The 5 big career questions for 2023

As we all crank up for 2023, the sense of opportunity and renewal feels more powerful than we have seen for some years.

Despite the short-term economic headwinds, there have been few times in recent history when we have seen such propitious conditions to consolidate careers, set new courses and seek better lives.

I expect 2023 will be the year when the rollercoaster workplace trends of the past three years consolidate into a new norm. In this environment, these are some of the questions you may want to ask yourself.

1. Is it time for change (even if you stay where you are)?

Much has been made over the past two years about the “great resignation” (aka great renewal, great reinvention, great rejuvenation, great regeneration). This happened in varying degrees around the world as the COVID pandemic messed with our workplace comfort zone and gave people time to reflect on how they worked to live.

In some respects, work became less interesting because many knowledge workers lost social connection and sat in rooms in a grind of home-alone screen time and video meetings. It is no surprise that they looked for change, even just for the sake of it.

Companies are mindful of this, and most are working harder than ever to keep good people and make jobs more satisfying. If you feel like you need a change, now is the best time to ask what you really want out of your job in 2023. And you usually do not have to change employer to make ground-breaking changes. Ask. Discuss. Self-reflect on what really motivates you.

2. Are you having the right career conversations?

The current period is the first time in a very long time (possibly ever) that we have permission for very different conversations about the way we want to work. Portfolio (or multi) jobs are on the rise. Part-time work is being successfully sought by a broader demographic. Employers are more open to highly flexible work to find and retain skills. Older workers are finding new currency in the workplace.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to totally recast our personal brands and positively change the course of our lives.

If you ever wanted to grab control of your life and set a different course, 2023 is the year. Periods of change inevitably settle into rules and frameworks. That will happen as the pandemic moves into the rear-view mirror. While the rules are still being written, you have a powerful ability to influence them.

3. Time to start believing in yourself?

I have received lots of emails and messages from people in recent months suffering something akin to a crisis of confidence. The trend seems to be connected to a general funk after a couple of years of pandemic weirdness.

This period has left a lot of people feeling like they are being left behind or have lost their value and standing in their workplaces. Hybrid work may well have taken away a lot of the positive reinforcement we get from others when we see them every day. When you are working in isolation, it can be lonely, and it is hard to just rely on yourself to feel valued.

If you are feeling flat, undervalued and stuck in a rut, you are not alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and help. If you were great before, you almost certainly still are. Don’t accept a rut. You need a plan to break out of it. Don’t wait.

4. Is it time to reconnect?

In 2022 a lot of employers tried to coerce their white-collar workers back to the office. Many set minimum attendance days or mandated a percentage of work that must be done in the physical workplace.

There was a mixed bag of results. Some employees just ignored the directives. Many struggled to break the home-work habits of the past few years.

Faced with a slow and sticky bounceback to populated offices, plenty of employers started cutting back their workspaces and accepting that hybrid work, or even “work from anywhere” was more than a passing pandemic fad.

While there are big upsides to hybrid work, there are also downsides in the loss of social connection and nuanced interactions, strategy conversations, unofficial training and mentoring, and accidental meetings that produce innovation.

Clearly many people are struggling to reset an office habit. If you want to do it, the start of the year is by far the best time.

5. Do you have something to look forward to?

Regardless of how you want to get out of the blocks in 2023, the reality of this time of year is that many people come back after the festive season feeling unenthused and even a little despondent.

I find it is vital to start each year with a simple, proactive plan – for your job, your career, your personal development, your fitness, your holidays, your hobbies, your recreational activities and your mindset.

If you wanted to pick a time in history when there is unprecedented opportunity to really take control of your life, you would probably pick 2023.

The world is yours. What a great time to grab it and do something with it.

Happy New Year! I look forward to many great conversations with you all in 2023. #newyear2023 #careerdevelopment #careergrowth

Shane Rodgers is a business executive, writer, strategist and marketer with a deep interest in what makes people tick and the drivers of workplace change. Comments in this article are personal and not related to my day job.