4 Career Resolutions for 2022 and beyond

New Year resolutions don’t have to be centered around health or breaking a bad habit. Here are some professional resolutions to consider:

Value your time. Maximize meeting efficiency.

If it’s one thing the past few years has taught us it’s that time is precious. Data from Workplace Analytics showed since the pandemic began, nearly 70 percent of employees reported increased meetings. Separate research conducted by SurveyMonkey in 2020 reported 78 percent of workers said their meeting schedule was either always or sometimes out of control.

Here are some tips to make your meetings more efficient:

• Attach relevant notes/documents when sending meeting notice.
• Establish meeting goals in advance.
• Refocus conversation when it steers away from goals
• Assign tasks with deadlines and note who is taking lead.
• Email out meeting notes.

These tips can increase meeting productivity and even reduce the number of additional meetings needed in the future. While these tips can prove useful, it’s important to consider the golden question when it comes to valuing your time: Could this meeting have been an email?

Update your resume.

Typically, we only update our resume when we start searching for a new position, being honored for an award, or participating in a speaking engagement. A recent study explained some hesitancy to update a resume is rooted in fear. In May, resumebuilder.com surveyed 1,250 unemployed Americans over the age of 18. Responses showed overall 20 percent of people said they weren’t looking for work because they did not want to update their resume. Among Gen Xers (age 45-54), that number jumps to 26 percent. Addressing missteps in the past was a major concern.

Indeed.com suggests updating your resume every 6 months. If your role is expanding at work, or if you have earned new certifications your resume should reflect that. You also want to ensure all contact information is up to date, especially for any references listed. Only updating your resume out of necessity, you tend to forget how much more you have accomplished and grown. Updating routinely makes sure nothing noteworthy is overlooked.

Join a professional organization.

The pandemic has reinforced how important community is; whether it’s spiritual, family, or professional, relationships are important. Even if we may have taken them for granted before, the new year is a great time to join or get reacquainted with a professional organization.

If there is not an organization you like that already exists, create one. Research by Buzz Marketing Group reported 67 percent of millennials would “prefer to join an organization founded by peers of a similar age.” Additionally, 92 percent believed professional groups provide great opportunities to network. A lot of career advancement is fueled by relationships and professional organizations are a great resource.

Find a mentor/mentee.

Adopt the lift as you climb mantra. Adopting a mentee can be beneficial for both parties. A mentee obviously gains career wisdom through another’s lived experience and a mentor can track just how much they have progressed since starting their career. Often times, we don’t give ourselves enough credit for how much we have achieved because we are constantly looking to conquer something new. Adopting a mentee is great for reflection and keeping current with new, young ideas. Connecting with a mentor is great for career planning. They can provide great insight on how to achieve goals and even perhaps caution you to avoid mistakes they made.

Incorporating these resolutions into your lifestyle will spark a successful 2022 and beyond.