Welcome to the New Year. By now some of you may already have decided that this is the year that you are going to further develop your career. An easy decision to make while walking along on the beach or toasting your new year's resolution, but how many of you have actually thought about what you are going to do and how you will go about achieving your career/life goals?

The New Year career

Development resolution is a common phenomenon with the first few months of the year being a popular time when people decide to look for other roles or opportunities within their organisation. Often the break over Christmas and the overall spirit of the festive season can provide people with the time and opportunity to think about their life and career. For many it's an opportunity to reassess what is important to them and to consider future career development opportunities.

But a decision to develop your career or to look for other internal opportunities is not something that should be thought of casually or undertaken lightly.

The “sea change” career/life move for example is often made when people are on holidays. It is during this time that people may decide that they have had enough of their busy life in the city and think that moving to a quieter location will bring them all the happiness in the world, with the same role, income and benefits of their previous life. While this may work for some, for many it's a very different story with challenges and disappointing results.

Before taking your next career development opportunity there are a number of things you need to think about, these include;

• Your long and short term career/ life goals. This is particularly important because clearly defining and focussing on your career and life goals will help you to monitor your career development and to look for internal opportunities that meet your needs. At this stage it may be helpful for you to refer to any relevant recent performance review or career development discussion notes.
  
• The needs of any relevant family members or partner. This is important to consider if you are seeking career development opportunity which may involve relocation (inter/intrastate or overseas) or any period of separation.
  
• The needs of your organisation or the business. Your organisation may be undergoing changes now or in the future that may result in career development opportunities that suit your new needs and work/life goals.
  
• Your financial needs. A career development opportunity may result in a change in your salary or benefits. Some changes may result in an increase, while others may result in a decrease or change in these areas. It is important to understand your lifestyle needs, financial obligations and commitments before hand.
  
• Understand the “opportunity costs” of any development opportunities that you make. For example, in order to spend more time with your family/friends you may decide to look for career development opportunities within your organisation that provide you with more work/life flexibility. This may be achieved by discussing and negotiating a flexible/alternate work practices with your manager in your current role or looking for other internal opportunities.
  
• Conduct a self assessment. Before looking for new opportunities it may be helpful to understand more about yourself through a self assessment. For example, can you answer these questions?
  
  What parts of my work do I find satisfying?
  What skills do I prefer to use?
  What skills do I want to develop or further develop?
  What possible constraints do I need to consider or feel are a barrier to my current career/life satisfaction?
  
  Conducting a career and self assessment can take time but is a worthwhile investment. There are a number of books (For example- What colour is my parachute- By Richard Boller) on the market which can assist you to conduct a career or self assessment. Alternatively this can also be a useful time to investigate what career assessment tools or resources are available within your organisation or to seek the advice of a career coach. You might also find it helpful to discuss your ideas with your manager or human resource consultant.
  
• Seek internal opportunities that suit your skill set and preferences. For some people further developing their career will involve looking at internal roles that enable them to transfer their skills to another part of the business. This is where understanding you skills set are important. It is also important during this time to know where to look for new internal career opportunities, for example through on-line advertising, word of mouth, via networking or from manager/colleague referrals.
  
• Seek a broad range of advice and information - In order to ensure that you are taking on the right career development opportunities it is worth while seeking advice and conducting your own research. However, it is important to remember that different people will have their own idea about what is the right development opportunity for you. Don't disregard their opinions, listen, weigh them up and make a decision which you feel is right and suits you, any relevant family members or your partner.

A decision to further develop your career is not something that should be undertaken lightly. In order to make the most of any opportunity and to minimise the possible negative impacts it is important that you do your research, conduct a self /skills assessment, use your internal resources and dedicate the time to finding the right opportunity for you.

Best of luck for the year.