Most people plan to improve themselves in some capacity in the new year: lose weight, get promoted, spend more time with the family, save money etc. but career achieving goals are different, they take time, thought and strategy. In order to progress your career, you probably need to start small and build on what you achieve as you improve yourself and your performance at work over the coming year. Here are some ways to move towards your career goals in 2020.

Be organised

Be on top of things all the time. Being organised allows you to be efficient, productive and focused. If you constantly have big piles of papers in disarray on your desk you will have to devote time and energy to find what you need. Invest time in getting organised, it will save you a lot of time in the long run.

 Put yourself about

Meeting new people in your industry is what will keep you up to date and connected. In terms of moving your career forward make it part of your job to know as many people as possible. Go to industry events, have your friends in the industry introduce you to their friends or simply make friends at work. Get out and meet new people it could really help your career.

 Ask your boss for feedback

When you have completed a special task try to get your bosses feedback. You shouldn’t constantly be asking for reassurance that you are doing a good job but after a new project has been completed do check that your boss has been happy with what you have done. You will be respected for confronting any weaknesses which may have become apparent during a projects progress and improving them.

 Learn new skills

Now is the time to summon up all your courage and learn a new skill that will further your career. If could also be appropriate to complete part time courses which could be useful to you in the future. Definitely keep up to date with technology. It evolves quickly and if you ignore developments you could find yourself left behind. Make sure you are collecting and building useful skills and qualifications for the future.

 Read more

Take it upon yourself to stay up to date on news in your industry. Subscribe to your industry trade publications, read books about the industry and monitor social media for articles. Stay curious and improve yourself. Get to know more about your business, understand how national or world events impact it so you know what the future holds. Definitely read more!

 Volunteer

A good way of meeting people in your industry is to volunteer under the umbrella of your profession. For example, if you work in recruitment there are plenty of Charities that work with the long term unemployed who would really value your time and experience. Volunteering is a meaningful way to give back, build confidence and expand your network.

Don’t hold grudges

If you take things personally it breeds resentment in the workplace that is emotionally draining and unproductive. Try not to take things personally, hold grudges or get involved in disagreements. As soon as it becomes more personal you lose your footing in an argument and you’re the one who is being unprofessional. Assume that if you are told off for any reason the person doing it is only doing so in the interest of your employment – let it go.

 Learn to reduce stress

When you get upset or stressed about work try to establish what calms you quickly. Whether you go for a walk, stretch or breath deeply- find a way. When you reduce stress, you are able to compartmentalize your emotions and make rational decisions, so knowing how to calm yourself down ensures you are in the right frame of mind to handle conflict or important tasks.

Update your CV

It is important that you regularly update your CV with details of any new responsibilities you have taken on in your current role or any other further qualifications you have achieved. Regularly reminding yourself of what you can do will really aid your confidence. Additionally, you never know when you will see a job that you fancy. Remember, be a Scout and ‘always be prepared’.

Look at your LinkedIn presence

How does your profile look on LinkedIn? In the professional world LinkedIn is crucial to your overall personal brand. Just like your CV you need to keep the information, tone and look of it up to date. Check out some of your connections profiles to see what they are doing and tweak your page to create a similar effect. If you aren’t on LinkedIn you need to get on it.

 Monitor your progress

One way to stay on track of your goals, whether its to meet more people in your industry, get promoted or learn new skill is to track your progress, set yourself goals that can be achieved in a month or in a quarter. Your confidence will build as you see your progress and it will motivate you to keep up the good work.

It does not matter what stage in your career you are at, it is important that you have goals. Be you at the start of your working life or in the autumn of your career aim high. Set yourself some goals and work to achieve them. You will be surprised how much better you will feel about yourself and your job.

Have a wonderful year.