Over the past few months, we’ve worked closely with a group of identified talent from a large Australian corporation, supporting them in the development of a personalised Career Development Plan to help them achieve their ideal next role. These individuals are all high performers, but like many professionals, they don’t necessarily have the time to pause and reflect on how they will achieve their future career goals.
Just like you would take your car in for a service or book in for an annual dental check-up, your career also needs regular attention. And, if you’re aiming to step into a more senior position and elevate your income, then an annual “career audit” is one of the most powerful tools you can start implementing right now.
What is a Career Audit?
A career audit is a structured reflection on where you are now, where you want to go, and how you can get there. It gives you the chance to step off the treadmill and ask the big questions such as:
👉 What is my ideal next role?
👉 What skills do I need to achieve and be successful in this role?
👉What are my current strengths and how can I leverage these to elevate my positioning?
👉 Where are my weak spots and how can I develop these further?
👉 What relationships can help me achieve these goals and how can I build and/or nurture these?
Rather than leaving your career progression to chance, a career audit gives you the tools and insights to make intentional, strategic decisions about your future.
What Should You Audit?
When we guide our clients through this process, we focus on three key areas:
1. Your Goals – Are They Clear, Relevant and Realistic
Over time, your career goals may shift as your values, interests and life circumstances evolve. That’s why it’s important to revisit your goals regularly. Are they still meaningful? Are they realistic based on where you’re at now? And are you taking action to move towards them—or just hoping things will eventually fall into place?
By having a documented Career Development Plan you can set specific goals with tangible actions to ensure you meet these goals.
2. Skills – Technical and People-Centric Skills
Instead of just asking “What skills do I have?”, it’s more powerful to ask: “Do I have the right skills to step into the role I want next?” Whether your goal is to lead a team, pivot into a new industry, or move into an executive-level role, you’ll need to identify any gaps between your current capabilities and what’s required in your target position.
This includes both technical skills (e.g. technical expertise, systems, tools, certifications) and people-centric skills (e.g. communicating with influence, strategic thinking and/or building a successful team). By identifying what’s missing now, you can take focused action through external courses, mentoring or on-the-job experiences to bridge the gap and become promotion-ready.
3. Your Relationships – Are You Building the Right Connections?
Your career growth is often accelerated by your network. Are you nurturing relationships with mentors, sponsors or decision-makers who can advocate for you? Are you visible to the right people inside and outside your organisation? Conducting a relationship audit can help you pinpoint where you need to invest more time, whether that’s connecting with peers, building relationships with key decision-makers internally, joining industry groups or engaging more actively on platforms like LinkedIn.
Why a Career Audit Leads to Greater Career Success
Taking the time to conduct a career audit each year gives you a clear advantage:
👉 You gain direction –you stop second-guessing your next move and start moving forward with clarity.
👉 You develop your career with purpose – investing time and energy into the skills/relationships that will move the needle.
👉 You increase your earning potential – by proactively working towards your next role you are also much more likely to achieve a higher income.
If you would like to work with us to audit your career and build a personalised Career Development Plan for the next twelve months, then contact us via the Relaunch Me website to book a career coaching session or send a reply email to organise a discussion.
Let’s make this the year you move forward with purpose 😄
Leah
