Eat less, exercise more, kick bad habits; although a lot of resolutions focus on improving our health and wellbeing, a new year can be the ideal time to fine-tune your career.
The start of another year is the perfect motivator for making a fresh start and having a more proactive attitude to achieve your objectives in the workplace.
Want to know how you can boost your career in 2016? Put yourself in the best position by taking a look at our 10 pointers below…
1) Set Goals
A goal can range from something huge such as gaining a promoting to promising yourself that you will keep a tidier desk. Create a detailed plan and remind yourself why you want to do it. It is important to make your goals realistic and to set suitable targets on when you are going to meet your objectives.
2) Get Organised
There is nothing more stressful than arriving at work and feeling overwhelmed with the tasks you need to complete that day. Use the New Year to get everything in order; invest in a diary and use it as a space to organise yourself. Also use this time to clear out your workspace and remove any clutter from your desk; this will make you to feel more in control of your workload.
3) Take On A New Challenge
Do you usually shy away when you are presented with an unfamiliar task? Sometimes saying ‘yes’ to a daunting opportunity can give your career the perfect boost, as you will gain confidence and new skills. And once you seize the day and take on that scary project, you might just learn it’s not that scary after all.
4) Extend Your Network
Networking with those in your field can open up so many doors; yet it’s often overlooked or avoided. By being more active on LinkedIn or by attending relevant industry talks and workshops can only help to boost your reputation and lead to some exciting opportunities in the future.
5) Polish Your Personal Brand
If you are not aware of what your personal brand is; create one! Use the New Year to identify key strengths and pinpoint what you want to achieve in your career. By focusing on your own personal brand, it will demonstrate what skills you can bring to an employer and remember to apply it to all your online profiles, CVs and at any job interviews.
6) Conduct An Online Audit
When was the last time you took a good look at the content on your social media profiles? We better it’s been awhile! Take a look at your profile from a public point of view; ensure that you are not expressing any controversial opinions, openly slating companies or display any inappropriate profile pics. If an employer searches for you online, you need to ensure that your social media presence is not damaging your career prospects.
7) Reduce Stress
Being too stressed in the workplace can seriously damage your career as you’ll struggle to focus on the task in hand. Being able to prioritise projects will help to reduce stress in the workplace. If you are still finding things difficult, make a colleague or a manager aware, so they are able to help you work through any problems.
8) Build On Relationships
If there is one relationship which should be constantly focused on, it’s your relationship with your colleagues. Managers prefer employees who can get along with others, so it’s important to cooperate with your co-workers, make an effort to get to know those in your department and offer to help them.
9) Get Qualified
No matter what stage you are at in your career, it’s never too late to learn something new. Earning a new qualification doesn’t have to mean achieving a fully-fledged degree; after all there are plenty of one day sessions and short online courses available. Also chat with your employer; they may be able to further support you if you are looking to get qualified.
10) Achieve A Good Work-Life Balance
Last but no means least, striking a good work-life balance can boost both your personal life and workplace satisfaction. Being dedicated to your job but also giving yourself enough time away from your desk can mean that you excel in your career but you also take the opportunity to look after your own wellbeing.