Article by Adrianne Harris, Broadly Speaking
Now that you are relaxed and refreshed from an end of year break, it’s time to start thinking about what you would like to achieve in 2017. Take a moment to reflect on your career and professional development and what you need to do this year.
Some questions to ask yourself, do I need to:
- Do a course this year to keep my knowledge up to date?
- Do a course to gain formal qualifications?
- Keep up to date with changes and trends in certain industries?
- Expand my knowledge of a subject through professional reading?
- Join a professional association to meet new people and hear from experts?
- Go to a conference?
- Go to a talk or seminar?
- Watch some online videos by subject experts?
You might need to do one or more of these things, or something entirely different,
What else can you do to help expand and develop your professional knowledge, reputation or opportunities? Brainstorm your list of potential activities then select the most appropriate things to do this year, be realistic – you won’t have time to do everything and nothing is more stressful than overloading yourself and feeling overwhelmed. For example, attending three conferences this year may sound fun but the price may outweigh the benefits and you might be better placed to pick the most strategic one to attend and then connect through local networks for deeper connections.
Once you have your list, you need to plan and dedicate time to the activities. By giving priority in your calendar to your career development activities at the beginning of the year, it’s easier to stay on track and not have to find time in an increasingly busy schedule to squeeze them in. By committing to your development on your calendar, you are taking a proactive approach to your career. So actually put some dates and times in when you will complete your professional reading, go to an event or watch some online content.
Apart from using your diary to manage your learning, writing down your goals in a career journal is a great way of holding yourself accountable and understand the details of what you need to do. You should make sure you include:
- What the goal is – be as detailed as possible
- What key steps you need to take to achieve the goal
- When these key steps need to be completed by
- What support or resources do you need (time, money, family or work support)
- How will you know you have achieved the goal – what does success look like to you?
Another option is to talk to a career coach about your learning. Sometimes working with a professional to develop your learning plan can save time and money. Contact Adrianne to discuss your options further. You might also like to take a look at the Career Journals available in the Career Shop to help you plan your career development.