How To Boost Your Career In 10 Insightful Steps
Today's job market is more competitive than ever, with new skills regularly emerging and rendering old ones obsolete. It's safe to say that the pursuit of professional success requires—if not demands—professionals in most industries to figure out ways to continuously improve their skillsets. However, it is one thing to say that and another to actually make it happen. In this article, we will explore 9+1 steps professionals must consider to accelerate their career development and achieve higher positions, salaries, and overall job satisfaction.
What Is Career Development?
Career development refers to an intentional and proactive process professionals go through to become better at their jobs. It involves strategic planning, identifying strengths and weaknesses, setting goals, seeking out new experiences, and more. Individuals can choose to invest in their career development with the help of their employer or on their own. In the first case, professionals have more support and structure, taking advantage of their organization's existing training programs and resources. However, they can still discover beneficial development and networking opportunities on their own, having the added bonus of giving their career the direction they want instead of following company directives.
9+1 Steps To Accelerate Your Professional Development
1. Plan Out Your Training Path
A solid plan for career development starts with establishing goals for your learning and development journey. This refers to the training initiatives that are essential for expanding your knowledge and skillset. Depending on your current level of expertise, these initiatives can involve acquiring an additional degree or certification, enriching your knowledge of the technology used in your industry, attending seminars and (online) training courses, or delving into books or articles from industry experts. Whatever you choose to do, make sure to set clear goals that you can revisit and evaluate down the road.
2. Find The Right Mentor
Mentors are extremely important for a person's career development. They can serve as a role model to look up to and draw inspiration from, a support system that will answer questions and concerns, as well as a person who will expose you to new ideas and perspectives. Moreover, a mentor will help you set better goals for your professional development journey and make sure that you stick with them. If your organization doesn't already run a mentorship program, don't hesitate to ask an experienced colleague or supervisor that you trust for their help.
3. Expand Your Network
However, mentors can also be found outside of your place of employment, which is why it is crucial to grow your professional network. Participating in webinars, industry conferences, and other networking events will open up many doors for you, giving you the opportunity to learn from people who are potentially ahead of you in the field. Establishing a good rapport with them will not only enrich your knowledge and enhance your brand but also give you an extra advantage when career opportunities arise.
4. Seek Out Opportunities For Growth
If you really want to accelerate your career development, you need to be decisive and take initiative. Most times, opportunity doesn't knock on your door, which is why you need to seek it. Take a step back from your daily tasks and look for ways to showcase a hidden talent or develop a must-have skill in your personal development plan. Perhaps there is a challenging project you could take on to push yourself out of your comfort zone and gain valuable insights about your development.
5. Develop Your Communication Skills
It might not be something that immediately comes to mind, but your professional development is heavily dependent on how well you can communicate. Whether it is in-person, via email, or on the phone, you interact with many people on a daily basis, from coworkers and supervisors to clients. Having a developed set of communication skills can increase your chances for a promotion, facilitate teamwork, and boost client satisfaction. If you want to become a better communicator, attend workshops that address everything from body language and active listening to strategic communication and negotiation skills.
6. Ask For Feedback
Sometimes, it's helpful to get a second and even third opinion regarding your career development plan. It is possible that other people will have useful insights about how you can improve your performance or share ways in which they are going about improving their skills every day. Don't neglect to discuss your plan with your manager, too. If they know that you are interested in advancing your career, they are more likely to consider you for more challenging projects, learning and development opportunities, or additional responsibilities that could boost your skills.
7. Become An Expert In Your Field
An effective way to accelerate your career development is to pick a niche subject that you can become an expert in. By acquiring specialized skills in a specific field, you can stand out from the competition and start building a reputation around your personal brand. Combine this with promoting your unique knowledge on social media platforms or a personal website to enhance your credibility and access even more career opportunities. Becoming an expert takes a lot of personal work, including attending seminars and training programs, keeping up with industry trends, acquiring practical experience, and more.
8. Foster Your Leadership Skills
As you advance in your professional journey, it only makes sense to pursue a leadership position at some point. However, when that time comes, you need to be prepared. An effective leader must possess various skills, such as accountability, effective communication, problem solving, initiative, and more. A leadership development program can help you develop these skills and learn how to incorporate them into your everyday practices. As you foster and demonstrate your leadership qualities, your employers will be more likely to present you with opportunities for advancement.
9. Keep Track Of Your Growth
Advancing your career development can be a lengthy process, often lasting years. Therefore, it is important to be able to pinpoint your progress to prevent feelings of frustration and doubt. One way to achieve this is to regularly review the initial goals you set when you initiated this journey of growth and improvement. Crossing out what you've accomplished and seeing how far you've come will be a great boost to your confidence. You can also evaluate your skills using self-assessments or ask your manager for annual performance reviews.
Bonus: Be Persistent
This tip is useful not just when working toward accelerating your career development but also when trying to achieve almost any goal. It is essential that you stay true to your vision, put in the hard work, overcome challenges, and, most importantly, remain patient. Make sure your objectives are well thought out, and don't be afraid to change your course if necessary. With dedication and perseverance, there is no reason why you won't succeed in elevating your career to the next level.
Conclusion
Having a plan for your career development is essential for achieving meaningful progress. Start by organizing the type of knowledge and skills you want to acquire. Then, focus on building a network of people who can propel your career forward with their knowledge and honest feedback, such as mentors and trusted colleagues. Don't forget to be daring and seize any opportunities that challenge you and take you out of your comfort zone. Finally, stay persistent and watch your career advance into what you have always wanted.
