New Year, New Career

For those who are contemplating a new job or career change, the arrival of the New Year is a great time to reflect on your past experience and think about which direction you may want to take your career in the future. Is your job search stagnating? Do you feel lost and unsure of how to go about finding your next job? Make a few career-related New Year’s resolutions and commit yourself to achieving them in 2018!

When it comes to careers, the New Year isn’t just an arbitrary point on the calendar–it actually is one of the best times to look for a new job. There are a few reasons for this. First, the job market slows down towards the end of the year and picks up again in January. Second, research suggests that when someone associates a career goal with a “temporal landmark,” such as the New Year, it really does make them more likely to succeed. Clarifying your career goals and contemplating which career path you would like to be on can provide the incentive for you to make the change to a more fulfilling career.

Think of the New Year as a fresh start, and take advantage of that energy. Here are some pointers to help you define new career goals.

• Inventory your skills: Review your work history to identify elements of your previous roles that you excelled in. Inventory all of the skills that you have and that you enjoy using. Make a list of approximately seven preferred skills that you would ideally utilize in a new career
• Engage in career research: Read about some careers of interest by browsing websites or other relevant publications. Measure potential careers against your preferred skills list. When you identify a career with genuine appeal, compile a list of questions to research, so you can assess the suitability of that career for you.
• Set up a job shadow: A job shadow allows you, the person trying to learn about the position, to follow someone in that role as they work. It can last for a few hours, a day, a week, or longer. Set up some job-shadowing opportunities in the areas of interest during your free time to gain more exposure to that field.
• Volunteer to gain experience: If possible, look for volunteer positions within your chosen field.
• Contact your career advisor: If you need further help, contact our on-campus career advisor, Sharon Leary (Check out her profile in this month’s newsletter). She is the best resource we have here at NU-Seattle for this vital process.