How to Give Your Career an End-of-Year Report

Anyone can have a bad day at work, and sometimes that day can turn into a bad week – or even a bad month. But if you can’t recall the last time you had a great day in the office, you may need to step back and evaluate your career. With the end of year quickly approaching, there’s no time like the present to look at where your career is headed, review the progress you’ve made over the year and decide if you need to act. Read on for our guide on how to successfully give your career a great end-of-year report, so you can start 2017 knowing you’re on the right track.

Take Note of Tell-Tale Signs

The first step is to ask yourself how satisfied you are with what you do each day, and where you currently stand with your career. If you don’t already, it’s a good idea to periodically check whether you’re experiencing any tell-tale signs that show something may be wrong. We’ve created a handy list of these in the image below.

Whilst these signs aren’t clear indicators that you’re in the wrong job, if you frequently experience any of them, then something could be amiss. The upcoming holiday season provides plenty of down time to work out what problems exist and what you can do about them. It’s also worth noting that if you do need to change jobs, a lot of new vacancies appear in January as businesses prepare for the year ahead.

Identifying the Problem

When it comes to working out what’s caused you to lose your passion at work, examine what’s right in front of you. The good, the bad and the ugly of your job, employer and career choice. Be honest with what you like and dislike so you can write down specific reasons for what’s causing your dissatisfaction, and figure out what you need to do to move forward. As an example, if you don’t feel challenged enough each day, would a role with increased leadership responsibilities allow you to overcome this? Perhaps the early morning commute each day is leaving you drained, would a role with more flexible working arrangements or that is closer to home solve this problem? Once you’ve highlighted the issues and potential solutions, you can start plotting how you’re going to move forward.

Plotting the Route Forward

Before you begin planning how you’re going to get your career to the next level, seek some specialist advice. As Recruiters, we spend each day providing advice to Business Support professionals and connecting them to great job opportunities that support what they want. So, even if we can’t directly help you, we can certainly point you in the right direction; even if it’s something as simple as helping you write the perfect CV and cover letter.

Talking with a specialist can help you to iron out the details. For example, if you need to upskill yourself but unsure how to do so, we can provide advice on what skills and experiences are currently desirable in the market and the best ways to acquire them. Don’t forget to take the time to look at professionals on LinkedIn who currently hold the jobs you want, and note down the skills they possess and the paths they’ve taken.

Attending Interviews and Reviewing Offers

To ensure you have ample time to thoroughly review all your options, be prepared to set aside time to attend multiple interviews with different employers early in the new year. This part of the journey can often be overwhelming, but if you make your Recruiter aware of your availability, working with one can make a huge difference.

Once you begin reviewing a job offer, don’t forget to properly review your potential new workplace. Make the effort to look up any press coverage and check out the social media channels of each specific employer to get a detailed look at their culture, and their reputation within the market.

There’s one golden rule you should always try and remember when it comes to leaving your current job: don’t burn your bridges. To keep your hard-earned connections when you jump ship, make sure you provide plenty of notice, properly manage any counter-offers from your employer, maintain your relationships with Managers and colleagues and finally, give your best performance right up until your last day.

Summary

Ignoring any tell-tale signs that something might be amiss with your career could end up damaging your professional and personal life in the long-term. It’s always a good idea to periodically review your career and whether you’re happy or not. We hope this article was useful to you and if you’d some further advice on getting your career in shape, contact a specialist Recruiter today.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on LinkedIn for more helpful advice and industry insight!