New year, new career adventures!
The start of a new year is a great time to think about a career tune up! The energy and resources you invest into this exercise can pay dividends that will boost or shift your career. Are you ready to move forward to embrace new and exciting career adventures? Here are three ways to accomplish just that.
Conduct a professional inventory that examines elements such as your skills, accomplishments, interests, network connections, and next logical steps along your career path. Don’t get caught up in the business of everyday life and your job that you don’t assess where you are and where you want to go. Are you happy and motivated each day you go to work? What parts of your job do you really enjoy? What things do you struggle with, or would you change if you could? Consider all of those things in relation to your short- and long-term career goals. Your initial career aspirations will most likely change as you gain experience since you can develop new skills and interests based on what you learn. It’s important to stay tuned to your current professional values and priorities to set appropriate goals moving forward.
Learn a new skill. This can be something closely related to your current career, or something unrelated that you believe will be fun or enjoyable. Technology skills are very important in many industries and can involve programming languages, data collection and analysis, or design applications. You can also learn a hard skill related to your specific occupation, such as project management, through professional development sessions or a formal training program. You can also develop transferrable skills, also called soft skills. These include skills such as communication, leadership, critical thinking, conflict resolution, team building, and leadership. Acquiring a new skill will boost your qualifications and increase your professional marketability. If you seek to develop a skill not directly related to your career field, consider the enjoyment it will bring you or how it will connect you with others. Balance between personal and professional pursuits can increase your overall life satisfaction.
Do something at work that challenges (or even scares) you. If you are currently employed you already possess knowledge, resources, and a place to take on new work or responsibilities. Volunteer for a project or program. Get out of your comfort zone and take on a task that will require you to expand your skills and confidence. Work with your supervisor and mentor (if you have one) to determine what you will do, how you will be evaluated, and how the project or program’s ultimate success will be measured. This work will encourage you to develop your skills and achieve new accomplishments, both of which can open doors to fresh professional opportunities.
The start of a new year is a great time to think about where you are in your career and where you want to go. Check your current status by conducting a professional inventory, learn a skill, and take on a new challenge to develop additional competencies and your confidence. As you do this, be aware of the opportunities that will come your way and consider how you can leverage them to shape your career and achieve your evolving professional goals!
