Resolutions for 2012 that you can actually keep

Ahh, the start of a new year, full of promise and potential. ’Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions. But rather than pledging to exercise seven days a week or swearing off chocolate permanently, how about setting goals that you can realistically achieve?

Your career is the perfect place to start, so consider making a resolution that will help you sharpen your skillset and build your profile in 2012. Below are a few ideas to get you started.

Update your LinkedIn profile
In the business world, LinkedIn is the social network. The site offers countless opportunities to network and display your expertise. However, many individuals set up a LinkedIn account and leave it at that, never logging into the site again. This year, pledge to update your profile regularly with recent career accomplishments, volunteer work you were involved in or courses you completed.

Attend a CPRS event
CPRS Vancouver offers a wide range of events, from industry speakers and social mixers to professional development opportunities. There is truly something for everyone, so make a commitment to attend at least one event between now and June. All upcoming events can be found at www.cprsvancouver.com/events. As well, if you have ideas for an event that would be appropriate for our members, please share your thoughts with us: www.cprsvancouver.com/have-idea-cprs-event

Try something new

Whether your specialty is government relations or issues management, resolve to explore an area of communications that you are unfamiliar with. By exposing yourself to other areas of PR, you will have the opportunity to enhance your abilities and learn skills that may even be transferable to your current scope of work.

Write for the CPRS newsletter
Yes, the very same newsletter you are reading right now! Writing an article for Essentials is an excellent way to build your profile in the local PR community. Whether or not you are a CPRS member, we welcome your submissions to the newsletter on any topic of relevance to public relations professionals. Whether it’s an op-ed piece on the latest communications crisis or tips on event management, we want to hear from you. For more information about contributing, please feel free to email me at cprs@serenamatter.com.

Best wishes for the new year from all of us at CPRS Vancouver!

Serena Matteris a social media strategist at the UBC Sauder School of Business, principal of Be.Social Consulting and the editor of Essentials. Specializing in digital communications,Serena has been quoted on Mashable and her work was recently published in the PR News Digital Guidebook.