The Top 5 Career Resolutions You Should Be Making for 2018

Guys, it’s time to drag out the classic cliché of ‘new year, new me’ for yet another New Year! And with that, comes the classic New Year’s resolutions. Now, 2017 was a bit stressful for a large population of the globe, so 2018 may just be the perfect time to get back on track and focusing on some kickass career aspirations. Because it can be so daunting, below are some resolution templates you can use to ensure 2018 you is upskilled, confident, and smashing goals.

Improve 1 Industry Skill

Image source

Choose an industry skill you may be lacking in, and use this year as your time to improve it. This could be anything from practicing using a particular software or program that is big in your industry, to writing about new topics or with different styles to improve your written communication skills.

To get an idea of what sort of industry skills your dream job may require, check out a few job listings in your desired field and see what skill keeps popping up. Trust me, getting a start on improving these skills now will save you a tonne of hassle down the track.

Complete 1 Confidence Builder

Image source

Sometimes it can be hard to stay confident, especially while you’re juggling assignments with complicated class work. Have a think back over 2017, and look at what areas of your studies or career skills that you’re not quite comfortable with. Are you really nervous in job interviews? Visit Careers for interview prep and mock interviews. Or maybe you struggle with a particular class topic? Ask one of your classmates to explain it to you, organise a chat with your tutor, or look into getting a tutor for that one topic.

Life’s too short to silently stress or feel bad about yourself – use the start of 2018 as your push to try and build that confidence!

Work on 1 Transferable Skill

Image source

Transferable skills are some of the easiest to develop as they can be worked on across a number of areas of your life. These skills include things like interpersonal and written communication skills, teamwork, problem solving, leadership, organisation, time management, and a whole range of abilities that employers look for, regardless of the industry.

As one of your resolutions, why not put your mind to choosing a transferable skill or two that may be particularly relevant to your industry or that you currently struggle with, and practice them throughout 2018. What have you got to lose?

Smash 1 Career Goal

Image source

If you’re not sure what you want to do for your career, then maybe your goal this year can be to test a few things out and set yourself up on your very own career track. This doesn’t have to be anything huge, but have a think over what you enjoy and excel at and look at some careers or industries that utilise these things. If you’re not sure where to start,  come and have a chat with Careers (CB01.04.13) and the team can help you make those tough initial decisions.

Win at 1 Application Goal

Image source

Writing your resume can be an arduous task, especially if you haven’t updated it in a while. While trying to talk yourself up is difficult at the best of times, it gets even harder to do so the longer you wait after achieving something new or succeeding at a personal goal. This year, why not set yourself the goal of updating your resume at least twice, that way your new achievements, experience, or skills are fresh in your mind and it’ll take you a much shorter amount of time to update it next time you apply for a job!

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash