The New Year is here with us. It is still fresh and therefore, the best time to make some resolutions. Resolutions are goals that we intend to accomplish throughout the current year. Don’t be tempted to think there are so many days of the year left and postpone the great endeavor of making resolutions.
Your career impacts your overall life in a significant way and is, therefore, a good area to make resolutions on. Aim to steer your career forward by changing the way you have always done things pertaining to that area. Below are nine resolutions that will see your career grow beyond your expectations.
Make more friends
Making new friends is an art that you should learn and it will, in turn, it will pay you dividends. Learn how to intermingle with new people and be genuine while at it. People can tell when you are being superficial or just wanting to gain something from them, and you should refrain from doing it. Making more friends will open more opportunities for you because they might have job leads that you could not otherwise have had access to.
Don’t be too choosy
Stop being too stuck on getting a job for the exact career that you went to college for. Learn to be flexible and accept jobs from other faculties. This way, you will get some experience that will add up along the way and make you more marketable in your career of choice. Working in fields that you do not love or have not studied for puts you at an advantage over someone who only has experience in one field. This is because it will show you have diversified and are qualified in a number of fields.
Learn to network
Go to networking events and meet new people. Learn more about them and take contacts of the people who work in fields that you have an interest in. You can never tell when you might need them. Similarly, reach out to your former bosses, coworkers and mentors. They may be in a better position and ability to help your career soar to new heights.
Learn new skills
You should learn new skills either directly related to your specified career field or even in a different area. This way you can take on jobs in a different career line or you can get jobs that you do not qualify for because of the additional skills that you have. This will be a big plus for you because it means earning more money.
Become an expert in something
Don’t try to look for employment from all companies in the planet. The best way to grow your career is to become an expert in one thing so that you wow your employer with your knowledge. This will earn you promotion in your current job or a better job with another company. Make your new year resolution to become the go-to person in one field.
Take feedback positively
Have you been frowning upon criticism and negative feedback? This is the year to take note of everything that is said in good faith regarding your career. Don’t treat all feedback as bad feedback, but instead, take it and use it to improve your career by implementing the suggested adjustments.
Give your resume an update
Is the resume that got you a job six years ago the one that you still send out to prospective employers? If that is so, this will keep you at your current job because it shows there is no growth in your professional life. Come on and fish out that resume and fill in all the new skills you have learned as well as any promotions.
Find a mentor
Having a mentor will see your career soar because they will look specifically at areas that need improving and highlight them. The mentor will also suggest ways you can improve and give you tips to progress more quickly.
Create professional social media pages
One of the new year resolutions that will impact your career dramatically is putting up professional-looking social media pages. Research shows that 84% of employers search and screen for workers through social media. You should, therefore, ditch the accounts with pseudonyms where you comment about everything from the political to the vulgar. Creature new pages that make your professional life shine.
The bottom line
Has your career plateaued, or have you become satisfied with your current job such that you don’t aim for higher career goals? Let that not be you anymore. Make a resolve to take action and see your career move up. Implement some or all of the above-shared resolutions and you will have a better career life in no time.
Do not overwhelm yourself but instead pick one or two resolutions to start you off. The best way would be to take one per month, and before the year ends, you will have worked on them all. Alternatively, you can implement two at the same time, say make more friends and network with them simultaneously. Come on why don’t you give it a try right now? Just like the unpredictable true or dare questions, you never know what pleasant surprise life might throw at you if you dare to have career growth resolutions and implement them.