Are you at the place in your career that you want to be? What were your goals for 2015, and did you reach them? What is your plan for 2016 – and beyond?

Many sales and marketing professionals can’t answer these questions off the top of their heads. But the end of the year is a great time to perform a quick “career audit” and prepare for success in the year ahead. Here’s a five-minute quick-start guide to keeping yourself on track:

Check your goals.

Did you set any goals for 2015 when it came to your career? Take another look at them and ask yourself the following questions:

• Did I reach these goals?
• Am I satisfied with my work on these goals?
• What happened to change my goals over the course of the year?
• How should I modify these goals for the coming year?

Identify your top achievements of 2015.

Make a list of the top accomplishments you achieved in 2015 – whether or not you had set them as specific goals for yourself at the beginning of the year. Then, make a list of the new skills you acquired along the way. Finally, answer the question: “How am I better today than I was at the beginning of the year?”

Save this list for your annual performance review. Comparing it to your manager’s assessment will reveal additional growth opportunities.

Create a career synopsis.

Are you where you want to be in your career? What has helped you get there – or held you back? Are you happy in your current job and with your current employer? Your answers to these questions can help you plan ahead for the coming year.

Plan for 2016.

Based on your responses to your career synopsis questions and your overview of your goals, make a plan for the coming year. Think about where you want to be a year from now, what skills and resources you can leverage to get there, and any challenges or obstacles you’ll need to overcome. For help talk to a staffing partner who specializes in your field or industry.

At SMR Group Ltd, our experienced recruiters help connect sales and marketing professionals with great employers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries. Contact us today to learn more.