Achieving your career goals in 2019: a guide

Not happy where you’ve ended up in your career? You are far from alone – a majority of people aren’t where they thought they would be when they graduated. Fortunately, it is never too late to correct course – in this post, we’ll share tips that will help make 2019 the year you turn your career around.

(1) Dust off that resume

If you’re been stuck in a career rut, there’s a good chance that you haven’t touched your resume in a while. You deserve better, so it’s time to update this document to reflect how awesome you really are.

Go over every task you’ve ever done in your current role. What competencies and transferable skills has it given you? Write it all down. What roles have you assumed outside of work? Coaching your kid’s soccer team, volunteering through your church, that overseas sabbatical you took four years ago – all reveal admirable qualities that certain companies are looking for.

Take all this data and work it into your resume. As you do, re-write current entries – after years of experience in your field, you can represent yourself better than when you first got hired.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that this is a massive undertaking – after you’re done, reward yourself for your efforts by indulging in your favourite hobby. For some, this is online gaming – for them, the thrill of winning big at games like slots, blackjack, and roulette helps to relieve the stress that their work imposes.

(2) Build your skills

Next, peruse job listings and make note of roles you’d like to assume. Don’t be dismayed by not having all the skills an employer is asking for, be happy – you’re learning which skills you’re going to be learning in the first few months of 2019.

If the job poster is looking for something with Ruby and Python experience, but you only know the latter, load up Codeacademy and learn the basics of this language. After you have closed the skills gap as much as possible, go ahead and apply for these roles – more often than not, they are wish lists, not ironclad ‘must have’ lists.

(3) Take extended learning courses

Sometimes, an employer will require a piece of paper to prove your worthiness for a position. If the field is lucrative enough and positions plentiful, figure out what extra education you need and head back to school.

(4) Join Toastmasters

Having strong vocal communication skills is crucial to acing the interview. Even if you feel confident in your ability to express yourself, joining Toastmasters won’t hurt. Here, you’ll get to stand up in front of complete strangers and talk to them on a variety of topics.

The more you do it, the better you’ll get at communicating with other humans. As a result, your interview performances will improve, increasing the odds of you landing your dream position.