—
At several points throughout the year, it is useful to pause and reflect on your career and evaluate if you’re moving toward where you want to be. So take some time today and ask: am I making progress toward my career goals and objectives for the year?
Consider the following three areas and make corrections and adjustments as needed so you can move forward successfully.
Continued Learning
It is incredibly important, both to your job satisfaction and to your future career success, for you to have continued opportunities to learn and develop new skills. Take a look at what you’ve done so far this year, along with the skills you’ve developed, and consider if there are some training sessions or a conference you can attend in the next few months. If your employer offers free training or provides reimbursement for classes, take advantage of these perks. Sign up today.
Network Building
Throughout the year you want to continue to develop your network in several ways, including through social sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Be sure to keep your LinkedIn profile updated with new skills and responsibilities. In addition, if you’re not currently working with a mentor seek one out. You can likely find a good mentor at your workplace or through your network of contacts. A good mentor will also introduce you to others and help expand your network. Finally, find a networking group in your community that you can begin attending regularly or register for a conference. Conferences provide a fantastic opportunity to meet great people doing cool and exciting things in your field and some of these people can become mentors and future collaborators.
Healthy lifestyle
It’s difficult to be at your best in your career if you’re not getting enough sleep, or if you’re eating unhealthy food and drinking too much. Take a look at your habits and determine if you need to build more activity into your schedule. Perhaps you live close enough to bike into work a few days a week. Or join the yoga class at the office. Maybe starting your day with a few minutes of stretching and mindful meditation can get you more focused on developing a more healthy lifestyle that will benefit you and your career.
Previously published on STAND Magazine
—
Photo: Getty Images