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should make for 2015
new year is traditionally the time to
make a new start and whether you're
looking to make a big change and get
a new job or a small change (like spending
less time worrying about your workload), this
is the best time to stand back and take a
look at your career and make those
changes.
A
Give your career a “detox”
After December’s late nights, parties and
family visits, January can be a time for a
welcome, reflective pause. If you find
yourself at home with herbal tea instead of
being out at the pub, why not use this time
to do an early spring-clean of your career?
Get right back to basics and write down
what you’re enjoying in your job and what
you’re not. Then ask yourself if what you’re
doing now is really where you want to be at
this stage in your life? If not, is it at least on
the right path? Once you’ve got down to the
basics, you may find it easier to see the
wood and not just the trees.
Update your CV
When was the last time you really looked at
your CV? It’s a lot easier to update your
accomplishments regularly, when they’re still
fresh in your head, but we all know that it’s
very easy to forget about updating this vital
document when things are going well.
Have a think about what you’ve done in the
last year and list the successes you’ve been
a part of. Also, make sure that you have
some of the basic information covered –
direct reports, turnover, employment dates,
etc. Even if you’re not planning on finding a
new job immediately, doing some of this
basic legwork now will really pay off later.
Take on new challenges
It won’t go unnoticed and it could be the
start of something that really gets you
excited.
Learn something new
Is there an area of your job you’d like more
training on? Maybe there’s a new skill you’ve
been itching to learn but haven’t quite got
around to? If you’ve always left your training
and development up to your manager, make
2015 the year you take control. It doesn’t
have to be process-led training – even soft
skills like communication could do with a
spruce up from time-to-time.
Think about all of the important tasks you
carry out, responsibilities you bear and
benefits you bring to the company. Think
about any initiatives you have undertaken
that might have saved the company money,
new policies you helped implement or new
staff with whose training you have become
involved.
If your employer is worried about the cost,
suggest some peer-to-peer training within
your current team. If you’re feeling really bold
you could even offer to train other members
of the team on the areas at which you
already excel and boost your presentation
skills in the process!
If you're serious about changing jobs, there's
only one way you're going to find out about
the best opportunities and that's to make sure
you're getting them sent straight to you as
soon as they come up.
If you’ve always left your
training and
development up to your
manager, make 2015
the year you take
control. It doesn’t have
to be process-led
training – even soft skills
like communication
could do with a spruce
up from time-to-time.
When was the last time you really stretched
yourself in your job? If you’re stuck in a rut,
maybe now is the perfect time to get yourself
out of it. Are there projects outside your job
description that you could get involved with,
or even initiate?
Get a pay rise
Be proactive, come up with new ideas and
make them happen. Get off the hamster
wheel and step outside your comfort zone.
Money is a common theme in resolutions, so
make sure that you’re getting what you
deserve at work. Take a look at what other
people are earning in similar positions. If you
retailappointment.co.uk
think you deserve more, start making a case
by listing out your notable achievements or
changes in responsibility since your last
review.
Stay informed
If you haven't signed up to jobs by email at
retailappointment.co.uk then you're really
missing out on a key service that will send you
only the jobs that meet your exact criteria —
keeping you ahead of the crowds.
Be more productive
Maybe you only want to make some small
changes in order to feel fully happy in your
job. If you know that you’ve become easily
distracted in work recently, the new year is a
great chance to iron out those bad habits.
If you’re addicted to social media, try to plan
reasonable breaks during the day and only
check your updates then. If you have a
problem leaving your phone alone, put it out
of sight. Take a look at your work space and
see what you can do to make it more
conducive to a productive working day.
Use your time better
If you’ve been working yourself into the
ground as 2014 drew to a close, use this
opportunity to start afresh in the new year.
You don’t always need to work harder, but
work smarter. Use your time at work in such
a way that you can be productive and
achieve your goals without having to stay
late, work through every lunch or even come
in on your days off. If you can, delegate more
in order to free up your time on tasks that are
equal to your level within the business.
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