A brand new year, a fresh start. So many use this as an opportunity to recycle the same tired resolutions. Eat better, quit drinking, exercise more. You know the story. We give these plans attention for the first few weeks but then forget them when that initial burst of motivation fizzles out.

This year, we challenge you to set some resolutions that will genuinely make a difference to your life. If you focus your resolutions on your career and get your head down to achieve them, you’ll be surprised how quickly people start to take notice.

Here are our 2024 resolutions to make this year your best one yet.

Create tangible career goals and chase them relentlessly

Let’s start with the most obvious. If you haven’t got clearly defined career goals outlining where you want to be in 2, 5 and 10 years, it’s time to start planning. By defining what it is you really want to achieve, you can start taking actionable steps to get there.

If you’ve never really given this too much thought, now’s the time to start. Think about what you really enjoy doing, what type of work makes you happy and the moments you’ve found yourself really performing your best. Then look to the market. Identify what those big career moves are and what steps you need to take along the way. This doesn’t have to involve moving agencies. It can be as simple as a smooth and precise route to progression within your current company.

Once you’ve got the goals in mind, it’s time to look at what steps you need to take to get there. Then the fun starts…

Grasp the nettle

We’ve all been there. It’s a cold and grey Monday morning. Your alarm screams at you that it’s time to get out of bed. Before you’ve even stepped foot in the shower, you’re thinking about how soon you can get back under the sheets. Today is going to suck.

Or maybe there’s a client that’s always a little too sharp with you. They have a difficult position to fill and you just keep putting off working the role because it’s so much of a headache. You know the payoff will be big if you get it right, but you just keep procrastinating.

This year, we challenge you to grasp the nettle. Confidently do the things you don’t want to do. By embracing the discomfort and leaning into the wind, you’ll discover what you’re made of. We grow in difficult situations and you’ll quickly recognise that the fear of doing the task was greater than the task itself.

Give it some umph!

Good enough. Two of the most dangerous words in the English language. Too often we fall into the trap of doing work that’s good enough. We’ll get by, no one will come to criticise us. We’ll sit in the middle of the pack and coast for a bit.

It’s very human to take the easy way out, and no one’s blaming you for it. People probably don’t even notice. But, what could you achieve if you really put in a bit of elbow grease? How good can you be? Raise the effort you put in by 10 or 20% and see what happens. We guarantee you’ll benefit from it and get a greater level of job satisfaction.

Focus on tomorrow

Always stay focused on what’s coming next. Do the work today that will benefit your tomorrow. And when you’re having a bad day, remember that you can start fresh and go again in the morning.

Recruitment by its very nature goes through peaks and troughs. Don’t take your foot off the pedal during the quiet moments and keep laying the groundwork that’ll pay off in the future.

Don’t waste time on poor quality candidates

Your time is money. Treat it as precious and don’t let poor quality candidates lead you in circles. If you’re having a bad feeling about something, don’t give them the benefit of the doubt, trust your gut and go find a more suitable option.

Hiring managers won’t take on a candidate that they’re not sure about, so increase your filters, be a little harsher and protect your time.

Network without intention

It’s not about what you know, it’s who you know. As a recruiter, your entire job is based around networking. Due to the sales aspect of the role, we can sometimes judge people we meet by the value they can offer us. Unfortunately, this is a poor barometer to use when meeting people in the industry.

If you’re at a client facing event, meeting, or celebration, be careful not to rule people out because they don’t offer you something of value initially. Be a social butterfly, leave a good impression and you never know what may come out of an introduction. Sometimes, just being in the room with the right people can lead to contracts, deals and opportunities further down the line.

Find a mentor & follow great leaders

No matter how successful you are, you can always learn more. To really excel in your career, it’s worth considering looking for a mentor. Look at your market, identify someone you feel really excels, someone whose work inspires you and introduce yourself.

This doesn’t need to be a formal relationship. It can be as simple as keeping tabs on the content they’re posting and learning from their lessons. Career growth never stops and the easiest way to do this is to find someone who you want to emulate.

Be more face-to-face

In an increasingly digital world, it’s the face-to-face interactions that really stand out to us. If you want to make yourself noticed, get in the room with your clients. Taking a few hours out of your day to travel to someone’s office, be present and build rapport will help distinguish you from the competition.

Invest in your personal brand

You need to be present and visible to be successful in recruitment. Unfortunately, personal brand and marketing can sometimes fall to the bottom of the list of priorities. Take the time out of your day to nurture your following and post the type of content they care about. This will build your presence, trust and authority within the sector. When you do this enough, people will start coming to you with opportunities. Find more tips on how to build your personal brand here.

Take some time for yourself

It’s easy to sit here and tell you how you’ll progress in your career if you really drive for it. After all, performance is so closely related to how much you really want it. However, we’re not robots and that’s worth remembering in an industry like ours. The high pace, long hours, and intensity of recruitment can take a toll.

It’s important to keep your life balanced and take time for yourself. You can’t always work at 100%. You shouldn’t take work home with you. And, you’re not superhuman. Taking the time to look after yourself will undoubtedly help you perform Monday to Friday.

If you’re not happy, make a change

Work shouldn’t be an eternal struggle. Of course, we all have tough periods in our jobs, but if you’re genuinely unhappy, it might be time for a change. If you’re struggling to consistently strive to perform well, unable to face the prospect of heading into the office, and can’t find motivation to try, it’s asking a few tough questions.

The first step to making a change is to identify what’s causing the problems. As well as this, it’s important to identify what you do enjoy and want more of. Then take the steps needed to find yourself in a position that will give you satisfaction. We spend nearly half our lives working, it’s important not to spend that time miserable.

Even the best candidates can feel dragged down by a bad agency or poor culture. If you’re looking for a change, reach out today for an impartial, confidential conversation about what you’re looking for from your career. Alternatively browse our job board to get a feel for the type of opportunities we currently have on offer.