Some people sit back and wait for the opportunities to come to them. Others find a way to make it happen.
The latter group is the one that usually sees the most progression in their careers. Usually, these are the ones who do everything that they can in order to initiate a raise or a promotion and take charge of their own career advancement.
How to Take Charge of Your Career Advancement
If you’re ready to be in control of your future, here are some tips explaining how to take charge of your career advancement.
Determine Where You’d Like to Be
Before you can put a plan into place in order to move up the corporate ladder, you first need to spend some time thinking about where you’d like to be. Saying that you want to be “the boss” just isn’t enough. Ask yourself:
- Which role are you aiming for long-term?
- What department would you like to be in charge of?
- Where do your current strengths lie?
- What’s needed in order to get the job that you want?
Think through all of these questions and use them to develop a plan. From there, you can come up with some action steps designed to get you there. Once you have a plan, you just need to follow it. With hard work, you’d be surprised at how achievable your career goals may become.
Take Advantage of New Opportunities
If you pay close enough attention, you’ll notice a number of opportunities pop up at work that you can volunteer for. Your boss might need someone to lead a certain committee or even put together a presentation on a new product. It could even be something as small as updating part of the company website or helping train new employees.
No matter what, if you volunteer your time and take on the opportunity as part of your job tasks, your bosses will take notice, and the next time something opens up, they’ll likely ask you if you’re interested. By taking the initiative and showing them that you care about the job and company, they’ll keep you in mind for future job openings that allow you to move up.
Find a Mentor in the Field
A mentor is more than just a career coach; the ideal mentor knows the ins and outs of the industry and can answer any questions that you may have regarding the job and how to achieve your career advancement. Plus, if you feel stuck or in need of some advice, it’s good to have a mentor as a sounding board. They can help you every step of the way.
Consider Going Back to School
In order to advance in some industries, particularly the medical sales field, you’ll need to have some leadership skills. You can obtain them either through an official degree program, like an MBA, or by taking courses put together by colleges for the corporate world.
Either way, you’ll have another impressive achievement to stack your resume, as well as some new skills to show off. Plus, your employer will appreciate the fact that you spent your personal time learning these skills and took initiative.
Prioritize Networking
Networking will be the key to your success, and it’s another way to get ahead in your career. Whether you choose to get to know the people at your current company, such as those in other departments that you may not interact with much, or prefer to attend conventions and conferences filled with speakers and people from the same field, you’re taking the next steps towards advancement.
In most cases, it takes a combination of skills and knowing the right people in order to move to the top. Networking is just another piece of the puzzle that can get you there and help you meet your goals.
Ask What You Can Do
How will your bosses ever know that you want to advance to another position in the company if you never tell them? It’s important to sometimes ask for what you want. Either you can say something when a new position pops up, or apply for it through internal channels. The worst thing that can happen is that you’ll be turned down for it.
Plus, by doing this, your bosses will know that you want to move up the ladder, so they may find or create opportunities for you. After all, they want to keep their dedicated employees happy.
