Sometimes, the smallest changes can have the biggest impact on your career. A simple swap in your daily routine can help you build stronger professional relationships, expand your network, and move closer to your career goals.
Fans of healthy eating may know the concept from Eat This, Not That: replace an unhealthy choice with a better alternative. The same idea works in your professional life.
If you’re a young professional or job seeker, try replacing these common habits with smarter career-building alternatives.
1. Have lunch with colleagues instead of eating at your desk
Eating lunch at your desk may seem like a productive way to get more work done. But those extra 30 minutes of work may not do as much for your career as you think.
Instead, use your lunch break to connect with people.
Invite a colleague to lunch or sit with a coworker you don’t normally interact with. Ask about their role, learn what they do, and share what you’re working on. You may discover common interests, learn about opportunities within your company, or build a relationship that becomes valuable later in your career.
For a young professional, networking doesn’t have to mean attending formal events or handing out business cards. Sometimes, the most valuable professional connections start over lunch.
Do this: Build relationships during your lunch break.
Not that: Eat alone at your desk every day.
2. Spend time on LinkedIn instead of mindlessly scrolling social media
Everyone needs a break to scroll through social media. But if you’re already spending time online, why not dedicate some of it to your professional development?
Instead of spending another 20 minutes scrolling through Facebook or other entertainment-focused feeds, spend some time on LinkedIn.
Update your profile, connect with people in your industry, comment on relevant posts, follow companies you’d like to work for, and share interesting insights. If you’re a job seeker, LinkedIn can also help you discover job opportunities and make yourself more visible to recruiters.
Depending on your profession, platforms such as Xing or ResearchGate may also be useful for building your professional network.
The goal isn’t to spend hours online. Even a few minutes of intentional networking can help you develop your professional presence.
Do this: Use social media strategically to build your professional network.
Not that: Spend every spare minute mindlessly scrolling.
3. Reach out to interesting people instead of relying only on career fairs
Career fairs, conferences, and professional networking events can be useful, but making a genuine connection with someone in a crowded room isn’t always easy.
Instead of relying exclusively on large networking events, identify people in your field you’d genuinely like to meet and reach out to them directly.
Perhaps there’s someone whose career path interests you, a professional working at a company you’d love to join, or an expert whose work you admire. Send a short, thoughtful message and ask whether they’d be open to a brief coffee chat or phone call.
A 10-minute conversation with the right person can sometimes be more valuable than spending an entire day wandering around a career fair and collecting business cards.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should stop attending conferences or career fairs. Use them as one part of your networking strategy rather than your only strategy.
Do this: Build meaningful one-to-one professional relationships.
Not that: Depend entirely on large networking events to grow your career.
Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference to Your Career
Building a successful career isn’t always about making dramatic changes. Often, it’s about making better choices consistently.
Have lunch with a colleague instead of eating at your desk. Use LinkedIn intentionally instead of scrolling social media without a purpose. Reach out to people you’d genuinely like to know instead of relying only on career fairs.
For a young professional or job seeker, these small changes can help you build relationships, strengthen your professional network, and uncover opportunities that might otherwise pass you by.
So the next time you’re faced with a choice, ask yourself: What can I do differently that will benefit my career?
Sometimes, the smarter choice is simply: Do this, not that.