New Year's Resolutions for Your Career
Come Monday, January 3, the gyms will be full with people whose New Year's Resolutions are to get in shape and lose weight. We all know how successful all those people will be. But, if you want success in your career, you should set resolutions and keep them. No membership fee required. Here are 10 New Year's Resolutions for Your Career.
- Learn a new skill in your field. Pick something you've been meaning to learn and go about learning it. Read a book, take a class, or just try that new computer program.
- Learn a new skill not in your field. How can this help your career? It's always good to be well rounded, and new knowledge and skills open you up to new ideas in the office.
- Meet with your boss regularly. Now, if you have a micro-managing boss, you probably don't want to do this. But, if you're an independent worker, make a resolution to meet regularly with your boss. This helps ensure that you are on the same page. It also helps your boss know how fabulous you are.
- Revise your resume. You should update your resume at least once a year, regardless of whether you anticipate job hunting in the near future. Accomplishments are easy to forget and if you throw a resume together in a hurry you'll forget something important.
- Find someone a job. You know that LinkedIn network you carefully built up? Well, when a position opens in your company, look through your connections and see if you know someone who is a good fit. If you bring good people into the company, other people will appreciate that.
- Post a copy of your objectives where you'll see them. So often, our bosses present us with our objectives, and then we promptly forget about them until performance appraisal time comes around. If you look at them regularly, you can be sure you're meeting or exceeding them.
- Document your accomplishments throughout the year. Come year end you'll be writing a self appraisal. It will be easier to do this if you've kept track of what you've done throughout the year.
- Find a mentor. This doesn't have to be your boss. It doesn't even have to be someone at your company. But, find someone who is where you want to be in 5 or 10 years and ask them to help you get there.
- Look for a new job. Not necessarily because you want to take a new job, but keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities. This way you won't miss an opportunity and you'll be prepared should you need a new job.
- Be a mentor. Even if you're in your first job out of school, you can help someone else get to where you are. Coach and guide someone else to success.
