A Guide on How to Take Actionable Steps to Boost Your Career in 2024
The holidays are officially dusted off and we are making our way into the new year. 2024 is forecasted to be a pivotal year that could come with exciting advancements but also unique challenges, especially for candidates.
One big example of those hurdles has been that the job front has started to move away from a candidate-driven market. There have been an influx of layoffs, downsizings, and budget cuts in Medical Affairs, which means more competition for that position you may be targeting this year.
With more competition comes a need for a smarter strategy to achieve where you want to go in your career! It’s one thing to write down your goals for the new year, but how can you take the appropriate steps to make sure you hit those. Below are 8 suggestions to help you take actionable steps to boost your career to that next level.
- Cleanse your workspace first and foremost. Remove those stacks of paper that have started to collect dust on your desk and scan any documents you want to keep. Throw away the rest. Organize your at-home office and make it a space you enjoy and want to spend most of your day in! A clean workspace is closely correlated to increased productivity.
- Write down your previous year’s accomplishments and build your future goals based on those. Get specific! If you are needing some help to get started, here are some great questions to ask yourself as you frame your goals:
- What is the type of work environment you thrive in the most?
- How do you want to interact with colleagues and external stakeholders?
- How do you want to react to objections or hurdles?
- What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
- Update your LinkedIn to support those goals. For example, if you are wanting to move to a Medical Trainer role, does your LinkedIn profile include that you have trained and mentored MSLs?
- If you need to revamp your LinkedIn, check out our dedicated blog on updating your LinkedIn profile.
- Make sure your resume includes all relevant initiatives that your next position would want. Add in all the projects and honors you were a part of last year. Remember key dos and don’ts as you make these edits as mentioned in our most recent resume blog.
- Break down your goal to help you formulate actionable steps. Get a calendar out and write down target dates and create a roadmap for how best to get there. I recommend starting with the target end date and breaking the goal down from there: What do you want done in the first month, the first quarter, etc.
- I personally use a Passion Planner to navigate my goals. It includes a map for long-term planning, breaking it down, and then a monthly and weekly view.
- Revisit your goal on a regular basis! Create check-ins with yourself (whether that’s monthly, weekly, quarterly) to make sure you stay on track. Be grateful for the progress you’ve made but also be honest and pivot your goals based on what has happened thus far.
- Be kind to yourself. Goals are meant to be tough! Continuously having a positive mindset and looking at things more “glass half full” will really help catapult you to the next level.
- Make a point to reconnect with others!
I hope this helps you learn a little bit more about how to achieve your goals. The entire team at PharmaFinders is here to help you on your journey, so don’t be afraid to reach out to us to pick our brains or ask about positions we may be working on.
The hardest part of achieving any goal is the first step, and you can take it.
Cheers to a fantastic 2024!