Spring clean your professional persona: 7 tips to get going

Spring has sprung, and we all know what that means: spring-cleaning! Time to air out the house, put away the wool sweaters, pack the down comforters, and generally tidy things up from the long winter.

Spring is a natural time for renewal and rejuvenation, so why not take inspiration from the things you do around the house and spring clean your professional persona as well?

We often wait until there is a crisis or an issue that forces us to review our professional selves, so why not get out ahead of things and give your professional life a good spring-cleaning too?

1. Update your resume. Even if you aren't in the market for a job, it’s a good idea to have a current resume handy. So get it out, dust it off, and take a look: What’s changed? What needs updating? Anything to add, remove, or change, like references, phone numbers, or e-mail addresses? How about affiliations and volunteer work? Give your resume a good once over.

2. Update your LinkedIn profile. Even if you use LinkedIn a lot, it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to actually read your profile and do the same thing with your resume: what needs updating? What needs to be added? How is your headshot?

3. Ditto for the Facebook page. Any posts or pictures that you want to add or take down? Maybe take this opportunity to adjust your settings so you get fewer notifications in your in-box. Do you really need all those close friend notifications?

4. Look at your Twitter feed. How is your profile? Your picture? How are your tweets? Check your settings. Are your tweets linked to your Facebook page and vice versa? Do you want them to be?

5. Go through your work clothes. Put away the winter things and get out your spring and summer clothes. Try everything on. What needs to go to Goodwill and what stays? If things don't fit, is it worth altering them? Look at your wardrobe. Does it say, “I am a valued professional”? Or does it say, “I need help”? Clothes are important, so take the time to look at your wardrobe with a critical eye. Are your clothes helping you or hurting you?

6. Organize your office. Take a look at your desk and office. Whether you work in an office or at home, you need a clean, well-organized workspace. Take a look at your desk. What can you do to de-clutter and streamline it? What can you file away or get rid of?

7. Clean out/organize computer files. De-clutter your computer desktop and files as well. Can you streamline your desktop and dock? What do you really need to keep there? Can you use an external storage system or put files in the cloud? Can you find what you need easily?

Spring is a great time to get organized and make a fresh start for the rest of the year. So take some time to spring-clean your professional persona, and you’ll be re-energized.