Make the most of February 29th

It’s only once every four years that we’re graced with a 366^th day. Whether you’re currently searching for a new role or you’re looking to progress in your current one, that additional 24 hours can be put to great use to achieve your goals. Here are three simple ways you can use February 29^th constructively to benefit your career.

• Reach out to your existing network. It can be easy to lose contact with former employers and colleagues, so Lee Jones, Randstad Victorian manager for sales, marketing and communications, suggests using February 29^th to touch base with your contacts.
  
  “My advice is to use the time to reconnect with your former colleagues or managers. Typically after leaving a company we can fall out of touch with people we had spent so much time with; people who have seen our true capabilities,” says Jones. “Sure, it can be a social visit – but typically, if these people are still in the same industry, they will also have networks and referrals that can be capitalised on. They will also know of other vacancies in your sector that may be live or coming up,” he says.
  
  Jones recommends using the extra 24 hours to increase your reach in the search for opportunities to take your career to the next level, and doing so without the use of Facebook or Twitter.
  
  “In this social media centric society, try picking up the phone and calling them – it's a far more personal approach!”
   
• Take the plunge and up-skill. If you’ve been thinking about professional development, learning new skills or even changing industries, use February 29^th as an opportunity to invest in your career and your future. There is a wide range of short and longer-term courses you can undertake to increase and update your skill set. What’s more, many of these can be achieved online, ensuring you gain a new qualification without leaving your current role.
  
  Spend some time browsing SEEK Learning to research which study options are right for you, then enrol in a course that resonates and aligns with your goals. A short course in an unrelated field – simply because it interests you – can be a great way to dip your toe in the water of a new industry if you’re considering a change.
   
• Focus on your team. Do you remember the last time you got together with your colleagues for a team-building day, or a strategy session? Sometimes the business of doing business can keep us so busy we forget to make time to ensure we’re all working cohesively towards common goals, and enjoying ourselves while we achieve them.
  
  Set up a meeting with your co-workers with a focus on rebooting and reinvigorating the way you all work and collaborate. February 29^th offers a whole extra 24 hours in the year, and if you spend just a few of them catching up with your teammates and talking through ideas to help you all work more effectively together, you can significantly improve your productivity and workplace satisfaction for the remainder of 2016.

Need more ways to spend Feb 29th? Set up a SEEK profile! It's always looking for opportunities, even if you're not.

“In this social media centric society, try picking up the phone and calling them, it's a far more personal approach!”