Resource Guide
6 tips that can help you grow in your career
Whether you work in health care, engineering, accounting, public relations, or another area, advancing in your career requires planning and commitment. You’ll need to take some time and establish what’s important to you, because success is not a static concept. Where some people define success as advancing to a C-suite position and earning a six-figure salary, for others it means doing what they love and having work-life balance.
Strategy and planning can provide a roadmap on your journey to achieving your career goals. Below are just a few of the tips you can use to grow in your career.
The definition of career success is highly personal. Things that are important to your friends, family, and peers may not be as important to you. How do you define success? Does it mean running an office, leading a team, or serving as an executive? Or do you view success as working in a field that offers flexible hours and unlimited vacation as long as you meet your deadlines?
Knowing what your goals are will help you identify what steps you need to take to reach them.
Bestselling author and training and development consultant Brian Tracy estimates that setting deadlines increases your likelihood of success as much as 11.5 times. Whether you want to learn a new language, take a two-week vacation to Europe, or level up in your career — deadlines can keep you accountable.
If you aim to be promoted to a position that requires foreign language fluency or advanced computer coding skills, set reasonable and actionable timelines to complete various milestones. Examples include enrolling in a class (or downloading a language learning app) by X date, studying Y hours per week, and finishing the program within Z months.
Interpersonal skills comprise a variety of soft skills, such as communication, conflict resolution, empathy, and negotiation. All these competencies are vitally important when communicating and working with people in both your personal and professional life. They’re also important for career advancement, because those who can communicate and work well with their colleagues are more productive and more likely to achieve shared goals.
Imagine you are a manager considering two employees for a promotion. Employee A is level-headed, a good communicator, and very dependable. Employee B is less adept at expressing their thoughts and opinions, gets defensive when offered constructive criticism, and frequently misses deadlines. Who would you give the promotion to? While your combination of hard and soft skills might have gotten you hired, your interpersonal skills are often the determining factor for upward mobility.
Networking involves meeting and sharing ideas with other like-minded professionals. It can be done via online platforms such as LinkedIn, or in person at conferences and events. If you attend an in-person event, you’ll want to initiate conversations, meet new people, and create quality connections. Discovering and discussing your shared interests will make you more memorable.
For example, if you meet a C-suite executive at a networking event, realize you both own motorcycles, and spend the next five minutes talking about your bikes, that’s a memorable connection. That person will be far more likely to remember you in the future than if you walked up, introduced yourself, passed off a business card, and walked away.
Make your employer’s objectives and your colleagues’ success part of your professional goals. Do you have suggestions that could help streamline processes or ideas about how to improve efficiency and increase revenue? Share them. Employees who take initiative, are proactive problem solvers, and inspire others are well-positioned for career advancement. Why? Because employees often lose sight of broader organizational objectives as they pursue their personal goals. The ability to see the big picture is an invaluable leadership skill that can set you apart.
Have you heard of the saying “learn more to earn more?” It’s not just an adage. According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder, 33% of polled employers said they’ve moved to hiring applicants with master’s degrees for positions that had previously been held by those with bachelor’s degrees. Also, 41% of respondents said they’re now hiring bachelor’s degree holders for positions that had previously been filled by high school graduates. Just over 60% of respondents said the reason for this shift is that the positions have evolved, and thus, require higher levels of education.
In addition to earning an appropriate degree, pursuing any type of continuing education can be an effective way to promote career advancement, particularly if you are in a role or field that changes quickly. Industries as diverse as nursing, finance, and software development are changing almost daily because of technology and other factors. Moving forward in your career requires that you stay up to date on those changes and hone your skills to meet new demands.
Are you researching ways to advance your career? Earning your bachelor’s degree or completing a master’s or doctorate are among the ways you can become a competitive candidate. Obtaining certifications and taking online courses to upgrade your skills can help, too.
Whether you’re looking to advance in your current career or interested in switching fields, we can help you find your path forward.
