The new year brings new joys and new aspirations. It’s the best time to assess yourself career wise as well. What went well last year for you and what went wrong. Also, most important what is it that you can do this year for yourself and to advance your career.

Here are 3 secrets that will help you to assess and Advance your career this year:

Investment

Only long-term investments bear desirable results. Be it with money or career, investment is necessary.

1. Set aside a budget to train and certify yourself. A Rs.1000 pizza can instead buy you a well sought after technical skill.
2. Set aside time every two weeks that you will invest to upskill yourself. 15 hours in 2 weeks, doable?
3. Like any other investment, keep an eye if your career investments are bearing results. E.g., You might have purchased the training program but did you complete it?

Gear Change

Assess your current technical skills against the market trends and if you feel you are fast getting outdated, switch gears.

1. Upskill and Certify yourself through trainings, blogs, conferences, etc. It’s comparatively easy to venture into new territory with a certification in hand.
2. Find out if your organization would let you shift to a technology you like. Ask them point blank, make friends who can help you do the lateral switch.
3. Explore Opportunities in the market. Find out if the new skills can find you a better job outside.

Advertise

From movie stars to politicians, everyone needs to advertise themselves today to grab the attention. You are no different.

1. Update your resume with your current experience and new-found skills. Keep your resume updated every quarter.
2. Use social channels like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter to let the world know your newly achieved skill set.
3. Contributing to the tech community in a however small manner will help you gain confidence and grab the limelight.