Oh sure, there are lots of resolutions to make. Some are fans of making them, some are not fans.
Perhaps your job search resolution is to find your dream job.
Perhaps your career resolution is to get out of a dead-end job and move into a real career – again, your dream job.
Perhaps you resolve to network more, update your resume, figure out your personal brand, etc.
As I’ve thought about all of the different things I’d want people to have as resolutions I can really only think of one thing. It is the product of my layoff, my horrible job search, and then my almost 4 years in this job search industry. It is this:
I resolve to figure out that my career success depends on ME. Not HR, not my company, not my boss, not the economy, not my status, race, education, religion, or anything else. My career success depends on me.
Because of this, I need to proactively manage my career. I am done being reactive about it. I will do “all the right things” that I should do in my career management. Waiting for others, depending on others, wishing others would step in – that’s reactive. I’m moving forward, and I’m going to have a successful career – starting this year!
That’s it. That’s the resolution that I think is most important with regard to your career.
Some things you can do to proactively manage your career:
- Manage and enhance your network relationships. Get started by signing up on JibberJobber.com.
- Figure out LinkedIn – not just “be there” but actually have a strategy so you are findable, and so you can find key contacts. Check out the LinkedIn for Job Seekers DVD.
- Keep a job journal, which will help you keep your resume up to date, or at least make it easy to bring it up to date.
- Have a running list of “Target Companies“ – not to paint yourself into a corner and limit yourself, but to help you target your efforts and have something to talk about with others.
What else?
