Career Goals for the New Year

January 2, 2013

 

Have you made any resolutions for the new year?

This is the time of year when many resolve to lose weight, stop smoking or stop biting their nails. It’s also a time when many people stop and re-evaluate their career goals. Getting a promotion or getting a new job is often high on the list of career-related new year’s resolutions.

If you’re looking to move on from your current job or move up in your current job, here are a few tips to start the year on the right foot.

Update your resume
Even if you’re not looking for a new position, it’s always a good idea to have your resume up-to-date and ready to go. As we’ve seen often in the past few years, you never know what sudden upset may happen with the economy, your company or your job. Plus, it’s easier to update your experience now while it’s fresh in your mind, as opposed to trying to remember all your accomplishments after the fact.

Update (and complete) your LinkedIn profile
If your LinkedIn resume isn’t 100% complete, this is a good time to fix that. Again, even if you aren’t looking, a complete resume will make it easier to network with other professionals in your industry.

As with your resume, be sure all of your experience is filled in (not just your job title). Add skills, ask for recommendations, and make sure your profile contains relative keywords that will make you easy to find in a search.

One caveat: You may want to go into your settings and turn off your activity feed while you’re making edits. Even if you’re just updating and not job searching, a long string of updates in your boss’ newsfeed might come across as suspect!

Re-evaluate your career goals
If you’ve been in your current position for several years, it’s easy to get stagnant and complacent. This is a great time to take a fresh look at your professional development goals. Maybe you want to take a class or two, or even go for a new degree. Check with your employer – many offer tuition assistance. Other ideas include looking for industry seminars, and making sure you’re subscribed to (and reading) as many industry-related blogs and publications as you can.

If you’d like some help updating your resume or your LinkedIn profile, or would just like some general career planning advice, please contact us. Also, please be sure to check out our latest list of job opportunities.