
Many people take January as a time to reflect and make resolutions for the year ahead. And it pays to set some career goals this early.
"The most successful professionals are proactive," says career coach Phoebe Gavin, "taking time now to set clear intentions and steadily working toward them throughout the year."
Gavin suggests starting out by defining your work goals for 2025. She lumps them into two categories, internal goals to reach within your company and external goals outside of your company. Ask yourself, do you want "a new or deeper skillset, a promotion, a new job, a raise or a career shift?" she says. Then see which category they fall into and "plan backward and identify the actions that will get you there."
Here's how.
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'Build stronger relationships with colleagues'
Say your goals for the year are internal, like landing new projects or getting a raise or a promotion within your current company. You'll want to make it clear your contributions match the organization's goals and to document your accomplishments so you have proof of success.
You'll also want to "build stronger relationships with colleagues, supervisors, clients and cross-functional partners," says Gavin, adding that "advancement hinges not just on merit but also on how confident decision-makers are in your ability to deliver."
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That comes down to trust, which you can foster by filing quality work, meeting deadlines, contributing in huddles and investing in work relationships by having genuine conversations about people's lives in and outside of the office.
Regular conversations with your colleagues will also give you a sense of what leadership cares about most.
'Networking helps uncover opportunities'
If your goals are more external, like getting a new job or switching careers, or if you're out of work and looking for a job, Gavin recommends expanding your network by joining a professional association and attending their professional development events or conferences.
"Networking helps uncover opportunities, inside information and introductions that can set you apart in today's competitive hiring environment," she says. You can also look into upskilling and getting certifications that will make you a better fit for the role you want.
Finally, she also recommends updating your resume and LinkedIn to align with your target role.
"Updating your resume proactively minimizes the stress of application deadlines, so you can focus on high-impact adjustments" if any are needed, she says. And reflecting the job you want in your LinkedIn profile ensures you're visible to recruiters looking to hire for that role.
"They can't hire you if they can't find you," she says.
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