As a professional, you will likely want to continue advancing your career long past your first years in the job of your choice. There are many ways that professionals can advance their careers, and many of these take a lot of hard work, effort, and commitment. To find out more about the best methods to put your energy into in 2021, read on.
· Get a Good Qualification
The first step you should take as a professional who wants to advance their career is getting a good qualification. Qualifications can help you skip the lower rungs of your career ladder and head straight in at the top. Not only this, but they can help you to specialize in certain areas that you are interested in within your industry, rather than having to take on broader roles, many of which can be performed by many different job candidates. Due to this, you should consider taking a qualification such as a Masters in Business Analytics as this will enable you to continue to learn about modern business and get the specific skillset and knowledge that you need to be able to take on high-powered roles and greater responsibilities.
· Prepare for One-to-Ones
As a professional, you should know the importance of the one-to-ones and annual performance reviews that your employer runs. One-to-ones are vital for your career progression as they can allow you to hold a two-way conversation with your employer where you can compare your goals within the company with the position that you are in now. You can make the most of your one-to-ones by listening carefully to everything that your employer has to say, ensuring that you ask them for feedback and concrete steps that you can follow in your mission to improve. You will also be able to ensure that they know that you are aiming to progress your career and that they consider you for any roles that come up. However, feedback is not something that you should only get at annual reviews, and you should ask for it as much as possible to make sure that you are always improving.
· Work on Your Own Projects
However, when you are a professional, it is your work life that can help you progress in your career and what you do outside of the office. By working on your own projects, you will be advancing your career at all times of the day or night without having to wait for approval from your manager or for different opportunities to come your way. You should consider learning a new skill, designing a new product, taking on a side hustle, or simply enjoying a passion in the time that you have away from work. Whatever you do, this can help you improve and hone your skills and develop new expertise that you can apply to your company.
· Become an Expert
You are more likely to be able to advance your career if you are an expert in your field, though. This does not mean simply having to constantly return to university or college. Becoming an expert can involve keeping up with the latest developments by reading industry journals and blogs and reading up on different aspects of your industry in your own time. You can also become an expert by researching your company and your industry. When you decide that you want to become an expert, you should consider learning about more than just the elements of your industry and the economy that impact your job role, and you should consider sharing your expertise online or on a blog, as this can draw attention to you and start to make you a prominent voice within your industry.
· Take Risks and Overcome Challenges
However, to move forward in your career, you must be ready to take risks and overcome the challenges that you have been struggling with. Most great ideas and breakthroughs were the result of someone taking a risk, and you should make sure that you can take measured risks that can keep you inspired and which might just pay off. However, before you jump into the deep end, you should always make sure that you have a backup plan. Not only this, but every single professional has challenges that they need to overcome if they are going to succeed. To help you beat these challenges, you should make a comprehensive plan of steps that you need to overtake to break down these barriers and constantly work on following this.
· Continue Improving
Even though you might once have been the best in your field when you first started your career, it is easy to stagnate if you stop putting effort into your work and your career. To ensure that you remain a good professional, you should make sure that you always have the drive and motivation to carry on improving. You can continue to improve by taking on harder tasks and more responsibility, working on your skills at home, and listening to the tips and training that your employer gives you. You should also collaborate with others and even think about getting a mentor who can give you advice on the areas of your career that you struggle at. The best action that you can take though is to continue practicing the job areas you are not as good at.
Advancing your career as a professional is not impossible, even if it can sometimes seem like it, and yet it might take you a long time to achieve your goals and to reach a stage of your career that you are happy with no matter what you do. It is important that you do not give up. Whether you are only just beginning on your career path or whether you have been working within your field for a long time, by following this guide, you will be able to make progress toward your goals and show your employer what you can do before long and earn yourself a role with more responsibility.
