The best career resolutions you can make this New Year
The new calendar year is a prime time for making resolutions. The tradition often encourages people to look ahead to new beginnings. We take time out to consider what we want to achieve, improve and learn to ensure your career goes with a bang in 2023.
The New Year is a perfect time to set goals in our personal lives, but what about career resolutions?
Here are three top tips to help you achieve your career ambitions in the year ahead.
Reflect on what you want from your career
The start of a fresh year is the perfect time to press pause and really consider what you want your professional life to look like. Are you satisfied in your current role, or do you think you could benefit from being more open-minded and embracing a change?
Considering the answers to these difficult questions will put you in a better position for the months to come, as your career intentions and desires will be clearer.
Given the current skills shortages, professionals are in a good position to negotiate things like pay, flexible hybrid working and benefits, so it is a good idea to reflect on what you want to get out of your prospective company.
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Demonstrate your skills and learn new ones
We would suggest having concrete examples of your skills in practice, so you can prove your worth as well as describe it.
Soft skills will always be of value, such as communication, emotional intelligence and adaptability – you could consider the ones you want to improve going into the new year.
Upskilling will make you stand out against competition, as well as demonstrate to employers your willingness to learn and grow. This could be in the form of training schemes, CPD courses, learning a change in accounting standards, TED talks or improving your Excel skills.
Update your CV and online presence
The beginning of a New Year is a great chance to revamp your CV. Consider whether your CV is up to date and if it reflects your recent achievements. After all, it is your own personal marketing tool.
In line with this, you ought to update your online platforms, such as LinkedIn, to ensure they best depict your image, illustrate what you have accomplished and promote what you have to offer.
In many ways, New Year resolutions can put extra pressure on people to change their ways. To ease the pressure, keep doing what is already working perfectly well for you, but be open to adopting new tools to enhance your career in 2023.
Author: Alex Miller, writer
This article was first published in Student Accountant in January 2023 | Get the SA app now