Career Resolutions For 2018 That You Can Actually Keep In The New Year

Ahh, the start of a new year, full of promise and potential. ’Tis the season for resolutions. This new year, rather than pledging to exercise seven days a week or swearing off chocolate permanently, how about setting goals that you can realistically achieve?

Your job is the perfect place to start, so consider making career resolutions that will help you sharpen your skill set and build your profile in 2018. Below are a few quick ideas to get you started.
 

Career Resolution #1: Update your LinkedIn profile

Your career resolutions wouldn’t be complete without this crucial first step. Remember, In the business world, LinkedIn still remains the leading social network. The site offers countless opportunities to network and display your expertise. However, many individuals set up a LinkedIn account and leave it at that, rarely logging on to the site to ensure their profiles reflect their latest accomplishments and most recent job changes. This new year, your career resolutions should include a pledge to update your profile regularly with recent career achievements, volunteer work, courses you have completed and other professional development activities.

Career Resolution #2: Attend a meetup or industry networking event

Networking is an important part of any career and so it’s only fitting that attending a networking event would be part of your career resolutions for the new year!

Have you ever browsed Meetup.com? It is chock-a-block full of opportunities for building relationships with people from every industry and professional development niche you can imagine. Another great networking option to consider is BrainStation, a global leader in digital skills training. BrainStation offers workshops and events at their campuses in New York, San Jose, Toronto and Vancouver, all taught by industry leaders. Attending one of their seminars or mix-and-mingle events is a sure-fire way to gain insider knowledge and build your digital skills.

We’re also big fans of “HootUps”, which are career development events hosted by the team at HootSuite, one of the world’s leading social media management platforms. HootSuite’s HootUps provides those in the marketing world with a wealth of resources -- so you can learn while you make new connections in your industry, and beyond!

If social media is your thing then check out OMG Social Media’s annual conference in Vancouver (Pivot Six’s home base). OMG (Online Media Generation) is the brainchild of marketing gurus Lesley Yuen and Salina Siu. Their day-long conference brings together Vancouver’s social media elite and provides the perfect environment for networking to your heart’s content.

In the world of networking, there is truly something for everyone -- from the highly extroverted to the very reserved, and everyone in between. Make this one of your no-fail career resolutions that you can easily keep: commit to attending at least one event between the new year and June. Doable? Of course it is -- you've got six months to get it done!
 

Career Resolution #3: Get up to speed on a new trend in your industry

In January, everywhere you look you’ll see predictions for the year ahead, whether you work in the restaurant industry or the world of finance. Now is the time to read up on what trends and changes experts are predicting will be most most influential in your industry in 2018.

Regardless of your field of work, one thing that we predict will begin to impact a wide variety of business functions and industries is blockchain technology. We won't get too technical here, but watch for Pivot Six’s Ultimate Guide to Blockchain for Marketers coming soon. In the meantime, you can read how we predict blockchain will impact the world of accounting.


Career Resolution #4: Upgrade your skills -- and learn something new!

At Pivot Six, we strongly adhere to the maxim: Always Be Learning. One of the easiest ways to enhance your knowledge and/or skill set is through online learning. There are a number of well-established platforms that provide courses on an impressively broad range of business-related subjects, from management, operations and strategy to finance, HR and information technology (to name but a few). Three of the leading digital learning platforms are Coursera, Skillshare and Udemy, but there are many more out there. Just be sure to do your homework first to ensure they are legitimate and will truly offer value.
 

Career Resolution #5: Write something

Yes, you already have an overflowing to do list, but we highly encourage you to carve out some time for writing. Why? Because writing for an industry association’s e-newsletter or penning a guest column in a trade publication is an excellent way to build your profile. You should consider pitching relevant websites and blogs about writing a guest post for them. There are several ways to do this successfully.

When pitching a guest post, you must first do your research and pick a topic that resonates with the audience of the blog you are pitching. This sounds obvious but you would be surprised how common it is for websites to be pitched a topic that’s totally irrelevant to their readers. Next, familiarize yourself with the site’s posting guidelines. For example, don’t pitch a blog post that is written in a list form when they want a first person op-ed. Lastly, show that you did your homework by crafting a highly personalized pitch email. Impress them with your knowledge of the site and subject matters typically covered, and this will increase your odds of getting a response back.

Good luck with your career resolutions and best wishes for the new year from the Pivot Six team!