After getting a job, the next thing you should work on is advancing your career. Advancing a career may take different forms, but the goal is to reach a level where you can gain maximum satisfaction from the job. For some, it could be moving up to a management level. For others, it could growing rich in skills and knowledge to become a consultant or to earn more working fewer hours. Below are some of the tips that can be helpful in growing any career fast.
Know the Path You Want To Take
Since there are many options for career advancement, the first thing you should do is ensure you know the exact path that you want to follow. Defining your path with help in coming up with a good plan on how to reach your destination.
Work As If You Own the Company
Even if you are working for someone else, be passionate about seeing the business succeed as if you were the owner. This doesn’t mean that you should work long hours; rather you should work in such a way that you produce good results for your business. Be efficient in your work and don’t hesitate to bring in new suggestions to grow and improve the businesses. When you give your best, you will get more satisfaction from your job and you will learn more and grow your skills. Don’t hesitate to go out of your way to learn new things when you get that opportunity. This too can help in advancing your career.
Talk to Your Employer About Your Goals
Don’t work hard and assume you will be recognised and given the position you desire. As you put in your best efforts, let your employer know where you would like to be in the next few years. Drop some hints and you might be considered during the next promotion. However, don’t set your hopes too high or demand a promotion from your boss; they may or may not give you what you want within your timeline. They are in charge and have the right to make the decisions they feel are best for the company. Keep a positive attitude and an open mind. If you do your best for so long without getting the growth you need, that could be a sign that you probably need to find a new employer.
Advance Your Education
Education makes you a better candidate for a promotion and as you grow your skills, your hourly rates can go up. Also, as you learn more, you become more efficient in your work and investing in learning proves to your managers that you are serious about growing your career. Take advantage of any training offered by your employer and invest in learning on your own too.
You can enrol for advanced degree programmes and short courses online to grow your knowledge and skills and advance your career. For example, if you feel learning about today’s most in-demand technologies will help boost your career, a master’s in business analytics is a great choice. Institutions such as Aston University Online offer this degree with added flexibility since you can study from anywhere as long as you have internet connection.
Most online courses also tend to be more affordable compared to the traditional classroom learning. Thus, they are a good fit even for those with lots of financial commitments. As you learn, don’t forget to update your CV. Another important point to note is that you should invest more in courses that are in line with your career growth goals. Don’t register for a degree or online course for the sake of it. However, it is still important to take courses that help you deal with life issues. But as far as learning for work is concerned, choose courses that will grow your career.
Work on Your Soft Skills
Most of the leaders that are labelled as ‘bad’ by employees mostly lack good soft skills such as proper communication, conflict resolution, critical thinking, self-awareness and emotional intelligence among many others. Thus, as you get an additional degree, don’t forget to work on your soft skills too. Even if you don’t become a manager tomorrow, the skills will improve the interactions you have with other people in the office. This can make your workdays less stressful.
Find a Mentor and Mentor Someone
Being mentored and mentoring someone can also play a big role in advancing your career. Your mentor can be one of your bosses, your college professor, or someone in the position that you would love to be in one day. A mentor can work as your advisor, help you in solving work-related issues, help you in setting and reviewing goals, and give you tips for career growth and success.
As you grow as a professional, be a mentor to others as well. Consider mentoring those in entry-level positions or even college students in your career path. Mentoring others will give you a chance to revisit your knowledge and skills, learn new things and build your confidence. You will also get a sense of satisfaction knowing that you helped someone who needed some help to move forward.
Pay Attention to Your Employer’s Assessment and Do Your Own Assessments Too
When your employer gives you feedback, go through everything they noted and work on improving in areas you did not perform well. You can ask your employer or another person to help you out when working on your weak areas. Also, consider doing a self-assessment on your skills and performance from time to time. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses and come up with a plan on how you will keep growing your strengths and what you will do to improve the weak areas.
Take Good Care Of Your Health
Even with the right experience and a wide range of skills, you won’t go far if you are not physically and mentally fit. Thus, if you want to grow your career, take very good care of your health. Avoid straining your body by working more than you should and skipping sleep. Also, eat healthy foods, exercise and take trips.
As you take all the steps to grow your career, don’t step on anyone’s toes. Do your best to reach your goals while supporting everyone else in your team so that they too can achieve their goals.