By Lise Stransky.

This is a great time to reflect on the last year and consider what we want to do differently in the new year.  As we say au revoir to 2016 and bonjour to 2017, instead of proclaiming another resolution for change, review this calendar action plan to get you thinking about your career resolutions for 2017.

Every year, my husband and I sit down and brainstorm the things we would like to accomplish in the year to come. At the same time, we look back and revisit our highlights from the past year. We divide our annual to-do list into five categories – Family, Individual, Child 1, Child 2, and House. We finalize and post this list on our fridge, and keep each other accountable. Though our method lacks the traditional SMART approach to goal setting, I am happy to report that we accomplished all but three items on our 2016 list of 36!

DOWNLOAD YOUR 2017 CPC CAREER RESOLUTION CALENDAR

Here’s a more formal plan that will help you stick with your 2017 career-related goals. If you really want to stick to any goal, get clear on the outcomes you want. Ask yourself what it will take to achieve them. Set actions in your calendar to make time for your goals, and have accountability partners to keep you on track. And while you are at it, check out this CPC-inspired career resolution calendar and the checklist below. Made with the career professional in mind, it’s a career resolution checklist to help you thrive in 2017.

Take inventory through self-assessment and reflection: In order to achieve what you want in 2017, the first step is to know yourself. Where to start? Answer the following:

• Am I happy in my current role? Why or why not?
• What do I like about my job, culture, employer?
• What don’t I like? How/Can I fix it?
• What am I doing well in my job? Where do I want/need to improve?
• What is my opportunity for advancement? In what way do I want to advance and how do I do it?
• How do I want to develop professionally?
• What are my fears?
• What am I curious about?

Develop One New Important Skill. Those who do not learn, develop, and diversify are vulnerable to today’s labour market forces. This year, commit to developing one new important skill. What does that mean for today’s career professionals? It means learning a new skill that is in high demand. Take an inventory of what skills your repertoire lacks and choose one to focus on.

Become a Higher Quality Professional. No matter how finely tuned you are as a professional, there’s always room to improve your game. What can you do better? Taking more care with your work, spending more time maintaining your current network, treating others with more respect, enforcing boundaries, sending “thank yous,” and making a conscious effort to help others? Becoming a better professional will have a profound effect on your relationships and your career – a difference you will see almost immediately.

Grow Your Network. Make a list of the people you’d like to add – people that can help move your career to the next level. Invest in your current network for introductions and strengthen bonds by helping others. Take inventory of your progress each month and re-assess as needed.

DOWNLOAD YOUR 2017 CPC CAREER RESOLUTION CALENDAR

CPC’s 2017 Career Resolution Checklist 

January

• Login to your CPC Profile and update your information. Don’t forget to include a picture!
• Review the courses, certifications, and events available through your membership with CPC, and plan your year.
• Go through the perks of membership – are you using them all?
• Log in to your LinkedIn account, add your CPC membership to your profile, and join the CPC LinkedIn Group.

February

• Assess your competencies against The Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (S&Gs).
• Commit to learning one new skill. Considering certification? Look over CPC’s courses and certification comparison chart to select the best option.
• Find an accountability partner, or create your own personal board of directors. Visit the CPC Membership Directory and reach out to fellow members.

March

• You’ve reached the end of the first quarter of 2017.
• Tell your network about the courses and certifications you’ve taken through CPC.
• Take yourself out for lunch or coffee or go for a long walk, and consider how you are feeling about your career. What makes you happy? What would you like to change?

April

• Become an unofficial CPC Ambassador. Have you benefited from CPC membership? Introduce a career professional who is not a member to the organization through the CPC Member Referral Program.
• Login to the CPC Membership Directory and introduce yourself to a CPC member you have never met. Find out more about their area of expertise. Build your network.

May

• Start working on your nomination for the CPC Awards of Excellence (due July 1).
• Engage with a career professional to build a referral network, gather resources, or meet a challenge. If you have a gap in your skill set or personal offerings, a CPC Member could help.

June

• Register for the upcoming CPC Webinars. These virtual events are real-time networking and professional development presentations with online chats. Connect and network with other professionals and discuss a wide range of topics.
• Task yourself with reading a new professional book this month. Looking for inspiration? Ask other members what they recommend, or visit CPC’s online book store. 

July

• Reach out to someone you don’t know, who is not in the career development field, and ask them for a coffee to learn about an occupation you don’t know much about.
• Write a recommendation for a career professional colleague.

August

• Have you fallen behind with maintaining your online presence? Got new certifications or skills to add to your various profiles? Take some time to update your LinkedIn bio  and other social media and online profiles. Don’t forget to update your CPC Profile too!

September

• It’s International Update Your Resume Month. As a career professional, when was the last time you updated YOUR resume? Take some time to do it this month.

October

• Haven’t been to an in-person networking event in awhile? Find something in your community and sign up.
• Find out when the next CPC Mastermind Group starts and consider joining. This elite group meets regularly to interact on select topics of mutual interest.

November

• Login and join the conversations in the CPC Career Club. If you have a question about our field or industry, reach out to ask the community.

December

• It’s year end. Treat yourself to lunch, a coffee, or a long walk and think about the year gone by. What were the highlights of your career? What would you like to do differently?
• Start goal planning for next year. Get a head start on professional plans you’d like to achieve in 2018.
• Assess your competencies against The Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (S&Gs). Congratulate yourself on your successes!

DOWNLOAD YOUR 2017 CPC CAREER RESOLUTION CALENDAR

The CPC Career Resolution Calendar is an initiative of CPC’s Regional Ambassador Program.