Five career questions to ask yourself right now
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Doing a little year-end retrospective is one of our favourite ways to wrap up the last 12 months and to think about what’s gone well and what could have gone better at work. By taking a moment to pause and reflect, we can make sure we don’t rush headfirst into the new year without learning some key lessons from what’s gone before - and setting ourselves up for success next year!
Here are five question prompts to help you do a mini-annual-review of your career progress. Jot down some thoughts on each, think them through as you go about your daily life, or - even better - throw a few into your next Voco conversation...
What new skills did you learn in 2021?
None of us are too old to learn new skills, it’s what keeps life interesting. So have a think about what new things - both relevant to your specific job and more general - that you’ve learned this year. And if you’re struggling to name any new skills, that’s a sure sign that this is an area to focus on in 2022.
What are your top career lessons of the last 12 months?
Think here about what hasn’t gone so well, as well as what you’ve smashed out of the park; maybe pick a specific low point and see if you can sum it up in a word or a sentence - what does that tell you about your experience and what you learned from it?
What are you most proud of this year?
It’s important to remind ourselves regularly about the times when we’re awesome - we’re our own biggest cheerleaders after all - so make a little list of the things you’ve accomplished this year. These could be achieving specific goals; completing a challenging task; or simply getting through the ups and downs of 2021.
What daily / weekly / monthly routines have made you happy and why?
It’s hard to track our mood over time, so it’s worth noticing and calling out the things that we know contribute to making us happier, so we can do them more next year. And this can be anything, it doesn't have to be work-related - for us, it’s all about things like getting our heart rates up in the gym or on a run; regular theatre going; and cooking big meals for friends.
What do you want to be known for in 2022?
We all have reasons why we chose a particular career path, and we all have things we want to achieve and be ‘famous’ for on that chosen path. So if you had to prioritise one thing to be known for next year, what would it be and why? By focusing on a short-term goal here, you’ll stand yourself in good stead to reach your ultimate destination…
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