2021 is drawing to a close. This is the best time for career review and some serious planning for 2022. So, here are some excellent self-reflection questions for your end-of-year career review so you can achieve more success and growth in your career.
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These self-reflection questions are meant to give clarity. They help in coming up with new ideas and options that skyrocket career success.
Moreover, these coaching questions apply to all professionals, irrespective of industry and designation. So, feel free to use these questions and engage in a frank and thorough review.
Once you have answered these questions, you can begin preparing your strategy and action plan for the year 2022.
Importance of the End-of-Year Career Reflection
Year-end review of career is significant for various reasons.
Firstly, just like any other self-reflection exercise, this review will help you come up with new ideas and options. You can use the insights for setting ambitious career goals.
Second, the process of year-end career review encourages you to see things differently. This will lead to creative breakthroughs.
Other than this, end-of-year review allows you to explore your experiences in-depth, from a specific frame of reference. As a result, you gain a crystal clear understanding of your underlying motivations, challenges and aspirations.
All this naturally translates into enhanced self-awareness, increased confidence, smarter career choices, better relationships at work, so on and so forth. And you kick-open gateways for reaching new professional heights in your career effortlessly !
10 End-of-Year Career Review Questions To Speed Up Your Career Advancement
Here are some big picture questions for you to consider and reflect upon:
- What do I enjoy most (and least) about my current role?
- How effective am I in my current role?
- What do my close colleagues and stakeholders think of my leadership and managerial effectiveness?
- What are the most useful knowledge and skills I learnt in my current role this year?
- What are my 3 greatest career lessons this year?
- Am I ready for the next level role? Am I really ready?
- What would be an absolutely ambitious leadership role for me now, if I had no constraints?
- What is stopping me from pursuing that absolutely ambitious leadership role?
- What skills and talents would I like to develop or attain in the next 12 months?
- What are my top three priorities for 2022 that will help me fast track my career success?
Useful Tips For Your Personal End-of-Year Career Review
Self-reflection can definitely fuel your professional success. What’s important is that you must do it the right way. So, here are some tips to make the year-end career review process worth your while.
Hints for Answering Career Review Questions
1. What do I enjoy most (and least) about my current role?
Hint: Picture doing the things that bring you alive and make you feel warm in your heart. And write down all the things that come to your mind.
Next, tap into the things that you might not yet know you enjoy. For this, ask yourself:
- What am I curious about? What would I like to know more about, or perhaps try doing?
- As if I were away from all of the pressures and stressors, What would my dream day at work look like?
Once you have given each of these questions the time and thought they deserve, scribble out a messy list of all the things that come to mind.
2. How effective am I in my current role?
Hint: While answering this question, many people make the mistake of just listing their job duties. Don’t do that!
Focus on results, achievements, statistics, numbers, etc. Think about how you performed.
And stay objective. Avoid being hijacked by your emotions.
It is important that you adopt a growth mindset while measuring and tracking your effectiveness in the current role. Because, the insight you will gain by doing so will give you a clarity about what is happening now and how you can do even better.
You will get a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, you will be able to make strategic career choices with ease and no ambiguity.
3. What do my close colleagues and stakeholders think of my leadership and managerial effectiveness?
Hint: Seek feedback in connection with your attitude, mannerisms and observable habits in the workplace. And use this feedback to learn more about yourself, enhance your self awareness, and maximise your potential.
4. What are the most useful knowledge and skills I learnt in my current role this year?
Hint: Recollect all the learnings that are going to make a difference in your credibility, productivity and performance. Also, note down the professional development milestones you have achieved to analyse your progress yourself.
5. What are my 3 greatest career lessons this year?
Hint: The lessons you learn can come out of both successes and failures. They can be some surprises and also some experiences that you hope to never forget.
The following reflection should lead you to the lesson or lessons learnt:
- Think about your best as well as worst work experiences this year?
- Recall the project, team, role, activities, etc with specificity.
- Identify the words you would use to summarise the project or experience.
6. Am I ready for the next level role? Am I really ready?
Hint: Analyse whether you are absolutely prepared in your mind and in skills for the additional stresses and commitments that come hand-in-hand with a promotion.
7. What would be an absolutely ambitious leadership role for me now, if I had no constraints?
Hint: Think about an ambitious career goal. You can always be better than what you think you could possibly be. So, set ambitious goals to reach your full potential and multiply your professional success.
8. What is stopping me from pursuing that absolutely ambitious leadership role?
Hint: Become aware of what is happening now in your career. And identify the obstacles that are getting in the way or not working well for you.
9. What skills and talents would I like to develop or attain in the next 12 months?
Hint: Write down the skills and personality traits you would like to develop or enhance so as to unleash your full potential and maximise your career success.
10.What are my top three priorities for 2022 that will help me fast track my career success?
Hint: Set professional development priorities that will help you continue to find success in your role and at workplace.
Things To Remember
Self-reflection can definitely fuel your professional success. What’s important is that you must do it the right way. So, remember the following 5 points as you engage in self-reflection to propel your career forward:
– Don’t judge yourself. Write everything that comes to mind.
– Keep a record so you can review it again.
– Do not speak or type. Instead, write your answers down.
– Be honest with yourself.
– Adopt the attitude of positivity to discover your successes and learnings. Remember, every failure Is a lesson learnt about your strategy. So, focus on the possibilities.
Wrapping Up
The purpose of this article is to give you a list of 10 questions for your personal end-of-year review.
I hope you found this post helpful, and that you will take the time out to answer these questions before the New Year!
If you are naturally ambitious and you want to achieve ever-higher levels of authority, influence and impact but you sometimes wonder how to go about growing your worth at the workplace, feel free to connect with me for 1-on-1 consultations online.
My consulting framework is backed by behaviour science-based proven tools, techniques and strategies, so you can put your best foot forward and thrive in your career.