Make this the year where you make the most out of your career. A new year could mean new opportunities for you to grow in your career. If you feel like you’re in a rut in your career or you’re feeling like you’re not reaching up to your potential, here are some tips that can help you make the most out of your career. Go into the year with a positive attitude and you just might be surprised at the end of the year.
Here are some tips on how you can make the most out of your career;
Learn A New Skill
Depending on the type of career advancement you want this year, learning a new skill can propel you in the right direction. If you’re looking to be promoted learning a new skill in your field of work might be particularly helpful in giving you a competitive advantage. It can be an online course or even going back to school to get a master’s or a doctorate. Before enrolling in any classes you need to first identify which skills you need to learn. If you want to change careers you would benefit from taking several courses in the field you want to be in. There are multiple ways you can learn new skills from Skillshare, Udemy, Linkedin, Google certificates and so much more.
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Update your resume
If you want to stay on your toes in your career you have to keep updating your resume. Don’t wait until you’re applying for a job to update your resume. Every time you learn a new skill, add it to your resume as soon as you’re done with it. Updating your resume last minute could lead to it not being as efficient as it would be. If you have any achievements make sure you add them to your resume. Having your resume updated at all times makes it easier for you to apply for jobs while keeping you motivated about the progress in your career.
Ask For a raise
If one of your career goals this year is making more money where you work, asking for a raise should be in your plans. Before asking for a raise make sure you do your research. Track how much you’ve achieved while in that company and show your boss how much you’re worth. Don’t just ask for a raise without facts. Do your research so by the time you’re setting up a formal meeting you have information about how much you want as a raise and why you deserve the raise.
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Track Your Goals
If you want to make any sort of progress in your career make sure you make a list of the goals you want to achieve and track your achievements. Make sure you have action plans to achieve your goals. Some goals may be out of your hands like a salary increase but make sure you have contingency plans. For example, if you don’t receive a salary raise, will you start applying for new jobs, how many jobs per week will you apply, will you go back to school, will you start a side hustle? Always make sure your goals have an aspect you can control. This way at the end of the year you will have made progress.
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Stay Updated With Industry Related News
Spare a couple of minutes or hours each day or week to study your industry. Get informed about any and all new developments in your line of work. This will keep you informed on any new opportunities that may arise. It does not matter which line of work you do from medicine, tech, accounting, customer support just get yourself informed. Read blogs, articles that will increase your knowledge especially in your field of study and industry. There are many sources of industry-related news however LinkedIn is one of the best places to get any industry-related information.
Network
Networking can propel your career to greater heights. If you’re one of those people who go home immediately after work and don’t like networking you might want to get out of your comfort zone. Make it a point of networking with your colleagues not just from your department but from other departments as well. This will increase your opportunities and knowledge. You might learn something new about the company or the industry. Don’t limit your networking to your company only. As you are now well informed about your industry, you now know any upcoming networking opportunities that come up. Attend industry events and meet as many people as you can to increase your chances of new opportunities.
Feedback
Getting feedback is very important if you want to grow. We all have weaknesses and flaws. This is why it’s important to get feedback about our performance. Make it a habit of asking your colleagues and managers, what would you have done differently? How did I do on the project? In which ways would I have improved the presentation? Simple feedback can go a long way when it comes to career growth. Having a mentor would also be great when it comes to getting such kind of feedback.
Career Coach
If you’re thinking of building your career, you might want to invest in a career coach. A career coach will help you create a career roadmap that will make it easier for you to stay organized and accountable. Finding a great career coach can be a struggle so before investing in one make sure you’ve done your research.
Unfair Advantage
Everyone has an unfair advantage. Identifying your strengths is how you can identify what unfair advantage you hve. Take time to identify what projects drain you and where you excel. Use a journal to track this and find your unfair advantage. Once you figure out what it is, start improving on it. If you like doing reports and no one else does, make your reporting skills perfect. This will give your career a boost. Make a request to have your job roles and responsibilities shifted towards your strengths.
Finances
Always make sure your finances are in order. This gives you the added advantage of being cushioned financially if you were to be laid off. Having your finances and money figured out can be important if you ever want to take a career break. Use the 50/30/20 budget rule to help you save and repay your debt. If at the end of the year you assess your careere goals and you have not made any progress. You can confidently choose to resign as you look for better opportunities.
Make this the year you succeed in your career.