9 Tips to Advance Your Career Faster

Advancement in the career field is something that the majority of people strive for. Not all of them succeed though. It takes a lot of dedication, planning, and active efforts not only to land a dream job but to keep it and grow as a professional. But do not worry, if it is something you are looking for, there are several tips that will help you advance faster, beside the help of the Law of Attraction.

 

Define Your Goals

First of all, establish what career success is to you and what you want to achieve. After all, everyone has a different understanding of job advancement, some look into C-level positions, others want a higher salary, and some people might want to start their own company. Only you know exactly what you are dreaming of.

Do not be shy, draft out exactly the career path you want to go and what is the result for now.

Analyze Where You Are Now

The next step is to evaluate where you are now career-wise. Are you employed in the field you want to advance in? Or maybe you want to work somewhere else but you are afraid to apply or leave the comfortable position. Think about your future and how you see it.

If you are already in a field you want to advance in – perfect! If not – also great, but it is time to move one, get that interview, and change occupations.

Craft your resume and application documents. Highlight the best qualities and your professional experience. If you are not very confident in your writing, ask the best resume editing service for help. Remember that your resume is the first impression you make on a recruiter, so it needs to be outstanding. More info you can find at SkillHub blog.

Establish Timeline

The secret to achieving your goals is in clear deadlines. When you think about something like “one day I’m going to the gym”, this day may never come. But if you think “by the end of next year I need to finish this training and get a certificate” – it is much more defined and achievable.

After you’ve drafted a plan you want to achieve – give each step a deadline. It will hold you accountable for it and help to keep growth consistent.

Be Efficient

The next step is to be more motivated to work productively. It doesn’t mean to stay long hours, but rather get rid of bad habits and start new ones. Work on your duties as if it is your company. Align your personal goals with the company’s goals. This will be a great reason and inspiration to be more efficient.

Stop procrastination, cut everything that keeps your focus away. Establish an organized workspace, and organize your digital files. You can use different color-coordination techniques that work for you. Just make sure that your every hour on this job is worth it.

Invest in Education

Even if the entry position in this company requires nothing more than a high school diploma, the higher positions probably do require more expertise. Look into individuals that are successful in what you want to achieve – what competencies do they have? Also, think about what skills you might lack and what education can help you be better at your job.

Pursue it.  There are tons of training, online courses, seminars, and even full-on online college degrees. They are usually flexible for those who work. Advancing is about growing, so invest in your professional skills and knowledge.

Be Open About Your Goals

This is a popular mistake among professionals – they keep their career goals and inspirations to themselves, work hard, and just expect to be noticed. Most of the time it is not going to happen. First of all, your manager might not see your effort if you never go above and beyond your responsibilities.

Secondly, advanced positions require leadership skills, strong communication, and a proactive approach. Letting your manager know about your goals instead of passively waiting for appraisals is an example of a proactive approach.

It doesn’t mean being aggressive about it. You can drop hints, speak openly with the manager or HR specialist, or ask about promotions options in the company. There might be some jobs and advancements you didn’t even know about.

Get Feedback

Feedback can be the best way to identify your weaknesses and strengths to grow as a professional. Always care about the manager’s feedback and ask for it when needed. If you are in a managing position, you can ask your employees to critique you. Make sure that they feel safe and open about it.

You can also do a self-assessment of your skills and performance from time to time. When you get a result you get new things to work on to get better.

Network More

The data shows that networking is an essential part of career advancement. Through networking, people are more likely to know about new opening positions and demands, for example. Engage more with the professional community online and offline. But do it wisely.

Go to seminars, conferences, and industry events. Reach out to people via social media or emails. Do not do it only when you need something – it is a bad idea. Do it regularly, send happy birthday messages, or congratulate them on their new position. One of the effective ways to do that is to use your LinkedIn profile to its full potential. Engage in professional conversations there, leave comments, join communities. Make sure you build a personal brand and reputation and people know about you.

Initiate, Engage, Lead

And last but not least, be proactive, take more responsibilities; get out of your comfort zone. Show your manager initiative and leadership. Go beyond your role and that’s how you get noticed by others.

In Summary

For many people building a career of their dreams is a lifetime goal. But it certainly doesn’t have to be. With a smart approach and effort, you can get to where you want to be faster. Stay motivated, goal-oriented, and do your best at the job.