The beginning of a new year often has people considering where their life is and where they would like it to be. In relation to your career, as you’re considering the year ahead, you may be asking yourself…

  1. Am I enjoying my current role?
  2. What do I want to achieve career-wise this year?
  3. What are my longer term career goals?
  4. How does my current role fit with these goals?
  5. Do I have study plans I would like to pursue?
  6. Are there other life events which will be taking center-stage this year?
  7. What will I need to support these life events (in terms of time, finances and well-being)? Will my current role support or hinder me in this?

If after contemplating these sorts of questions, you’ve determined that a new job is in fact what you’re looking for, there are some further points to consider…

  1. Are there positions within your current company for which you might be suited?
  2. What kind of challenges are you looking for in a new role?
  3. What do you need to maintain life satisfaction?
  4. What balance would you like to strike between responsibilities/work hours and salary? How achievable is that?
  5. How are you able to demonstrate your abilities beyond references (industry recognition, conferences, seminars, training)?

On the other hand, you may have determined that a new job is not what you’re looking for just yet and that 2012 may instead be the year of the new job.  2011 then becomes the year of preparation. With that in mind, you may want to think about:

  • further study/training,
  • joining industry groups/associations,
  • attending industry conferences and seminars,
  • networking to establish a wider contact base,
  • pursuing your favourite hobby more seriously, and
  • considering exactly where you’d like to be in 2012.
Whether or not the new year means a new job, it’s important to evaluate where you’re at on your career path and what you need to do to get to where you’d like to be.  So, what does 2011 hold for you?