New Year, new you?

There can be a lot of pressure on this time of year to make changes and start afresh with the beginning of a new year.  Resolutions and detoxes are the order of the day and many people make plans and promises with little regard for whether they are possible or even desirable once the champagne is finished and the decorations packed away.  Saying that, given we do tend to have a little more time on our hands during the festive season, it can be a good time to reflect on the year gone by and look to the future and what we would like it to look like.  This often includes what we want to do with our career with lots of people taking this time to make a decision regarding work and what they want to do next. 

The end of the year can often be a milestone for people for making it through another year at work and for this reason, you can be left looking around and thinking ‘what’s next’ when the Christmas holidays roll around.  While there does tend to be fewer job vacancies and advertisements over December/January it still pays to keep an eye out as new opportunities can become available with fewer people around to apply for them.  If you are considering a change, it’s a great time to do some research and see what’s out there. 

Look before you leap

If you do decide that you would like to look for new opportunities in the new year, don’t just jump, headlong, without taking stock and making a plan for yourself.  Let your experiences from your current or previous roles guide your next step and help you decide what, where, why and how.  You can certainly use the start of the year as your stepping off point for change but let the first steps include some reflection and planning before you leap off into something new. 

Before you say bye bye to 2020…

Before you cast off the experiences of the previous year, take a look back at what they were and how you can use what you learned from them to move forward.  Look at where you were this time last year, see what personal and professional growth you have achieved over the last 12 months, and take the time to celebrate and enjoy your successes. 

After a year like 2020 has been for most people, it is more important than ever to recognise what you have achieved in the face of adversity and the moments you have enjoyed.  While Covid-19 and its impacts have created negativity for many, there have been some examples of inspiration and positivity – spending more time with family, learning new skills (sourdough anyone?!), and acquiring the ability to work, study and communicate effectively from new locations using digital platforms and technology.  Look carefully for the things you want to bring forward into the new year and how they can become part of your approach to work and life generally. 

Spend some time identifying challenges and issues faced as well.  What was the most difficult aspect of your year?  How did you overcome it?  What can you continue to do to improve your situation moving forward?  Are there any aspects of your work or personal life which you would like to improve on in 2021? 

Ready, set, plan!

Once you’ve taken stock and gathered your wishes and learnings from the previous year, use them to put in place a plan for the year ahead.  Would you like to see your career change in 2021, and if so, how?  Are you looking to take a new step in your current role or workplace?  Would you like to change the way you do your current job – move to part time or full time, change locations, work from home, work for yourself?  Or would you like to take steps towards something completely new? 

If you are planning a significant change (or changes) get your plan underway by doing some research so that you can make an informed decision about where it is you want to go and how you will get there. 

Get online – start by doing some online research into the types of roles or industries etc you are interested in and find out as much as you can about the field and what is required in order to be a part of it.  Look at jobs that match what you are looking for on job search sites such as SEEK.co.nz or more specialised sites and see where they are, what they want from candidates and whether they match your level of skill and experience.

Study – once you have completed your research you may need to look at some study options which will bring you up to speed on what is required for your chosen career move.  Study can be an expensive or time-consuming undertaking which will require a big commitment, however, may also be available via methods which a) are lower cost, b) can be undertaken online, or c) can be completed in a short period of time.  Once you understand what is required, you can weigh up what the commitment will be and how you can fit it into your plan moving forward.  Some career changes will require substantial education or training and it is important to look carefully at the options and how you can best incorporate them into your life. 

Talk to other people – when considering a change in career, talk to friends, family and other people in your network who may have insight into what you are planning to undertake.  Get professional advice from education providers or career professionals if you are planning a major change – they may have options for short-cuts or alternatives which you haven’t considered.  Don’t underestimate the value of speaking with individuals in your chosen career or who have made similar changes to their career.  You don’t have to follow their example, but their learnings and experiences may be useful to consider when making your plan. 

Once you have completed and considered your research and made a decision regarding what you want to do moving forward, set yourself a goal and plan how you will achieve it. 

1.       Start big picture – what do you want your career to look like, what are you hoping to change and how will you know when you have achieved your goal? 

2.       Break it down – work out the main steps you will need to undertake to achieve your goal and any resources you will need for each step. 

3.       Set a time frame – sketch out when you will aim to achieve each step taking into account any costs etc. 

4.       Fill in the gaps – how will you achieve each of the steps – who will you need to talk to, what applications do you need to make, what resources do you need to purchase etc. 

5.       Diarise the details – when do you plan to do each of these things in order to complete the steps? Create tasks within your diary or planner that will remind you what you need to do and when.    

6.       Review and revise – keep track of how you are going and revise timeframes etc based on progress and completion of tasks.  Celebrate milestones as you complete them before you move on to the next stage to acknowledge your success and progress. 

A new way of thinking

Even if you are not planning a major career change in the short term, a smaller change you might want to consider is introducing a career journaling practice to your routine in 2021.   Its a great way of regularly checking in with yourself on where your career is at, and where you would like it to be in the future.  A career journal can help you to capture your learnings along the way, rather than just trying to recall them at the end of the year or during an interview or performance review.  Your career journal can be as simple as notes in your diary or planner regarding key incidences as you come across them or can be a more sophisticated tool or app which captures your review of your actions and outcomes at work.  At the end of the day, it should be a system that fits into the way you do things, and which allows you to easily take a note of challenges and achievements as they happen and what you learn from them.  The benefits of creating and keeping a career journal include:

• the ability to easily recall achievements in performance discussions,

• detailed examples of your achievements and challenges to use when applying for jobs and attending interviews,

• regular opportunities for reflecting to help you grow and develop in the way you address challenges at work, and

• records of challenges you have faced and goals you have achieved when reviewing your year and planning for the future.

2021???

Whether the year ahead includes plans for major changes or not, a resolution you may like to consider for your future career planning activities is to add a career journal aspect to your work routine.  Introduce a monthly reflection point or set a goal to take stock of any high and low points you encounter throughout the year and document your learnings.  You will be surprised when you sit down at the end of the year what you have learned about yourself and how clear your future career will appear. 

bestfit HR Careers offers services to support your career and enhance your job search. For assistance with your CV, applications, interviews or if you would like to explore starting a career journal contact Anne-Marie on 022 428 1571 or email bestfithrnz@gmail.com for a free initial consultation and more information on services available.