2021 is here, and with it come new opportunities to revive your old passions and discover new ones. Whether your New Year’s Resolutions involve landing a job or continuing to move up in your current one, it’s important to stay inspired to explore new possibilities.

The post-holiday season is also when many companies increase their hiring, so read on to find out how you can stay vigilant and motivated to achieve your career goals!

Sparking Your Job Search

LinkedIn connection after LinkedIn connection, resume after resume, interview after interview… The job search can easily become monotonous and exhausting, and you may feel lost and unsure of which path to choose. Here are a few key ways to stay resilient and maintain your drive.

Reflect on Yourself

Pinpoint your values, strengths, and tendencies to help illuminate potential next steps. Consider psychometric assessments like the Myers Briggs test or CliftonStrengths, which often suggest career choices based on personality traits. What Color is Your Parachute, an award winning book by Richard N. Bolles, may also help you determine how you can best apply your skills.

Visualize Your Goals

Tired of staring at job descriptions and cover letters? Visualizing specific career goals can better help you achieve them. Select images to represent these goals and display them where they can serve as a regular reminder to “help you visualize and focus on the things that are most important to you and your future,” advises entrepreneur Deep Patel.

Take a Break

Prevent burnout and refresh your senses by allowing yourself time to give yourself a break doing what you love. Whether you find inspiration by taking a walk in nature, having a meaningful conversation with a loved one, or creating a new art piece, ensure that you devote time to your mental, emotional, and physical wellness. You’ll find that taking some time off can drive your motivation and spark new ideas!

Reigniting Your Current Job

After a whirlwind of year-end activities, you may return to work feeling sluggish and disengaged. This doesn’t mean that you should hand in your two weeks’ notice; rather, you may just need to implement some inspirational habits into your work routine. Here are a few things you can do:

Be Curious

Pinpoint your values, strengths, and tendencies to help illuminate potential next steps. Consider psychometric assessments like the Myers Briggs test or CliftonStrengths, which often suggest career choices based on personality traits. What Color is Your Parachute, an award winning book by Richard N. Bolles, may also help you determine how you can best apply your skills.

Change Up Your Routine

Although routines are an important element of success, there will be a point where keeping the same routine for too long leads to diminishing returns. You don’t have to overhaul your whole schedule to make an impactful change; try changing the way you hold meetings or add a humorous line to your regular update email. Just a little bit of creativity can open the door for much more inspiration.

Leave Your Comfort Zone

Doing something risky will keep you interested while allowing you to develop yourself. Volunteer for a project that’s far away from your daily tasks, or reassess the way you do things now. You may end up finding ways to streamline a process or a more efficient communication channel. “[Creativity, courage, and inspiration] build up a little at a time by doing new things,” shares Fred Cook, a director at USC.

Above all, remember that you will power through. For an audiovisual boost, check out these 5 TED talks for job search inspiration. We hope these tips have motivated you to go out and find inspiration in your career journey. 

For more support with your career, book an appointment with your advisor on Beedie Community.