Career growth in the workplace matters not only to the employees but also to the organizations. For employees, it means personal development, increased satisfaction, salary increments, financial stability, and professional recognition. On the other hand, the career growth of employees within the workplace translates into organizational benefits such as increased productivity, higher loyalty, innovation, smoother transitions, employee retention, reduced costs, competitive advantage, knowledge retention, and higher resilience.
The company you work for might prefer to promote from within. Are you ready to seize the opportunity? Here are three steps you can take to boost your career and enjoy a rewarding professional journey.
Define a Clear Career Path
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” —Benjamin FranklinPlanning provides clarity and direction. In the absence of planning, career growth will be haphazard and unstructured, possibly leading to missed opportunities. It’s important to know where you want to go to determine how to get there.
Start by evaluating your current role, your strengths, and areas that need improvement. Examine the various departments and the interconnection of the roles. Understand the possible progression paths from your current position. Look for roles that align with your interests and strengths. Check whether your organization is investing in upskilling and reskilling employees. Based on these insights, set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) short-term and long-term goals for progress in the organization.
Once you set your goals, break them down into manageable milestones. Find out what skills you need to reach each milestone. Utilize gamification techniques and design your missions.
When you have the career roadmap for growth within your organization, you can start moving toward your goals with precision. A point to remember is that career growth is not always vertical; a lateral move is also growth.
Take Initiative
The next step revolves around proactively seeking and grabbing opportunities. Keep yourself updated with the latest industry trends and emerging technologies. Demonstrate your abilities by taking up new responsibilities and challenges in your current role. Seek and use feedback to improve your performance.Do not hold back from applying for promotions and internal transfers, even if doing so may make you feel more vulnerable. Rather than passively waiting for something, you have more chances of gaining something when you ask for it. According to research, companies can fill 42 percent of critical roles internally, and you should actively search for and capitalize on such opportunities.
Upskill and reskill yourself as you deem necessary. Develop the soft and hard skills relevant to your chosen path through online courses, workshops, and on-the-job training. A master’s in organizational leadership online can unlock new avenues and help you secure higher-level management roles in your industry. If available, apply for mentorship programs within your organization. If such an option doesn’t exist, approach a senior to coach you personally.
Another important move is to work toward building strong connections in your industry. Networking and relationship building can open the door to many new opportunities. Attend networking events, conferences, and webinars; join an industry association or group, grab lunch with colleagues, or catch up with older connections via LinkedIn.
Review and Improve
Career growth requires resilience and patience. It’s important to remember that it is a gradual process. Success cannot be achieved overnight, but you can achieve it through persistence.Monitor your progress on your defined path and against your goals. Examine what you have accomplished and what is still pending. Put to use all that you have learned from your recent projects and roles.
Related: Workers Want More Info on Career Growth
Regularly review your career plans, considering your personal circumstances and industry dynamics. You may have to pivot your plans when new challenges or opportunities arise. This will increase your resilience and help you maximize your professional development.
Wrapping Up
To advance your career, combat the fear of failure and adopt a growth mindset. Unlock your full potential with the three steps for career growth mentioned above.Throughout the journey, it’s vital to remember that career growth can look different for everyone, and avoid comparing your progress to others. Strive to perform better than you were doing yesterday.
With proactive and purposive actions, you can become the top talent that other companies seek to attract while enjoying an indispensable status in your organization.
