New Year Resolutions for Your Career

Dec. 22, 2008 — -- Every day is a new beginning, but a new calendar year offers a particularly great opportunity for fresh starts. This year more than ever, career-minded people are craving new opportunities and new strategies to carry out in January and beyond.

As you think about your plans and goals for 2009, here are 12 career-related resolutions to consider adding to your list.

1. I will do one thing every day to find a job or advance my career. Spend some time every day, even just five minutes, researching potential employers, reading advice articles, following up with people you've met, practicing for interviews or doing anything else to help your career prospects. Keep moving forward. Momentum matters.

2. I will update my resume once a month. Especially in an economic downturn, your resume needs to be ready to send at a moment's notice. Make a note in your calendar to review this important document once a month to be sure it sells your skills and experience in the best possible way.

3. I will regularly review my online presence. While you're keeping your resume up-to-date, review your online professional presence as well. Google your own name and make sure the results reflect the image you want to project. Many organizations are now relying on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook for recruiting, so it's quite likely your next employer will review your online profile before seeing your official resume.

4. I will read or watch the news every single day. By keeping up with the news, you'll read about new companies forming, industries that are expanding despite the recession, upcoming events and more. You'll also arm yourself with things to talk about as you network. Chitchat is a big part of professional networking, and people often discuss topics straight from the headlines.

5. I will become an expert on the organization(s) I want to work for. In addition to keeping up with the general news, set up free keyword news alerts for the companies and industry you want to work for. This will ensure you are the very first to know when the organization appears in a news story, press release or blog -- invaluable knowledge when you're networking within your industry or selling yourself in a job interview.