While I’m not much of a resolution-maker, I am a strong believer in new-year self-reflection.
The new year is a fresh opportunity to reevaluate, and maybe even reimagine, your career trajectory. It’s a chance to assess where you are, where you want to go, and what steps you need to take to bridge the gap.
Whether it’s aiming for a promotion, pivoting to a new industry, or finally taking steps toward that long-held dream job, this is the perfect time to set intentional goals and align your efforts with your vision.
The clarity and focus you create now can set the tone for a year of meaningful progress and achievement.
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Reflect on your career aspirations: Where do you see yourself in 2025?
Sound like something you’d like to do? OK, let’s get started!
Set aside some time to evaluate your current position and identify your career aspirations (promotion, new industry, leadership role, etc.).
Not sure where to begin? Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Am I happy in my current position?
- What are my long-term professional goals?
- Is my current position in line with these long-term professional goals? If not, where are the gaps?
- Am I excited by/motivated by the work that I do? The company I work for? If not, what would motivate me to achieve more?
Go easy on yourself: These questions are not always easy to answer. And here’s a tip: If you’re not sure if you’re happy, that likely means you’re not. Apathy is dangerous – it often signals that you’re stuck in a comfort zone that no longer serves your growth.
Take the time to reflect honestly on what excites you, what challenges you, and what aligns with your long-term aspirations. Recognizing dissatisfaction is the first step toward creating a career and life that truly fulfills you.
And if you’re lucky enough to be happy, fulfilled, and excited by where you’re at right now, that’s great! You can still use the following steps to build goals that further your progression and ensure you stay on the right path.
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Defining clear, achievable goals
While dreaming about your future is exciting – and essential – it’s not enough to have a single lofty goal, like “I want to be VP one day.” To turn that vision into reality, you need to break it down into actionable steps. By creating a roadmap with achievable milestones, you can measure your progress and stay motivated as you advance. These smaller goals not only provide a sense of accomplishment but also allow you to develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed when you finally reach that top role.
Ensuring your smaller objectives are SMART can significantly enhance their effectiveness. You’ve likely encountered the concept of SMART goals in the workplace – but did you know this framework is equally powerful when applied to your career goals?
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, SMART objectives means objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
When thinking about SMART goals to support your career vision, first start by identifying skills or experience you need to achieve your goals. Then think about certifications you could pursue to help you master a skill, or a project you could spearhead that is in line with your passions.
Or, if you’re already on track for a promotion, give yourself a deadline, and follow up with your manager if you don’t achieve it when you thought you should have.
Here are some examples of SMART goals for career advancement:
- Gain a senior-level role by Q3 2025.
- Complete a PMP certification by mid-year
- Learn SQL by the end of March
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The importance of keeping your resume and LinkedIn aligned with your growth
Now that you’ve done the hard part – digging deep to identify what’s missing, where you want to go, and the practical steps needed to get there – it’s time to put those insights in action.
With actionable goals and milestones in place, the next step is to align your resume and LinkedIn profile with your career vision.
Your and LinkedIn should evolve as you achieve new milestones. Make it a habit to review and update every few months to incorporate recent achievements and ensure they continue to align with your long-term goals.
An up-to-date LinkedIn profile and resume are essential if you’re serious about getting ahead in your career – you never know who’s going to visit your profile or ask to see your resume!
Tips for maintaining a living resume and LinkedIn:
- Keep track of accomplishments in real-time. I can’t emphasize enough how important this one is. It’s MUCH easier to write/talk about an accomplishment right after it happens, rather than recalling it months later. If you don’t have time to actually update your resume, just keep a Google doc and add notes about anything you’re proud of, right after it happens. Small wins, big breakthroughs – write them down. Include any related numbers. Future you will thank you, I promise.
- Refresh keywords to stay relevant to industry trends. I’m not actively looking for a job, yet I continuously add, subtract, and shuffle the skills on my LinkedIn profile based on what I’m currently passionate about. This ensures any visitor will see a profile that is current and relevant. You never know what opportunities may come your way!
