Posted on Jan 16, 2020

The new year brings new beginnings and is the perfect time to take a step back and set some career goals for the upcoming months. If you’ve already let your New Year’s Resolutions fall by the wayside (hey, we’ve all been there), or you just have no clue where to begin, there’s still time to start afresh and set realistic goals you’ll be able to keep. Remember, they don’t have to be big – even small changes can make a huge difference to your Retail career.

Here, we’ve created some resolutions for your career that are important, impactful and attainable. Most importantly, they’ll jumpstart your career this year.

As the Retail industry changes rapidly, there is an opportunity to upskill and put yourself ahead of the pack. Industry reports have shown there is a demand for everything from experience in change management and e-commerce, to foreign language skills.

But where do you start? We know how overwhelming it can be to figure out where to target your professional development efforts with so many options, let alone keep it up when life gets busy. Rather than stretch yourself too far and run the risk of throwing in the towel in your first month, focus on becoming competent in just one new thing. Look for online courses or chat to your supervisor about the new skill you’d like to explore and see if there is an opportunity to gain practical experience on the job while upskilling.

For example, if you want to work on your social media skills, you could contribute to your company’s Instagram content strategy. Or if you want to improve your financial acumen, see if you can study behavioural finance and find a mentor who is willing to discuss your learnings in the context of your business.

Not only will these new skills help you feel more engaged with your existing role, but they may also improve your future career opportunities as well.

As an experienced Retail professional, you are in a position to give back to your industry and help more junior members of your team who are starting out in their careers. Altruistic as this may sound, there’s also some juicy benefits you’ll unlock for your own career (need we say more?). Not only will it help hone your skills as a coach and manager, but mentoring can also help raise your professional reputation. And let’s not forget the rewarding experience of watching the positive impact you can have on others.

Supporting your industry can also include working more closely with colleagues at your own level. This might be amplifying the voice of a person whose idea needs backing. Or, it could mean pushing through internal initiatives or programs that benefit diverse groups of workers in your business, such as greater flexibility or work/life balance initiatives.

In all cases, you will be improving relationships with a wide range of colleagues and gaining experience in people management and interpersonal skills. Plus, you never know when people you’ve helped might want to repay the favour.

Going to industry events might be commonplace in your role, but this resolution is more about what you do when you’re there. Rather than stick to the people you know, force yourself out of your comfort zone and network with new industry colleagues. This will help you grow your professional connections and establish your personal brand as someone worth getting to know in the industry.

Connect with people on LinkedIn at the end of your conversation and send thoughtful follow-up messages if you’ve found people you’d like to meet with on a regular basis. Even better, see if you can check out who is attending the conference in advance and connect with them on LinkedIn to introduce yourself virtually before you meet them in person at the event.

At the end of the day, no amount of goal setting is going to get you where you want to go unless you put in the work. But by defining targets that are achievable and manageable, you’ll be well on your way to Retail career success this year.

People Equity are leaders in the Retail recruitment industry and can help support you with your next career move. Make contacting us the first New Year’s resolution you can tick off your list and set yourself up for this year.