Resolve to build a better career in 2012

We're a week into 2012, which means many of you have already broken your resolutions.

As for me, I opted out of the resolution game this year. I haven't had much success with them in the past, and I don't want to set myself up for failure.

There are things I want to do this year — get my financial house in better order, exercise more, complete some home improvement projects, continue to explore methods for enhancing work/life balance — but these are things I've had on my to-do list for several months already.

Still, I do see the value in making resolutions if the activity helps spur positive change in a person's life. So when I received a list of 10 "career resolutions" for the new year from Julie Redfield, talent management expert at management and IT consulting and technology firm PA Consulting Group, I was interested in what she had to say.

I like what Redfield came up with, so here are her suggestions (with additional input from me):

— Build your professional network, reconnecting with school friends, prior employers and others.

I like this idea. I've found that social networking through sites like LinkedIn and Facebook have helped me find friends and former co-workers with whom I had lost touch. Not only has it been good to communicate with them again, but I believe it also will help me build my network — and my career.

— Identify a mentor at least two levels up from you and ask for career advice.

This could be challenging, because it's not always easy to approach higher executives. However, I have found that most are happy to offer their opinions and suggestions, and building these kinds of relationships can be beneficial in many ways.

— Clarify priorities and objectives for the year with your boss. "Ask what a 'great' performance would look like," Redfield suggests.

Shortly after I started my new job, my boss gave me a fairly specific list of what I would need to do to be considered an excellent employee. I read through this list for a few minutes every Friday to reflect on what I've done during the past week and what I can do in the next week to meet those expectations. This exercise has helped me focus.

— Identify one person in the office you don't know, get to know him or her and learn about his or her career aspirations.