Defining Your Career Goals for the New Year

For goals to become a reality, there needs to be some real thought & intention put into your planning. Did you know that January is the busiest job searching month of the year, according to most job search sites and the Department of Labor?

For those who are contemplating a job or career change, the arrival of the New Year presents the perfect opportunity to reflect on your experience and to think about which direction you might want to take in the future. This blog will cover a few ways you can create the best career goals possible to have you set up for success heading into the new year.

Reflection:

Take this time to reflect on the past year of work and your experience before that. Why are you considering a change? Is it due to the work itself, or something about the workplace, such as a poor relationship with your manager, lack of growth opportunities, or a poor organizational structure? If you like what you do, and it’s outside factors that you find limiting, it might make sense to make it your goal to find a new position. The same holds true if you feel positive about your field but are ready for more significant responsibilities.

Take stock of your skills:

Skills can come from any experience. Don’t dismiss all that you have done! Review your work, volunteer, extracurricular, and academic history to identify activities or elements of your past roles that you found energizing or enjoyable. What did you like the best? Inventory the skills that you have enjoyed using and line up your work interest based on the skills you enjoy most.

Do some research:

The more you learn, the easier it will be to make decisions and set goals for yourself. Start to read about careers of interest by browsing websites or publications. Nowadays, there is a wealth of information on social media platforms and LinkedIn articles. Identify two new careers to research each week and keep a diary or log of your interest in each. Measure the careers against your preferred skills list. For those fields with a genuine appeal, compile a list of questions to research so that you can fully assess the suitability of that career for you. If your goal is a new job in the upcoming year, research companies and salary comps in your industry.

Look to those you admire and trust:

Speak with friends and colleagues about their job. What do they like about the work they do? How did they determine it was time to move up or move on to something else (if that applies)? How do they feel at the end of each day? Truly gauge other industries and jobs based on feedback from those you trust most. Write down “takeaways” from each conversation.

Hoping for a New Career Opportunity in 2024?

PrideStaff Financial has consistently won awards for exceptional job seeker satisfaction. Our highly skilled staffing consultants can help you set up goals for your career. Contact us today to learn more.