6 Ways to Revamp Your Career in 2020 (And the Tools to Help You Do it)

January is the month of New Year’s resolutions, and one of the most common is to revamp your career. Whether you’re looking for a new job or want to grow in your current position, setting goals for career success is one of the best things you can do for yourself—especially if you already have self-improvement on your mind. We rounded up some of the best advice we’ve covered for boosting your career and setting reachable goals for yourself, as well as some of our favorite recommendations for products to help you get there.

It might seem obvious, but one of the first steps you should take is making sure your resume is in good shape. We rounded up some of the most common resume mistakes to avoid, including adding personal interests and including internships and academic activities after a certain level. And if you really want to upgrade your resume and stand out from the pack, there are tons of resume templates you can download on websites like Canva and even Etsy.

Buy: Resume Template, starts at $0.25 on Etsy

There are plenty of ways to take a class or learn a new skill—and you don’t even have to leave your house to do it. Online courses have become hugely popular lately, with classes available for everything from hobbies like knitting and calligraphy to practical skills like coding and Excel. Check out MasterClass for classes taught by experts in photography, writing, and entrepreneurship (among others), or LinkedIn Learning to become knowledgeable in programming, spreadsheets, and content management systems like WordPress.

Buy: LinkedIn Learning, $29.99/month (after one month free trial)

Trying to increase your productivity with all this hustling? One simple step is to commit to writing a to-do list every day. This can be as easy as committing your daily routine to paper, or can get more specific with clearly defined daily goals and dedicated time to complete them. Whatever you choose, we have plenty of tips to keep you focused and stop procrastinating. One tool we love? The Productivity Planner, which uses the Pomodoro technique to help you make the most out of your day.

Buy: The Productivity Planner, $26 from Urban Outfitters

Don’t underestimate the power of networking. Leverage your LinkedIn connections and extended network to reach out to people who are in your field, or ones who have similar roles in a field you’re interested in learning more about. Don’t forget to keep your inbox organized—there’s nothing more frustrating than an important email getting lost in your inbox or spam folder.

There’s nothing like a career rut to kill your confidence. Make it a priority to work on your confidence and grow more assertive in the workplace, especially if one of your goals is to ask for a raise or promotion. We asked for some tips from a licensed therapist here, and there are other plenty of manageable yet important things you can do to help yourself get there. One thing you can do if you have five minutes and need some inspiration? Watch some of our favorite TED Talks.

Feeling stuck and looking for motivation? There are an endless number of books out there that can deliver from much-needed inspiration and help you get started. One of my personal favorites is Designing Your Life, which was written by two designers who realized design principles could be used in order to create a more meaningful life. What started as a course at Stanford has since turned into a movement, with a book, workshops, and a blog.

Buy: “Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life” by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans, $25.95 $16.23 on Amazon