4 Career Questions to Reflect on for the New Year
December 9, 2021
As a new year unfolds, it’s important to take the time to take stock of all that’s happened over the previous twelve months (as eventful as they were!), not just personally but also from the perspective of your career. Career reflection is the best thing you can do to get ready for the year ahead, allowing you to process your experiences and refocus your goals for the coming months.
Here are four big picture questions to reflect upon when setting your intentions for next year – we recommend being as honest as possible and writing down your answers so you can review them later.
1. How Would I Summarise This Year?
Looking back on all the ups and downs of this year is a great place to start your reflections. What are the notable experiences, events and milestones that stand out to you, whether positive or negative? Think about the key challenges you faced and where you did well.
In a year as testing as this year, it’s essential to focus not just on the difficulties but on how you overcame them. While everything may not have gone as planned, you can still use it as a learning experience to improve how you handle unforeseen circumstances in the future. Create a list of some of the specific lessons you learned – this will help you put the year into perspective and recognise how far you’ve come.
2. Did I Accomplish My Goals and Are They Still Relevant?
Reviewing your goals at the end of the year will help you improve your goal setting in the future by refining your priorities and establishing more realistic parameters. Did you achieve everything you wanted to in the past 12 months? And if not, what prevented you from doing so? Is a pay rise something you wanted and did you ask for it (learn how to ask for a pay rise)? In the areas you succeeded, determine how you accomplished this. What strategies can you take with you moving forward and what would you do differently?
Sometimes the goals we set don’t end up being as relevant as we expected. Remember not to get too attached to a particular objective if it no longer serves you – be prepared to let go of plans and pivot to something new if that’s what it takes to get where you want to go.
Tip: The best way to ensure your objectives remain pertinent is to set SMART goals – goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
3. Where Did I Drop the Ball?
For most of us, there is at least one area where we feel like we could have done better. Perhaps you didn’t master that new programming language the way you wanted to or struggled with managing the deadlines of a complex project.
By being honest with yourself about any performance issues or sticking points, you have the opportunity to try different approaches, get support where you need it and avoid falling into the same traps the next time around.
4. What Would a Successful Year Look Like?
The definition of success varies from person to person, so take the time to identify exactly what’s important to you and what you want to be working towards next year. This doesn’t just have to be about career advancement or reaching a new business milestone (though these are noble goals) – perhaps you want to improve your work/life balance, grow your professional network or develop your own web application in your free time.
Whatever a successful year means for you, don’t forget to write your vision down and display it somewhere to help keep you focused as you tackle the new year. You should also begin breaking your goal down into actionable steps – for example, if you’re aiming for the next step in your career, think about what training you might need to get there.
Summary
A new year can be filled with both possibilities and anxieties, but taking the time to reflect and reset will help you avoid becoming overwhelmed and be more intentional with your time and energy. Whether your year was a tough year or a successful one, reflecting on the questions above will give you the tools to plan your next steps and make a fresh start next year.
For support with reaching your business and career goals in the new year,
speak to our team of Digital & Technology recruitment specialists at Emanate Technology. From securing the
best tech talent for your organisation to finding your next opportunity in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra or Melbourne, we are here to help make next year your best year yet!
Discover why Emanate is the best technology recruitment agency in Australia. Learn how we support candidates and clients with expert IT hiring solutions.
Emanate Technology celebrates five major wins at the 2025 Sourcr Awards, recognising excellence in tech recruitment and strong client-candidate partnerships.
Navigating the complex and competitive market for tech jobs in Australia requires more than just an impressive CV or a slew of applications. Developing a strategy for building a robust professional network is just as important as your job application. In a time where employers...
Learn why culture fit is important, how to hire for culture fit, and what culture fit questions to ask when building or joining a high-performing team.
