| Ten Steps for Continued Career Growth |
| High employment levels prevail nationwide, but this
fact does not improve job skills and performance. Not only is competition
among professionals at all levels increasing, but employers fully
expect their people further develop their industry expertise and contribute
to greater corporate profitability. |
1.
Establish goals.
Develop a list of objectives and review frequently, taking action
at every opportunity, including activities such as building customer
relations or reading trade journals to keep apprised of industry trends.
More about setting career goals. |
2. Get organized.
Whether it's utilizing project tracking software or a day-planing
notebook, strong organizational skills are keys to moving forward
in your career. |
3. Dress for success.
Not only adopt an attire but adopt a positive attitude appropriate
for the position you would like to have in your company. Become a
mentor in your department. You will benefit by assisting co-workers,
fostering staff camaraderie, and strengthening your interpersonal
and leadership abilities. |
4.
Continually develop your skills
Skills development, sharpening existing skills, and acquiring new
ones should be a continuous process that is integrated into your overall
career strategy. It increases your versatility, a great asset to have
in a competitive labor market. Employers will consider you more valuable
to the organization, and may be less inclined to lay you off, if you
possess valued skills.
More
about continuing to develop your skills. |
5. Seek new responsibility.
Offering to assume additional duties or oversee projects, regardless
of their size, will provide valuable experience and foster professional
growth. |
6. Learn new technologies.
Develop greater expertise with new applications and become more techno-savvy.
Check out Adult and Continuing
Education for courses in the latest technologies. |
7.
Network.
Join a trade association to interact with others in your profession
and stay current on trends in your field. Maintain contact with former
business associates, college alumni, and professors.
More
about networking. |
8. Be visible.
Without boasting, take prudent steps to ensure that your accomplishments,
such as speaking during meetings, presenting suggestions for improving
business practices, or even arriving early to the office are known
to others. |
9. Remain flexible.
Be open to new challenges and assignments. Don't dismiss a project
if it falls outside of your job description - it could serve as a
springboard to gaining new responsibilities. |
10. Stay upbeat.
Maintain a positive attitude when workloads peak to demonstrate an
ability to produce results under pressure, which is always a valuable
trait. |
REMEMBER
MENTORS!!!
THEY CAN ARE YOU GUIDE DOWN YOUR CAREER PATH!
In the early stages of your career, it can be advantageous to receive
advice and guidance from a more experienced professional. Ideally,
a mentor is a person in the field for roughly ten years who will take
you under his/her wing and teach you some of the technical and political
aspects of the job or industry. This person is someone you like and
respect, and who shows an interest in your professional growth.
A mentor can be invaluable to your career, teaching you things not
found in books, and in a fraction of the time that it would take to
learn them by yourself. For example, a mentor can give you insight
into the organizational culture, help you to adopt a more professional
attitude and manner, and introduce you to significant people in your
field and organization. Although you may want to "make it on your
own," savvy beginners recognize how a mentor can help to make their
career advancement much easier and quicker. Numerous men and women
at the top attribute their success, at least in part, to a mentor. |
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