Resolutions for the new year that will help your career!
How do you create and achieve effective new year’s resolutions? That’s the million-dollar question that many people ponder as one year comes to a close and another approaches. It’s natural to look forward with anticipation, but also possibly trepidation. One aspect of life that can come under scrutiny is your career. Whether you are looking for a job for the first time, want a change, or are satisfied in your current role, there are opportunities to create new year’s resolutions that can boost your career. So regardless of your career status, read on to learn how resolutions related to your key career tools, network, and LinkedIn can enhance your career as you look to 2018.
Of course you will create a resume that highlights your skills, experience, achievements, and career aspirations when you are looking for a job. At that point you are in a stage of active exploration. However, even if a new job is not on your radar, it’s a good idea to maintain a current version of your resume. Keeping subject matter up-to-date allows you to add content in a logical and comprehensive way so you won’t struggle to remember important items that can support your candidacy when needed. It also allows you to be prepared for a surprise job change or promotion, if an opportunity suddenly presents itself. Review your resume at the beginning of each year, make relevant additions or updates regarding skills and experience that you’ve gained, and then consider how your resume maximizes your candidacy given your evolving career goals. Connect content to what you want to do moving forward, and what an employer will be looking for in a new hire. Another important career tool is an elevator pitch, which is a 30-60 commercial about yourself that addresses who you are, what you have to offer (skills/experience), and what you want at this point in your career. Update your elevator pitch at the beginning of each year so you’ll be focused and ready to engage with new network contacts, which coincidentally leads us to our next resolution – networking!
The benefits of networking are significant in every stage of your career. However, the concept is intimidating to some as it relates to connecting with other people and building relationships. One way to significantly enhance your network is to set effective, yet achievable goals. Regardless of your career stage, as you approach a new year resolve to gain one new network contact per month. This will allow you to build your network in a strategic and effective way. You can identify friends of friends, engage with new colleagues within your company, meet other professionals at conferences or networking events, or dive into LinkedIn (professional networking site) to find new contacts that share your career interests or are in positions to which you aspire. Once you make a connection, make sure you maintain and cultivate it by sharing information (the key to networking is that it should be a two-way street). If you do that every month, you’ll have 12 new network connections at the end of the year!
The last resolution we’ll explore is enhancing your LinkedIn presence. Take a look at you LinkedIn profile, and make updates to content that showcase your professional development and current career goals. Areas to address include your headline (integrate your career aspirations), summary (tell your story, especially as you gain professional skills), experience (include descriptions that are clear, concise, and accurately capture your developing skills and accomplishments), education (add a new degree or relevant professional development), skills and expertise (these should be related to your career and don’t forget to give/get endorsements), accomplishments (includes relevant courses, honors/awards, projects, publications, languages, certifications, and volunteer experience). Your LinkedIn profile goes a step beyond your resume, and it can be a great tool to bring your candidacy to life with a potential employer. Even if you’re not looking for a new job, a potential employer may be looking for you on LinkedIn! As you enhance your profile, make sure you engage with relevant groups and stay tuned to information related to your career, industry, and professional aspirations. I call LinkedIn the secret weapon of career development as it allows you to market yourself as a candidate, gain knowledge about your career interests and/or industries, and connect with others to build your professional network.
As you establish and achieve these resolutions, you will enhance your career in a strategic and thoughtful way. You never know what will happen next, but if you invest in yourself and your career as you enter a new year you’ll be able to make the most of professional opportunities that come your way. Happy new year!
