Five Tips To Improve Your Career Development And Progression

By paying attention to career progression and taking time out to contribute to your aspirations positively, you can ensure you’re managing your career most effectively. While this doesn’t mean you should invest in anything you think will progress your career, it does mean you should figure which investments are worth your time and money.

Today, the world we live in is extremely competitive, and getting an excellent job has never been more challenging. Candidates need to set themselves apart to ensure they not only climb up the professional ladders of their respective industries but also achieve maximum happiness from the hours they invest in their professional lives.

Many people make this mistake of not drawing up career investment plans simply because they expect their employers to do it for them. It’s the select few who realize they need to put in the effort to ensure they advance in their careers.

So, if you’re one of those people who are serious about getting ahead, these five tips can help you advance in your career:

1. Make a concrete plan

Everyone has a different idea of what they want to achieve in their professional lives. For some, it’s about becoming the CEO of their own company, while, for others, it may be about achieving the optimum level of work-life balance.

Hence, the term “successful” is different for everyone, and you need to determine what that means to you. It would be best if you thought about your immediate priority and what it might be in the future.

Once you’ve determined what success looks like to you, you can draw up a plan delineating the steps required to help you get there. It would be best if you referred to this plan from time to time to ensure you’re staying on track.

2. Build a robust network to improve your career development and progression

Experienced professionals know that one of the best ways to progress in your career is by gaining the support of others. 85 percent of jobs today are filled through networking, showing how valued it is. Building a strong network is an essential step since it allows you to learn from others’ experiences and turn to others for guidance.

Attending events, such as conferences and international seminars, is an excellent way to meet like-minded people who can give you valuable tips. Additionally, you can also learn something useful you can apply to your professional life at a later date. Learning something valuable also gives you something to talk about. 

When you’re attending these events, it’s essential to present yourself professionally. 72 percent of people say their impressions are affected by how a person appears and shakes hands. Of course, a crisp attire is crucial, but apart from that, you should also carry around your ID card and other essential documents in a lanyard wallet. The wallet will help people know who you are and where you currently work, as well as ensure you don’t lose these important documents. This makes it easier for you to introduce yourself when you need to.

3. Upskill Strategically

Improving your skillset may seem like a given, but you’d be surprised by how many people do it aimlessly. Upskilling is a worthwhile investment, only if you do it mindfully. In fact, many organizations would actually prefer training their existing employees than hiring new ones.

To ensure you’re upskilling strategically, you should take a look at your aspirations and draw up SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based) goals based on your career plan. Using both of these, you should determine what areas need work and what could positively contribute to your career.

Whatever you choose, you should keep in mind that any skills or certifications you need to invest in should be part of the bigger picture. For instance, there’s no point in investing in a graphic designing course if you’re not planning on using it in the future.

4. Find a mentor

A mentor can be valuable to your professional life, even if career progression isn’t an immediate concern. Firstly, you’ll get valuable feedback and, secondly, your mentor can help you build your network and provide you with opportunities to help you learn from them.

Developing a mentoring relationship, whether it’s inside your company or outside, can help you streamline your professional learning. Internal mentors can directly help you climb up the ladder at the company you’re currently working in. On the other hand, an external mentor can provide more industry-relevant advice, which is essential for those planning on switching to another company.

It also gives you the valuable opportunity to learn from someone who’s further up their career and, hence, can help you with your career path.

When seeking a mentor, it’s essential to find someone who understands your aspirations and has the relevant experience and knowledge that could help you.

5. Get constructive feedback

Any feedback you receive during your career can help you with your progression. Whether that’s a performance appraisal, a monthly check-in, or during a job interview, you can use constructive feedback to improve yourself and see how it impacts your goals. Another thing you can do is go through different types of interview questions in advance.

Valuable feedback from someone experienced can help you determine what skills you’re lacking and what you need to work on. If it’s been a while seen you received feedback, then there’s no harm taking the initiative to ask your employer or manager. 

Conclusion

Implementing the tips listed above can help you create a roadmap that can boost your career progression. By focusing on what’s essential and executing it effectively, you can advance your career and achieve your professional goals.

It’s important to remember that you should be open to adjusting these goals as life progresses. They’re not set in stone, and it’s okay to adapt accordingly as the environment changes.

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