The new year is approaching rapidly, and November is Career Development Month—a time to reflect on the past year and set new goals for the year ahead. Achieving your career objectives is possible if you have a well-structured career development plan. A step-by-step plan will help you stay accountable and track your achievements.
Career Overview
Before you define your goals for the future, reflect on your previous accomplishments and challenges. Answer these questions:
- What are my top accomplishments?
- What skills did I utilize?
- Where did my career or skills grow?
- What challenges arose, and how did I resolve them?
- Did I accomplish my networking goals?
- Did I obtain my work-life balance goals?
Define Career Goals for Next Year
Create and define your goals for the new year. Consider reviewing your current job description or a job description for a position you aspire to have in the future. Write down your goals to stay on track and use the SMART method to make sure they’re achievable. Developmental goals help you gain new skills, knowledge, and expertise that contribute to your professional growth. These goals can help you stay current and relevant in your field while also opening new career opportunities.
Identifying Skill Gaps and Training Needs
You may notice after setting new goals that you lack the technical or soft skills to accomplish them. Steps to acquiring these goals might include earning certifications or finding a way to improve your leadership skills. Defining the type of skill gap and the training needed will make you stand out in the evolving industry trends.
Update Your Professional Brand
While reviewing your goals and accomplishments, update your LinkedIn profile, your career portfolio, and your resume. Recruiters are always on the search for great candidates, so an updated LinkedIn profile could set you apart from others.
Expand and Nurture Your Network
Your network connections are crucial for your career success. There are many platforms where you can grow your professional network:
- Attending industry conferences
- Connecting with professional and personal relationships on LinkedIn
- Offering to mentor or collaborate
- Joining local or nationwide industry groups
Create a Timeline and Accountability System
Create a timeline for the next year to track your goals and stay accountable. Each quarter, break down small goals such as starting a professional development course, updating your LinkedIn, mentoring goals, attending an industry event, or updating your resume.
Career development will require flexibility. Be adaptable to changing deadlines caused by life circumstances, job market fluctuations, and industry trends. Career development plans can begin at any time of year. Don’t hesitate—your career is your most important investment, so start planning now!
About Express Employment International
Express Employment International supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and affiliated brands, including Specialized Recruiting Group and Express Healthcare Staffing. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Last Updated on October 28, 2025
