Climbing the Rungs: Three Strategies for Career Ad
- Sep 24, 2008
- Express Professional Staffing
- Career advancement
Climbing the Rungs: Three Strategies for Career Advancement
- Express Professional Staffing October 2006
The journey from intern to CEO doesn’t happen overnight or by accident. How can professionals determine if they are traveling in the direction of career success? Research shows that individuals who move up the ranks faster than their peers have several habits in common. High achievers make others aware of their talents, develop meaningful business relationships and continually increase their areas of expertise.
Promote yourself
People who get ahead don’t wait around for the boss to notice their talents. Overloaded supervisors don’t have time to discover, let alone nurture, the abilities and ambitions of each of their staff members. So make sure supervisors and co-workers are well aware of your strengths and aspirations. This doesn’t mean taking all the credit for successful projects or shamelessly bragging, but it is essential that others know what you’re capable of, as well as your goals for the future. Displaying confidence and enthusiasm shows supervisors that you believe in your abilities and will persuade them to do the same.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to create your own opportunities for advancement. Make a bold move and discover areas in your organization that could benefit from your skills, and then submit a proposal for a new position. Even if the position is not approved, you will have likely impressed management with your initiative and creativity.
Network at work and at play
When it comes to career advancement it is often “not what you know but who you know.” This means that, occasionally, less talented candidates may be selected over more qualified ones simply because of their relationships. However, when the costs of turnover and recruiting are considered, it’s easy to understand why employers would rather hire referred individuals than take a gamble with total strangers.
People you meet at the grocery store, on the bus or at industry meetings can all be links to the next step in your career. To add forward momentum to your career, make an effort to meet and have meaningful conversations with several new people at the next after-hours or networking event you attend. Instead of just tossing the business cards of your new acquaintances, call them in a few days and ask for advice in an area in which they’re knowledgeable. Taking this next step will move your relationship to a deeper level and help you to stand out in their mind.
In addition to cultivating relationships with people outside your organization, it is also advantageous to form ties within your company. Learning to get along with a variety of people and refusing to get involved with dirty office politics will go a long way toward building your reputation as a trustworthy team player. While it’s true that you can’t please all the people all the time, there’s a lot to be said for having few enemies and many allies.
Go above and beyond the call of duty
Remove the phrase “it’s not my job,” from your vocabulary. Just doing the tasks outlined in your job description is not likely to impress management or bring about a substantial raise or promotion. If you want to move ahead, average effort isn’t enough. Initiative, determination and creativity set exceptional employees apart from average ones.
Lighten your boss’s load by being a problem-solver. Don’t go to your supervisor with questions you could’ve answered yourself or without thinking of possible solutions. Proving that you can handle the difficulties your day dishes out impresses employers by showing that you are prepared to handle more responsibility. In the same way, you should not expect a promotion until you’ve demonstrated mastery of your current position. Why would any boss want to give employees more responsibilities if they haven’t proven successful with less responsibility?
Keeping up with the latest developments in your profession is also essential to being selected for advancement opportunities. Don’t rely solely on company training to keep your skills updated. Showing initiative by pursuing continuing education on your own time demonstrates your eagerness to increase your knowledge and experience.
As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain and difficulty.” If you want to achieve exceptional results in your career, be willing to put forth the time and effort it requires. Determine what you want to achieve and then plot out your course to get there. Don’t be deterred by minor obstacles or delays – always keep moving in the direction of your goals.
