Is your New Year resolution to get a new job? Are you thinking about boosting your career or looking for something completely new? It is that time of the year – good old New Year resolutions are made, but not kept! In fact, I saw yesterday that like the flurry of people flocking to the gym, the focus doesn’t last more than 9 days!
I cannot stress however how important it is to undertake a regular career check-up, not just at the start of the New Year, but at least every six months. Like business strategy, you need to set achievable targets. I always recommend you should have a structured career strategy/plan, looking at immediate, and longer term goals. Do you want to develop a new skill, learn new technology, and take on people management for example? It could be your goal to move up the ladder. Determine where your career is taking you, and decide your ambitions.
Equally important is not just defining your career objectives, but also being proactive and putting the effort required to achieve these. Regular communication to HR internally as well as your line manager is important so they are aware of your skills/ambition, and can help you develop and make the transition. If your company isn’t able to provide you with your personal development or reward you for your efforts, then maybe you should make your New Year’s resolution to embark a job search. If this is the case, the ensure that you are on the radar of reputable recruitment and search consultancies, as well as ensuring your LinkedIn profile is up to date and keyword optimised with your key skills and experiences. Ensure you do your research in terms of companies and thoroughly prepare yourself for interviews.
The travel recruitment sector is encouraging buoyant and this is a great news for jobseekers.
It is a great idea to look for a new opportunity or a fresh start in January but if you are going to make that resolution, then remember to put in the effort and hard work to make sure that it actually happens.