Showcasing your career vision on your resume & LinkedIn profile
Your resume and LinkedIn profile aren’t just a record of what you’ve done – they’re a statement of where you’re headed. To convey your career vision, focus on showcasing your future potential.
Think of your resume as a marketing document that positions you as the perfect candidate for your desired role.
Tailor to reflect your desired role or industry
To make sure your resume speaks directly to the needs of the industry or role you’re pursuing, start by analyzing job descriptions for your target positions and noting the skills, qualifications, and keywords they emphasize. Make sure your resume incorporates these elements.
Pro tip: Use the same language and terminology found in the job descriptions to demonstrate alignment with the industry’s expectations.
Highlight key achievements that align with your aspirations
You probably have a lot of accomplishments over the years. The key is to be selective about what you include. Always keep a hyper-focus on accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to excel in your desired role. Think about metrics and outcomes that showcase your capabilities, leadership, and results-driven mindset.
Examples:
– If your goal is to transition to a leadership role, emphasize instances where you managed teams, led projects, or exceeded performance targets.
-For a career change, highlight transferable skills, such as problem-solving, communication, or strategic planning, with concrete examples of their application.
Add relevant skills, certifications, and accomplishments
Remember that certification you identified as part of your SMART goals? Once you get it, make sure to put it on your resume or LinkedIn profile. Your LinkedIn profile and resume should always be updated with all certifications and trainings that demonstrate your commitment to growth.
You may even want to add personal projects to your LinkedIn, if they support your vision.
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Telling your career narrative on LinkedIn and your resume
You have two key opportunities to tell your professional story: the About section on your LinkedIn profile and the Summary of Qualifications on your resume.
While the format and tone of these elements differ, they both serve a similar purpose: to communicate your career vision and value proposition in a powerful, impactful way.
Resume Summary of Qualifications
Your Summary will be much more concise and formal than your LinkedIn About section, but don’t let that stop you from adding details that place your career vision in context. You want your Summary to entice the employer to learn more about you and your qualifications. Frame your experience in terms of accomplishments to highlight impact and leadership.
- Instead of: “Experienced team manager”
- Say: “Leader of high-performing teams that achieve over 20% revenue growth, leveraging exceptional organizational and effective communication skills.”
LinkedIn About section
In your LinkedIn About section, you have more freedom to really share your career vision with the world.
The best LinkedIn About sections are conversational and dynamic. Use language that highlights your readiness for the next step by summarizing what you bring to the table and where you want to go.
Instead of starting your LinkedIn About section with a generic statement like, “I’m an experienced marketing manager with 10 years in digital advertising,” try weaving in a compelling story that highlights your unique impact. For instance: “I’m a strategic marketing leader with a 10-year track record of driving revenue growth, including a standout campaign where I led a cross-functional team to launch a digital strategy that boosted e-commerce sales by 35% in six months. It’s this combination of creativity, data-driven decision-making, and collaboration that drives my passion for crafting strategies that not only meet but exceed business goals.”
This approach not only showcases your experience but also gives the reader a tangible example of your success, making your profile more engaging and memorable.
Connecting the dots with transferable skills
Writing your career story can feel especially challenging when you feel like there’s a long road ahead before you land that dream job.
The truth is you likely already have a wealth of transferable skills that can help connect the dots between where you are now and where you want to go. You just need to show those connections in your narratives.
Transferable skills, like leadership, problem-solving, communication, and project management, apply across industries and roles, making them invaluable for career changers or those seeking new opportunities.
Highlight how your core competencies align with your target role. For example, a marketer moving into project management could showcase experience in coordinating campaigns, managing timelines, and leading cross-functional teams. Similarly, aspiring leaders can emphasize initiatives they’ve spearheaded, team guidance, or strategies that delivered measurable results, even without formal leadership titles.
Demonstrating these skills shows readiness and adaptability in a new context.
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Conclusion
Setting clear career goals and aligning your resume with them is key to success in 2025. By reflecting on your aspirations, breaking them into actionable steps, and showcasing your future potential in your resume and LinkedIn profile, you’re actively shaping your career path.
Ready to take the next step? Start by aligning your resume and LinkedIn profile with your 2025 goals today – and watch how it opens doors to the future you’ve been working toward.
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