2020 is finally ending! It seems as though this year has lasted a lifetime.
This year has been particularly hard on many when it comes to career development. The job landscape has been completely changed due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many are now looking at completely different career paths going into 2021.
The best way to accomplish new goals in your career is to make realistic and achievable goals.
As you go into the new year, here is a list of great career goals to jumpstart your success!
1. Organize Your Digital and Physical Life
Staying organized is one of the most important things that you can do. Heading into the new year, organization is so important to consider when making goals. Consider this a great way to make sure that you can stay on track in the coming year.
Have you cleaned your office or computer recently?
Having an organized space for work is so important to remain productive and engaged. When it comes to your professional career, staying organized will allow you to plan ahead and stay on track with any other goals that you make. Here is a list of things to keep organized going into the new year!
2021 organization goals
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Keep your home and office spaces organized- Keeping your physical workspace in check is key to getting organized. If you are struggling with getting time to do so, ask your boss for an hour every week to spend organizing. Many will understand that it is so important to stay organized in order to be productive at work!
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Clean out your work and home computers- Computers can often get extremely disorganized. Power Point presentations, Word Documents, and Images all add up to create digital chaos. Not only will it be hard to find things, but your computer itself will slow down if left unchecked. Spend some time cleaning off old items and backing up important files.
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Organize Your Workflow- Have you thought about your actual workflow when it comes to day-to-day tasks? The apps, programs, phone, computer, and even your notebook all impact how you stay productive at work. Audit your workflows and see if you can make improvements! You may find that a few small changes have big impacts.
2. Get a New Certification
Certifications are a great way to let employers know about your expertise, and they greatly increase the chances of being employed for high salary positions. Why not start the new year by learning new things and making yourself more employable?
There are so many different professional certifications varying from field to field. Some professional certifications may be expensive and take a lot of time to complete. While these are certainly worthwhile and make a great impression when applying for positions, there are easier ways to showcase your knowledge. One of the best ways to go about showing off your professional knowledge is to use LinkedIn.
Did you know that you can take certification tests directly on LinkedIn?
After successfully completing a test, you can advertise a badge on your profile to let people know that you are LinkedIn certified. When hiring managers look through your LinkedIn they instantly can understand that you have documented knowledge in your field.
This same tactic can be utilized for other certifications that are not obtained on LinkedIn. Simply link an image of your certificate and add it to your profile. These may seem like small additions, but getting certified will greatly increase your chances of being reviewed by a hiring manager. Check out the top 10 professional certifications for 2020 by clicking the button below.
3. Make New Connections
Whether you are looking for a new job or looking to grow in any industry, networking is key to advancing your career. The statistics are overwhelmingly positive for those who network regularly.
85% of all jobs are unlisted and can be found through networking.
-PayScale (How Many Jobs are Found Through Networking)
Even though building your network is so important, let’s face it, making new connections and networking professionally can be difficult. With the rise of the pandemic, it is now extremely hard to meet new people and sustain existing relationships. However, all is not lost! Networking can be easy with a few tips and tricks.
Tips for Networking in 2020
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Use LinkedIn- The first step to making this process easy is to simply open LinkedIn. If you have a well built profile and follow notable people, expect to receive 5 new connections per week. Be courteous and ask people about their career! It’s a bit hard to start doing at first, but gets easy once people start to know you.
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Invest in a Website- Having a place for your personal self to live online is so important. For some, a LinkedIn profile is enough of a presence to network efficiently. However, having your own site can give you complete control over your web image. Show off how unique you are!
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Stay in Touch- Staying in touch with previous and current colleagues and bosses is another great way to network. Although it may not lead to new connections, you never know who your coworkers could put you in contact with.
4. Find a Mentor
Finding a mentor is a great way to grow professionally in the new year. A mentor will allow you to learn more about your industry while also holding you accountable to your goals.
“97% of professionals with a mentor say that they are valuable, but only 37% have them.”
– Guider (Mentoring Statistics)
The statistics don’t lie! Finding a mentor will really help you grow. Finding a mentor can be a bit tricky, but there are many resources on the web to help you out. Click on the button below to view NPR’s guide to finding a mentor.
5. Find Great Work Life Balance
Feeling burnt out as you head into 2021. You are certainly not alone, as burnout is a huge problem for many workers.
67% of surveyed participants indicated some element of work-related burnout in 2019.
-Gallup (VIA HR EXCHANGE)
One can imagine that this number is only increasing given the stress of the COVID-19 Pandemic. All of this being said, finding a healthy work life balance is a great career goal heading into the new year.
Find this balance by taking careful note of when you are at work and outside of work. When you feel this boundary being crossed, write it down. Each week, focus on one boundary and correct it.
Throughout the new year you can use this method to gain a healthier relationship with your work life. Remember that these boundaries are essential not only towards your health and well-being, but also can help you to be more productive during your time at work.
Do you have any career New Year’s resolutions? Let us know on Facebook and Instagram!
