SoFi Blog

Whether focused on your personal or career goals, it’s clear that you’re thinking ahead to the new year. But some will say you can’t move forward successfully without first looking back and understanding where you are today. Goal-setting usually works best in tandem with self-assessment.

To help make this year the year you step up professionally and work toward a more productive, profitable, and fulfilled career, don’t start with resolutions; start with reflection:

During the interview for your current job, you may have been asked where you see yourself in five years. But have you ever revisited that conversation? To keep your career on the right path, it’s important to learn how to talk to your boss about your job—where you are now and where you see yourself in the future.

It might feel awkward to bring up your career development to your manager. You may not want to boast about your achievements and why you deserve to move up. Or, maybe you’re worried that your company foresees you moving into a different direction than you have in mind. And there’s always the potential for rejection if your boss doesn’t think you’re ready for a particular career track.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid the awkwardness altogether—you just need a few career tips on how to talk to your boss about your job and career progression. Here’s where to start.

By Jane Bianchi

Have you been fantasizing about leaving your job behind and going into an entirely new profession—but also worrying about what a big change would mean for your finances?

You’re not alone. “A lot of times people stick with a job out of fear. I’ll ask, ‘What are you afraid of?’ The person might say, ‘I’m afraid I won’t make as much money,’” says Nancy Von Horn, Senior Career Coach at SoFi. “But once you do some digging, you’ll likely find that it’s possible to make that money back.”

It’s true. Changing careers doesn’t have to mean accepting a lower salary. It just means that you have to do some soul-searching and some homework ahead of time. Ready to dive in? Follow this game plan.

We want to help you knock your career goals out of the park. That’s why our members get access to our brand-new SoFi Career Services, powered by Korn Ferry—a global leader in talent.

SoFi Career tools and coaching are a comprehensive career management solution personalized for you. Our members can now access the gold standard in resume, assessment and career coaching solutions—complimentary for SoFi members—a $999 retail value.

If you’ve been applying to job after job, but haven’t had many interviews, the culprit is likely your resume. Something within that document is telling hiring managers (or the automated systems that eventually lead to hiring managers) that you’re not the right fit for the role.