News & Views: Taking Charge of Your Career

The holidays are a great time to get off your occupational treadmill and take a close look at how your career is progressing.  Too often, long hours and a hectic schedule can turn days into weeks, weeks into months, and before you know it another year has passed and your career hasn’t progressed.  Working hard is not always enough; having clear goals and taking the time to critically evaluate and manage your progress toward those goals is the recipe for career success.

At least once per year, go through the following three-step process:  Re-examine your goals, audit the past year and build a plan for the year ahead.

I. Career Goals

Having meaningful career goals is the key to success.  They should help guide, inspire and motivate you to go the extra mile.

Ideally you should have both long- and short-term goals so that you can monitor your progress and feel the satisfaction of accomplishment.  Once a year revisit your goals: Are they still meaningful?  Are you still excited and committed to achieving your career dream?  Are your goals realistic and attainable while providing the opportunity to stretch yourself?

Changes in the workplace or your personal life can cause you to alter or realign your goals.  This is fine as long as your goals remain relevant and provide you with a meaningful target that inspires and motivates.

II. Yearly Career Audit

Once you are comfortable with your goals, it is time to critique the past year: Did you accomplish what you set out to do?  If not, why not?  Have you gained additional, valuable experience that is taking you in the right direction?  Do you feel challenged in your current position?  Are you excited to go to work each morning?  Are you working for someone you respect and who has the ability to be an effective mentor and manager?  Are you being fairly compensated for your contributions?

Frank answers to these questions will provide a starting place for you to build a plan for the upcoming year.

III. Plan Your Success

Utilizing the information that you have developed, create a list of objectives for the upcoming year.  Be specific with milestones and timetables so you can hold yourself accountable.  Write down your long-term goals and yearly objectives and review them regularly.  This will greatly increase their chances of becoming reality.

Here are some tips to attain your career goals for the upcoming year:

1. Recruit your supervisor.  Tell your boss about your goals and what you would like to accomplish.  Enlist his or her support and advice.  If there is a promotion you are interested in, ask what you should be doing to make it a reality.  If you want to gain new or additional skills, ask for input and assistance.

2. Market yourself internally.  Heighten your visibility and showcase your ability by getting involved with new projects and programs.  Volunteer to chair a new initiative or head up a committee.  This will not only give you valuable experience but also can broaden your exposure to other departments and important decision makers in the company.

3. Build an outside network.  Identify and meet regularly with peers in other companies.  This could take the form of joining an association and attending regular meetings or a more informal monthly get-together with a small group of professionals with similar interests.  The key is to broaden your horizons and utilize the experience of others to build your knowledge base and help with the challenges you face.  Additionally, these formal and informal networks can frequently provide access to new career opportunities or candidates to hire.

4. The buck stops with you.  Occasionally, despite your best efforts, the opportunities and experiences you need to reach your goals are just not available at your current company.  When you are comfortable with your job and co-workers, striking out and moving into a new situation can be scary.  However, if you honestly feel you are not getting the development and experience you need and there is no light at the end of the tunnel, it is up to you to find a solution.

The end of each year is a great time to take a break, step back and evaluate your career goals and progress to ensure you are on track and moving in the right direction.  Now is the time to get off that occupational treadmill!