USE the word NO.

One very valuable skill is the ability to say "No." It is a lost art; however we need to consider using it more frequently. The importance of the word “No” is recognizing we are the only person that truly knows the amount of preparation we need for our career development. We often enter job interviews and networking events without fully preparing for the opportunity, because we have used that time to help others. We incorrectly assume we will always have enough time to prepare at the last minute. Regardless of how flexible we think we are, time is not.

...use “NO” and proactively use that additional time...

There are situations where people rush to us claiming that their task is an emergency that must be completed quickly. However, we need to prepare for tomorrow's job interview. The first question should be "why does this emergency relate to me?", and then follow with "what literally happens if it is not done?" Before committing to stopping our preparation, we should truly understand if their emergency adds more value than my own emergency (preparing for our job interview tomorrow).

It is important to note that we are often labeled by what we do on a regular basis. If we constantly stop working on our own objectives, people naturally start assuming their goals are more important than our own. Therefore when we accept the emergency as our own, we are in fact de-prioritizing our own career development objectives. When we actually become empowered to work on something of value for ourselves, others devalue it. Then we ask "Why does this person undervalue what I need to accomplish?" It could simply be that up until this point, we never said "NO". We have only helped others complete their goals and emergencies, but never took time to complete your own.

Instead of being everyone's proactive helper, we need to use the word “NO”. It is imperative that we do not use it in vain. The additional time is for us to proactively focus on our career development, prepare for job interviews or to expand our network.