postings online, and interact with the information professional and library communities online. Remember it’s another form of networking!

What’s your midsummer resolution?