Advancing in your career takes more than being good at what you do and having perfected and mastered your skill set. There are many more people just like you, who are at the peak of what they do and are the go-to guy in their fields. What sets you apart from the pack is understanding the steps you need to take in making yourself the most eligible candidate for the desired job, pay raise or a promotion opening. You will realize that majority of these steps are majorly based on common sense, whether or not you will act on them is where the difference comes. With that in mind, here are four main steps that will guarantee to put you at an advantage in your quest to advance in your career.
1) Networking
It has been said more often than not that, ‘people you know, matters more than what you know,’ and it has proved to be the truth every time. You should note that networking needs to be something that you do continuously and persistently even when you are not looking to advance in your career. This can be done by thoroughly researching about companies and industries that are in the same line as your career path and joining local groups, this way you get to meet people and make new relations. Knowing people who hold different positions in your field helps keep you updated and opportunities won’t easily pass you by. Take advantage of social media platforms to put yourself out there by updating your status and connecting with different people in fields where your interests lie.
2) Take a Risk
More often than not, people get stuck at one place because they self-sabotage themselves with self-doubt and never try new things. Fear of failure should not get in your way because even when we don’t succeed, we learn from our mistakes. Learn to say yes more, accepting new challenges, and you will see yourself grown with each challenge that you overcome. When you take a leap and achieve, you boost your self-esteem and build your confidence, and in a way, prepare yourself for new roles that promotions and new jobs come with. You should also know where you draw your line because not every adventure is worth taking a risk for.
3) Plan Ahead
Part of the reason why people need assistance with career advancements is that this is not usually part of their plans. It is very easy to fall into a routine and forget about self-growth and thinking about where you want to be in the next few years. Putting down a plan and regularly aligning your career path with your final goal keeps you on your toes and you won’t need to put in extra effort when new job openings come up.
4) Have a Mentor
This might seem like a very trivial matter, but it goes a long way to have a trusted adviser who has a long experience in the field and better understand its dynamics. There are a lot of hacks that you can only learn out of the experience and have a sit down with your mentor gives you an opportunity to receive useful nuggets that will help you maneuver through murky situations.
You will be better off not taking up certain opportunities, and a mentor will come in handy in helping you decide which ones these are.
Conclusion
Our job at ECM agency will only be to make these crucial steps known to you, after which, you have to put in enough determination to follow through. One important thing to note before putting down your professional development plan is, to make sure you are rational and realistic about targets you set to achieve your desired goal.
