The end of the year is almost here. Along with your annual promises to read more and lose some weight, you can get a career boost out of the season. The turn of the calendar can give you the perfect excuse to evaluate your career trajectory and focus on your goals for the future.
After all, you’ve spent the last 12 months adding skills and honing your ambitions. It’s time to apply those hard-earned abilities and insights to a broader plan. As such, here are some tips for reviewing your career and better targeting your objectives:
How to Match Your Current Career With Your Future Goals
Stay Proactive
Reviewing your career should represent an ongoing process. Otherwise, you might settle too comfortably into a role and find your career stalled.
Don’t get complacent. In other words, don’t let your professional development happen to you. Take charge and search for the opportunities you deserve.
Figure Out Your Current Situation
To plan a trip, you need two core pieces of information: where you want to go and where you are now. Start building your career plan by making a detailed assessment of your current situation. This will help you see your value as an employee. At the same time, you’ll spot the areas to improve in order to reach your goals.
Review the Market
Along with your personal situation, look at the overall market. This will give you context for your current career. Using this as your guide, you can see how you stack up against the competition.
Take a Long View
Remember: careers unfold over the course of decades. As such, any evaluation shouldn’t just look at your next few months or at a particular job choice. Rather, you should plot a long-term plan for maximizing your career development.
Talk to People
Networking represents a key tactic for driving your career forward. Beyond finding you opportunities, your contacts also provide a great source of information. As you evaluate your career, turn to the people close to you. Contact people in your network to get their insights.
Remember Your Personal Goals
Your career is important. But you have other priorities as well. You have family, friends, and hobbies that you want to make time for as well. Make sure your professional plan leaves space for your other goals.
Build a “Dream Resume”
Imagine your dream job. Now consider the type of resume that would guarantee you an interview for that position. How does your current list of skills and experience compare to that idealized version?
That prospective document represents your “dream resume.” It’s the resume you’d like to have. Once you have that mapped out, you can build out your abilities and search for experiences that match that ideal.
Weigh Your Options
Nothing happens in a vacuum. Career decisions often involve choosing between imperfect options. As such, you should set priorities and judge your opportunities based on what will give you the most accelerated path forward.
Be Open to Opportunities and New Goals
Your career likely won’t unfold just as you’ve planned. Get too locked into a preset program and you might miss amazing opportunities that pop up unexpectedly. Stay flexible and be ready to jump on chances as they arise.
Ready to Find a Job That Helps You Reach Your Goals?
Your dream job might be waiting for you in the new year. To grab it, turn to a top recruiter, like Hiregy. You’ll get the expert guidance you need to land that perfect assignment.
Contact Hiregy today to begin the next stage of your career development.
