Get Your Career Off to a Good Start in 2024

As the year begins many people plan forward progress in their careers. This article provides an overview based on my most useful advice from the past few years.

January 9, 2024

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5

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Photo by Lauren Sauder on Unsplash with additional text added.

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I was never a fan of flashback episodes on TV, it felt lazy; why write a new show when we can just take clips from old shows? I came for new laughs, not old ones.

Information, on the other hand, has the opposite problem. There’s often a disconnect between when you read information, and when you need that information. People like me may put out evergreen ideas, but when you read it, it may not be relevant, and when you need it, it is likely buried under millions of more recent posts and inbox clutter.

(This, by the way, is why I created Brain Bump, because you can save and direct what information you need, when and where you need it, instead of hoping someone throws it out into the world when you need it. You can get all key ideas from this blog, and many other books, blogs, podcasts, talks, and more in the app, all for free.)

That said, at the start of the year, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what people are thinking about. Some are trying to lose weight, others to drink less alcohol. For many, and certainly for readers of these articles, it’s a time to refocus on your career. Here are key ideas to start your professional year off right, chock full of “flashback clips” (i.e., links to the most useful prior articles).

Many of these posts apply to more than one category (and are tagged as such in on my website’s blog and in the tags for the blog tips and books tips on Brain Bump), but here I can only put them in one list. I’ve selected articles based on what has been the most popular with readers the last few years as well as what I think would be most impactful at the start of a new year.

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Career Development

These articles will help you build skills and advance your career.

3 Simple Steps to Move Your Career Forward -– Investing just a few hours per year will help you focus and advance in your career.
Open Source Your Mastermind Group — Mastermind groups are very popular, but they may not be the most cost-effective way to learn. This article breaks down their value components and alternatives.
Your Mentor Doesn’t Have to Come from Your Field — We often look to find a mentor from within our company or field. Taking a broader view can unlock a larger, better set of mentors.
How to Be Compelling at Your Annual Review — A tiny effort will help you impress your manager and get better results at your annual review.
Do You Know How to Get Promoted? — Most people want to be promoted but what needs to be done is often unspoken. Learning how to address this, as an employee or manager helps everyone.
You Put the Wrong Rock In First — When it comes to career planning most people focus on the wrong priorities, dooming their chances at happiness.
And You May Find Yourself Trapped Like a Frog in a Pot — Employees often shift expectations when faced with small job frustrations. Overall time the small changes add up, leading to an unhappy employee who doesn’t consciously realize it’s time to move on.
The Perfect Moment to Ask for a Raise or Promotion — Asking for a raise or promotion is technically and emotionally challenging. Doing it the right way greatly increases your chances of success.
Don’t Wait to Be Promoted, You Can Promote Yourself Today — We often think we need our managers to get us the raise or promotion, in truth, it's mostly under our control to make that happen.
How Do You Define Leadership? How Does Your Boss? — Simple questions often have the most complex answers. A small discussion can have huge ramifications for your likelihood of promotion.

Interviewing

Help to plan for and find your next job.

How Do You Know When It’s Time to Leave a Job? — It’s easy to quit a job you hate, but how do you know whether it’s time to go before you get to the point of hatred and burnout? This process can help you decide if it’s time to quit.
Not Sure How to Ask about Corporate Culture during an Interview? Blame Me. — It’s critical to learn about corporate culture before you accept a job offer but it can be awkward to raise such questions. Learn what to ask and how to ask it to avoid landing yourself in a bad situation.
Uncovering Corporate Culture Prior To the Interview — While you should explicitly explore corporate culture during the interview process, knowing something about it beforehand can help you interview. Learn how.
Why Companies Ghost Candidates and What To Do About It — There are a myriad of reasons why companies ghost candidates; often it’s more about what’s happening at the company than a reflection on the candidate.

Negotiation

Why and how you need to get better at negotiating.

How to Earn $30,000 in 30 Minutes or Less — How learning to negotiate can add five or even six figures to your lifetime career earnings. Once you read this, you’ll be kicking yourself as to why you didn’t learn to do this sooner.
You Are a Natural at Negotiating — We all have an innate ability to negotiate, but many of us lose it along the way. It can be regained with just a little effort.

Networking

Advice to improve your networking skills and overall network quality.

Don't Ignore Your Internal Network — Networking isn't just for finding new jobs. Your network within an organization can often be even more valuable than your external network.
Networking in a Hybrid Workplace — Managers are excited to get employees back in the office a few days a week to work. It’s important that some of that office time be used for socialization, too.
What to Say at a Conference or Networking Event — Opening lines to talk to strangers at a conference.
Ears Don’t Always Ring, So Ring Their Phone Instead — A few seconds of effort can make some feel appreciated and keep your network warm.
Improv and the Art of Conversation — Many people struggle to lead a conversation, business or social, to where they hoped it would go. We can employ a technique from improv comedy to be more nimble when conversing.
Why You Need to Bring Croissants to Your Next Networking Event — A simple change can help make networking much more effective for yourself or even for everyone at your event.
The Ultimate Guide to Attending a Conference - Part 1 & Part 2— Most people go to conferences and spend most of their time on the least valuable activities. Learn the secrets of what to do and how to be extremely effective at it.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In addition to teaching professional development at MIT for over twenty years and writing The Career Toolkit, I’m also a CTO with multiple AI-related patents. I help companies implement AI and help people adjust their careers to benefit from AI. This was an especially popular topics in 2023 and will likely continue to be in 2024.

How to Implement AI at Your Company — Everyone is talking about the impact of AI, but how to best use it at your company, especially in a way that doesn’t make your employees feel replaceable, can be tricky.
ChatGPT is Just a Calculator . . . Crossed with a Nuclear Reactor — The good news is our careers are safe, even if our jobs are not. The bad news is society may bear some consequences even as we reap the benefits.
No, AI Isn’t Going to Kill You, but It Will Cause Social Unrest - Part 1 & Part 2 — Despite fear mongering, AI isn’t going to kill us all, but in the near future it will cause a lot of societal disruption for which we are ill prepared.
Why AI Isn’t (Yet) Ready to Take Your Job — Recent advances in LLMs helped AI make a quantum leap forward in capability, but many tasks in our jobs will be beyond its capabilities for years to come.