Are you ready to take the next step in your career? If so, the start of a new year is a great time to take action.
Filled with fresh hope, a new year can provide you with the perfect opportunity to review the past 12 months and set some new goals. Plus, many organizations will refresh their hiring budgets in January, making it the ideal time to start looking for a new job or ask about a promotion.
And even though we are nearly a month into 2024, it is still possible to map out effective career resolutions for the year ahead. If there is a lot you hope to achieve in 2024, here are some important resolutions you can take with you to help you get started.
Understand what you want
One of the first resolutions you should add to (and then hopefully tick off) your list is to clearly understand what you want from your career this year.
In some cases this may be a promotion. In other cases this may be a new job in your industry. Or, you might even want to change career paths completely.
It doesn’t matter what your end goal is; however, you must take some time to assess your current situation and to determine what you want from your career. This can also include more general goals such as to strengthen your expertise, grow your professional network, or to think more creatively. Whatever your goal may be, understanding what you want first will help you to carve a path to success.
Keep learning
It doesn’t matter how experienced you are or how long you’ve been a part of the workforce, you should always push yourself to learn new things.
This is especially true in today’s digital world, with automation, AI, and other technological advances continually changing the world around us all workers need to constantly be growing.
So, this year, don’t get left behind. Resolve to embrace the power of learning, whether that’s taking online courses, attending industry events, listening to podcasts, or whatever your chosen method of learning may be. Staying up to date on the latest news, tools, and skills from your industry can give you a competitive edge.
Strengthen your professional brand
A strong professional brand can be very useful when you’re vying for a promotion or looking for a new job. It makes it far easier to prove that you are credible, skilled, and trustworthy.
There are lots of great ways you can strengthen your professional brand. For example, you can invest time into building or improving your online portfolio, your LinkedIn profile, or your website. You can also pursue speaking at industry events, or establish your professional reputation on social media.
Which method you choose will depend on your industry and personal preferences, but this year, make strengthening your professional brand a key focus. This will help you to showcase your impressive skill set and show employers what it is that makes you unique.
Grow your network
Professional networks have a way of growing on their own, even when you’re not really thinking about it. However, if you want to open yourself up to the biggest and best career opportunities, you need to make a conscious effort to build meaningful professional relationships.
There are lots of ways you can grow your network, either by connecting with others on LinkedIn, or attending industry events, seminars, and workshops. There are even networking opportunities at your local bar.
Just be sure that you make an effort to introduce yourself and get to know like-minded professionals and big players in your field.
The more meaningful relationships you can build, the more likely you are to have exciting opportunities come your way in the future.
Optimize your résumé
If it’s been a while since you last updated your résumé, it might be time to give it a little TLC. This is particularly true if you are hoping to secure a new role this year.
As well as making sure you’ve got all the basics in place, there are several key ways you can optimize your résumé for success. Firstly, make sure to use keywords from the job description to prove you’ve got what it takes. It’s also a good idea to quantify your achievements as much as possible. In terms of formatting, you need to choose a clear and concise design that is not only optimized for applicant tracking system technology but also for mobile.
As hiring techniques evolve, your résumé needs to evolve as well. So take some time this year to update and optimize your résumé.
Celebrate your progress
Last but not least, aim to be your own biggest cheerleader in 2024.
To do this, set yourself the goal of celebrating your progress, no matter how big or small the win may seem. This will help you to recognize your progress and the steps you’ve taken toward other key resolutions. It can fuel your motivation and help you stick to your goals. Plus, everyone deserves to be celebrated every once in a while.
No matter whether you’ve expanded your network slightly, worked on your professional brand, or learned something new, be sure to congratulate yourself for a job well done last year—and gear up for the one ahead.
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