It’s the start of another year! Have you set all your goals for the year? Setting goals at the start of the year is a great way to keep you on track, and improve your performance and outlook on life. When you set professional goals at work, you can be sure to achieve growth and satisfaction in your career.
Keep in mind though, that your goals need to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. So what do these goals look like, and how can they be achieved within the year? Here are some examples of professional goals for work:
- Learn Something New – Take charge of your professional growth by learning something new! By acquiring new skills you become a more valuable employee and a more likely candidate for promotions. There are plenty of ways to learn. Here at CoDev, we give our team members various opportunities for learning, including monthly learning sessions, developer meetups, online courses, and participation in local industry events. You could learn new skills related to your current field of work, or learn something entirely new that interests you. Whatever you choose to learn, make sure to include them in your resume, get certifications where applicable, and practice what you learn whenever you get the chance.
- Build Your Network – Having a large network of trusted, like-minded professionals is a great resource. A network like this can help you learn more about your chosen field, get connected to the right people to ask for help, and even help you land the job you really want. Here at CoDev, our open door policy ensures that every team member can reach out to just about anyone else in the team, right up to the CEO! We also encourage mentoring among our team leaders, so all our team members always have access to the people who can help them the most.
- Prioritize Feedback – If you haven’t already, learn to ask and be more open to feedback, as well as give constructive feedback. Getting feedback will help you grow and improve in your position, and also guide you on what goals you need to set for yourself in order to improve. Giving feedback will help your company better support you, and encourage great working relationships and environment. At CoDev, we make sure all of our team members get the feedback they need through regular one-on-ones and annual performance evaluations. Everyone is also encouraged to offer their feedback through our company-wide surveys, one-on-ones, and instant messaging.
- Improve Your Soft Skills – A lot of people often take soft skills for granted, but these skills can be just as important, and sometimes even more important than your hard skills. Anyone can learn technical skills like coding, but not everyone can work harmoniously with a whole new team, solve problems systematically, or manage their time most efficiently. Soft skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, critical thinking, and decision making are vital skills for any role. Assess your skill level on these soft skills through self examination and feedback, and improve your proficiency through training. CoDev offers several learning opportunities for those who want to develop their soft skills, including monthly learning sessions and online courses.
- Take on New Challenges – Perhaps things have become monotonous at work. Liven things up by identifying and taking on new challenges. If you’re a software developer for instance, you could experiment with new ways of coding, take on other responsibilities, or learn about new approaches and technologies that could benefit both you and your team. By doing so, you could become an even more valuable member of the team.
The process of improvement isn’t easy, but it is always well worth it. By setting your professional goals at work now, you take intentional steps towards achieving them, and the growth and success you want and deserve.
Make the coming year the best for your career. Set your career goals and achieve them with CoDev. Here at CoDev, we give our team members every opportunity to reach their full potential, while also ensuring they have the right work-life balance. Come and join our team! Visit careers.codev.com/job-list/ to get started.