As the clock strikes 12 on December the 31st, a myriad of things go through one’s mind. Will this be the year I find true love? Will this be the year I get to travel the world? Will this be the year I get the career breakthrough I have been waiting for?
Sorry to break it to you, but the answer to all three things is likely to be no. Such things do not just get handed to one on a plate; you have to work hard, play hard, and fight against the odds. At 12.01 your fairy god mother will not appear, and the change of date means nothing more than another day another dollar. If you are unhappy with your current career trajectory, the mythology of what a new year could hold may help push you through, but you are the one that has to do the pushing.
January is not a good time for the job market, if you have a job already stick by the golden rule – do not hand in your notice until you have something else secured. January is a great time to sit and do some research, use all the energy you gained from your rest and recuperation over the festive season to gain a strong sense of direction and purpose; set yourself achievable goals in realistic time frames.
Create a list of top ten companies you would like to work for, and read the job descriptions of the positions currently advertised (whether they are your kind of role or not), and take note of the qualities and types of experience they are looking for in a potential employee. This will give you a base of ideas from which to structure your 2014.
Ensure your time outside of work is spent partaking in activities that develop your character and your skillset to suit those required by your desired employers. Make your New Year’s resolution to try something new every month. Whether it be a cooking class, dance lessons, volunteering at a school fete, whatever takes your fancy as long as it is productive and you learn something, not just dinner and drinks with the girls. There is nothing more boring on a CV than ‘travel, reading, and socialising’ listed as your only interests, you must stand out.
Although January is quite a dry time vacancy wise, keep your eyes peeled, set up email alerts, and scan sites at least once or twice a week. Write speculative applications to companies who aren’t even advertising, expand your network through attending events in your chosen field, and keep abreast of the news in your chosen sector.
Act as though that dream interview could be tomorrow. And keep your CV up to date with all the new things you have been learning and trying out, tailoring the profile for each job description. Apply high and wide, even if you think you are over or under qualified – you never know and application and interview practice is highly valuable and will help you secure the right position when it comes along.
2014 will only be different from its predecessor if you do things differently. It won’t happen overnight.