5 Professional Resolutions for the New Year
With the new year right around the corner, many of you are starting to think of ways to improve yourself for 2022. Many people turn to resolutions like improving health, investing, and quitting bad habits. When it comes to improving health, statistics show that in the new year gym memberships increase by 12%.
Even though majority of new year resolutions deal with losing weight or quitting a bad habit, many other resolutions can help your professional career, including learning a new skill, updating your resume, and much more. Here are five professional resolutions that you should consider following through with within the new year.
Learning a New Skill
The way we perform our day-to-day operations and activities continues to change drastically. Looking back to the beginning of this year, many companies had to improve how they operate because of how COVID altered the workforce. Because of this, many employees had to develop new skills to succeed.
Positions like HR Managers and Recruiters had to improve their skills using virtual interviews. In contrast, other positions like Restaurant Managers and Waitresses had to improve their multi-tasking skills as COVID hit their industry the hardest.
Whoever you are, I am sure you have had to improve upon your skills at least once during the past couple of years. Do not become stagnant. Continue to develop your skills.
If you are a Marketer, you can start by learning more about Google Analytics, SEO, Artificial Intelligence, and other new technological advancements. If you are a Medical Biller, begin by getting your CPC Certification. If you are a Data Entry Assistant, learning more about VLOOKUPs and PivotTables in Excel will benefit you exponentially.
Several websites will provide certificates when learning new skills, such as Coursera and Udemy, so start learning new skills today!
Learning a new skill won’t only benefit your career but also your health. Learning new skills will give you motivation, boost confidence, and increase your level of happiness!
No matter who you are or what field you are in, there are hundreds of skills that you could learn to benefit your professional career.
Updating your Resume
You should consistently update your resume every month or so. If you haven’t looked through it in a while, this is the time to update it. The reason you should consistently update your resume, even if you aren’t seeking other work, is to make sure you don’t lose track of all the information you need to complete it – including dates, titles, references, and more.
If your resume has been in the same format for the past several years, it may be time to download some resume templates online to improve your resume’s visual presentation.
Start Expanding Your Network
“It is not what you know; it is who you know.” Sometimes, it is better to know someone than know something. Research from LinkedIn shows that in 2016, 70% of people were hired at a company where they already had a connection in place. With 70% of people being hired based on who they know shows the importance of networking.
There is no downside to increasing the size of your network. Start by going on your LinkedIn and connecting with as many people as possible. Once you are connected, message them a quick introduction! That initial contact could help you land your next job!
Improve your LinkedIn
Do you have a LinkedIn? If not, the first step is to create a LinkedIn profile with a professional email address. Unprofessional emails could cause recruiters to turn away from your profile. Examples of unprofessional emails include work emails, school emails, or old email addresses like @aim.com or @aol.com.
As we said previously, connecting with people on LinkedIn is an excellent way to network. However, no one will accept your connection if your profile is incomplete. LinkedIn is crucial to your overall brand, and having a professional LinkedIn will help with it.
Some tips we have for your LinkedIn profile include adding a professional photo, an impactful headline, your experience & education, skills & endorsements, and a background image.
Read One Career-Related Book
“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn.
Learning a new skill is crucial for continued success. One way to learn new skills is by reading. There are thousands of books out there directly related to what you do for work. Taking a day to read a book about someone successful in your career is one way to improve your skills.
Even if you choose not to read a career-related book, choose one that can help you develop a better mindset. No matter your job, there is a book out there that can give you tips on improving your performance, outlook, and personal habits.
Now that you have these five professional resolutions to choose from, which ones will you choose for 2022?
