Did You Make Any Career Resolutions?

Many people make resolutions around the new year. StatisticBrain notes that just 4.1 percent of Americans said they wanted to find a better job in 2017 for career resolutions. The highly competitive job market for 2018 means you can accelerate your professional life with some targeted resolutions and goal-setting techniques.

Update Your Resume and Social Media

Update your resume and LinkedIn profile with everything you accomplished in 2017. Make sure each item you add has provable results or hard numbers to back up your claims. There are more than 6.5 million job openings listed on LinkedIn, and more and more companies seek out relevant employees rather than wait for people to apply. Career resolutions can revolve around staying current.

Cater your resume and LinkedIn page to certain keywords within your chosen industry. When a hiring manager or recruiter searches LinkedIn for relevant candidates using the site's robust search tools, you just might appear at the top of the list.

Develop Leadership Skills

There are plenty of blogs, books, podcasts and TED talks that discuss trends in leadership. There are lots of life coaches and career coaches out there as well. Find some who inspire you and take their lessons to heart, whether you find Mark Zuckerberg's philosophies enlightening or lean toward Tony Robbins's larger-than-life teachings. Podcasts and audiobooks are perfect listening material for your commute to work, so pay attention and find some that can expand your thinking and your soft skills as you think about career resolutions.

Find a Mentor

For 2018, find a mentor who can expand your network and help you improve your career prospects. Mentors can shape your attitudes and behaviors, and even improve your health, because you have someone to rely on to guide you through your chosen field. Having an extra person in your corner can alleviate stress and give you a sounding board for sage advice, especially if your career resolutions mean expanding your career knowledge.

Earn More Hard Skills

Examine the qualifications of your ideal job and see what you lack. Build your skillset and enhance your career resolutions by taking classes, attending leadership conferences, earning certifications and learning to communicate more effectively. When you complete each training, update your LinkedIn profile. Make sure you can prove you attended these classes or learned new skills. Working long hours is not necessarily the most important way to earn a promotion, but proving you’re learning new skills shows you’re motivated to add value to your work.

Stay Mindful

Practicing mindfulness entails not worrying about tomorrow or yesterday. Be present in the moment and analyze what's happening right here and right now. This leads to better problem-solving skills and improves creativity, productivity and engagement.

Expand your horizons with these five career resolutions. Making a change for the better can boost your career when you put your mind to it and move forward with new skills and a new mindset.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net