How to Make a Career Plan for the New Year
At the start of every new year, you may make New Year’s resolutions. The common list of resolutions includes implementing lifestyle changes to improve your health, making a financial plan to spend less and save more, traveling around the world, reading more books, or trying a new hobby, among others.
However, an important area to consider as you enter the new year is the status of your career or your future career goals. Making a career plan for the new year can help you explore if you are content with your current job or if you would like to either change your direction or increase your skills to advance in your current field.
Making a career plan for the new year is a good time to reflect on what you have already accomplished in your career, recharge your career in a fresh direction, and reimagine your career plan to a new level.
Reflect
Before making a career plan for the new year, think about what has happened in the current year. A 2025 article on LinkedIn advocates that individuals and organizations reflect and reset for the new year. The closing of a year is a great time to reflect and evaluate if you met your career goals. You can also examine what you like and don’t like about your current role.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- What worked and what didn’t, both in your personal and career life?
- What obstacles were present, and how did you deal with them?
- Did you learn anything about yourself in your career choice, work setting, or personal relationships?
Reflecting on your successes in the past year and how you handled challenges can help shape your career plan for the new year. It can provide insights on whether you want to advance in your current career field or change direction to a different field.
Recharge
In addition to reflecting on your current career status, the end of the year is a great time to recharge and rest to help you make a career plan for the new year.
We all need rest to function well, but we rarely take the time to rest fully. Whether you are currently in your career or a busy student trying to balance studying for exams, working, and handling other responsibilities, it can be challenging to recharge. The holiday season can add even more pressure and stress to your already time-consuming schedule, but it is essential for your well-being to make rest a priority.
Seven types of rest have been identified including physical rest, mental rest, sensory rest, emotional rest, social rest, creative rest, and spiritual rest. Take time to recharge and incorporate restful rhythms into your life. Some ways to incorporate rest are to take a walk and enjoy nature, decrease your time on technology to appreciate time together with family and friends, plan a fun and relaxing time away, and reconnect through meditation or prayer.
Reimagine
Part of making a career plan for the new year is reimagining your career. Think about your career in new, creative, and different ways, with the goal of improving your current profession or changing your career.
When reimagining the direction for your career or entering a new career field, there are steps to think about for professional growth.
The 5 P’s of professional growth to help you make a career plan for the new year include:
- Purpose: Think about your passion and what motivates you in your job. What helps give you purpose personally and professionally?
- Personal brand: Your personal brand is what makes you unique. It consists of the skills and qualities you possess and bring to the job. Your personal brand is important to consider when creating a career plan. Also, promoting your personal brand can create new opportunities in your job by demonstrating your special value.
- People: When reimagining your career and making a career plan for the new year, seek out mentors in your current or chosen career field who can share their insights. Connect with others through social media job platforms or through professional networking.
- Performance: Creating a career plan for the new year needs to incorporate work-life balance and consider your personal well-being. Making time for you will help your personal and career satisfaction and performance.
- Plan: Making a career plan for the new year provides you with a framework for steps to take to reach your career goals. Review your plan periodically and make adjustments as needed to help you stay on track.
Goal Setting
To advance in your career or when choosing another career field, consider the direction you want to head, where you see yourself in a year or more, and what skills and abilities you will need.
A popular method of goal setting is the SMART goals method: setting goals or objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely (the acronym SMART). For instance, you could set a goal of enrolling in an education program. Here is how you could use the SMART method:
- Specific: Define clearly and specifically what you want to achieve by enrolling in a program and determine your time frame for reaching that goal. An example could be to increase your professional network connections over the next year.
- Measurable: Track your progress. Are you keeping your schedule of study hours per week to complete your coursework and obtain success? Or have you increased your network contacts and by how many? Have you reached out to a mentor?
- Attainable: Be realistic. Do you have the resources needed? Is the goal that you set attainable within your defined time frame? Or do you have to adjust your goal due to other life commitments?
- Relevant: Does the program provide the coursework and training needed to pursue your career goals? Will you reach the goals of your career plan for the new year within the time frame that you set?
- Timely: Set a time frame for reaching your goal. For example, in a self-paced program or course, define your time frame for beginning and completing the program.
There are many resources available to help you with goal setting. Indeed also offers helpful information on how to write SMART goals.
Other general tips to consider for defining your goals include:
- Decide what skills you already have and what area ignites your interests and passion.
- Use career assessment tools to explore and identify additional skills and interests.
- If making a career change, decide why you want to change careers.
- Research job opportunities in the career area that you are considering.
When Considering a Career Change
If you are making a career plan for the new year that includes training for a different career field, consider online study courses for the skills that you will need.
Blackstone Career Institute (BCI), an accredited school, offers many online programs for careers in allied health, legal, and service fields. The BCI admissions team can help determine if a program is a fit for your career goals.
Concluding Thoughts
Remember that making a career plan for the new year can take time, but it is time well spent and an investment in your future.
Goal setting improves your chances of success and helps you stay determined and motivated. Checking your goals periodically and fine-tuning them helps you keep your commitment and gives you both a sense of accomplishment and growth.
Written by Jo Gambosi
