We have just entered into 2018 and obviously many professionals desire a new job, promotion or career change. When you start to feel like your career is becoming stagnant, it`s time to push the reset button and upgrade yourself the same way you upgrade the mobile apps on your smartphone.
Below, are five powerful strategies that can help you to relaunch a career full of passion and purpose in 2018:
- Set (and Achieve) New Personal Goals
Personal goals seem to always get lost in the midst of career planning, but they really set the tone for what type of life you want for yourself. A great way to document your personal goals is in a journal. Once your personal goals have been established, identify small actions that will help you obtain those goals. As you start to accomplish them, you’ll feel better about yourself and your life, making it much easier to feel good about setting goals for your career.
- Set New Career Goals
It’s so important to be proactive in your career goal-setting — it’s not your manager’s responsibility, but your responsibility. You control your career brand, so it’s worth personally documenting your goals in an Individual Development Plan (IDP) at the start of 2018, even if your employer doesn’t require it.
- Give Your Career Brand a Facelift
Your career brand represents you, not only as a professional but as an individual. A career brand facelift helps to keep your career expertise fresh, creative and innovative.
One of the best ways to refresh your career brand is to establish youself as a subject matter expert. For instance, if you write a book, make a personal website or create an industry-related blog, you can showcase your expertise to your colleagues and leadership. Books, blogs and websites also open doors for speaking engagements and writing opportunities with more popular websites — and maybe even job opportunities.
- Update Your Application Materials
As we enter the New Year approaches, think about documenting all the projects, professional training and volunteer work you have completed in 2017 in your resume. Making sure your resume is current is critical, as the start of the year is a prime time for recruiters to look for new talent It is important to join professional groups and invite industry professionals to be a part of my online network. It’s important to connect with recruiters and senior executives at the companies where your desire to work in 2018 — feel free to send them a direct message and introduce yourself. Most direct messages may land you to interviews.
This article was culled from glassdoor.com and edited.