Working comfortably in an organization for years is fine with some people, even if they do not get the recognition they deserve. But whether you will admit it or not, there is serious competition at the workplace for recognition, promotions, and career advancement. This means that just doing the bare minimum at the workplace is not enough. You are now in charge of shaping your career path, and you must begin to treat your current position as a launchpad for more significant roles. Here are some tips and practices that can set you on your way to advancing in your career.
Determine your personal success
Note that no one can best define what you deem as personal success. So before starting on your career, what were the things you set out to achieve? What milestones have you been able to clock? If you are well on your way to satisfying those dreams, that is fine. If not, make a critical analysis of your career journey so far and re-strategize. Also, put measures in place to ensure that you can achieve at least 70% of your targets.
Draw up a plan
After re-strategizing, you have to draw up a plan in which you will have a breakdown of your objectives and how you will achieve them. Remember that this plan must be broken down into periods so that you can track and evaluate your progress. In your project, be sure to include the tools and skills you will need to reach those milestones.
Learn new skills
In a rapidly evolving world, you have to keep up with the times, which often requires learning new skills. There are increasingly new and more effective ways of doing things. Investing time, money, and other resources to learn these new skills will be a great addition to your skillset arsenal, making you indispensable to your organization.
Explore current options to grow
It is quite normal for many people to look elsewhere when looking to add new skills to their skillset. But if you take a closer look at your organization, you may discover several programs that allow you to grow. One example of this is on-the-job training. Many companies provide this kind of activity, and you should take advantage of such programs. It will also show your employers that you are interested in sharpening your skills, which will benefit the organization.
Seek more responsibility
One way to advance in your career is to seek out more responsibility. This in no way means you should take on things that you are not adequately prepared for. Solid preparation and flawless execution are things you must be ready for if you seek more responsibility. Because if you fail, it will take a long time for you to restore your credibility. Talk to your supervisor about taking on more responsibility and make sure you excel at the tasks given to you.
Join a professional organization
There is a professional organization for almost every type of career. Look at your industry and then join the professional body that regulates it. Aside from giving you credibility, you get to cultivate and have a good working relationship with fellow members of the organization that can fall on for several things such as mentorship, advice, collaboration, and many others.
