Want a promotion? Looking for a raise? Have a great idea but need support? Stop talking about it and start acting. Here are tips to help set yourself up for success next year:
Realize it’s not all about passion.
Sure, you want to be passionate about what you do for a living. But, as a leading recruiting agency, Peoplelink knows that passion typically comes after mastering a skill set, not before. So if you’re letting passion drive your career, without letting skills serve as a foundation, you’re going to wind up chronically unhappy at work. Instead of asking yourself what your employer offers you, focus on what you can offer to your employer.
Identify the skills you need to succeed.
Hard work doesn’t always help you get ahead. You need to have a skill set that is valuable to the field you are in. If you’re not sure what the skills are you need to get ahead, then look at two or three other people at your company, or in your industry or field that have careers you envy. What skills and capacities do they have that you don’t – and how can you gain them?
Search out stretch assignments.
Stretch assignments are exactly what they sound like – projects that are outside your comfort zone and current skill level that enable you to stretch developmentally. It’s easy to take on the same projects and maintain the status quo. But the reality is that you’ll never grow and develop if you don’t occasionally take a risk and put yourself out there.
Get feedback.
Nobody likes to get constructive feedback. But alas, it’s vital if you’re ever going to improve. You need to learn all you can, put your knowledge into action, and ask for feedback. Even though it’s uncomfortable, you will undoubtedly find out about areas in which you need to improve and learn where you need to focus to make progress.
Be mindful of your time.
It’s easy to lose track of hours surfing the web or on Facebook. But how is this helping you grow and improve in your career? The answer is: it’s probably not. So minimize the time you spend on activities that yield little result in helping you achieve your goals.
Set reasonable goals.
To advance in your career, not only do you need to set goals, but they need to be realistic. Otherwise, you’re simply setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.
Making progress takes patience.
There are few, if any, times in your career that you’ll be suddenly catapulted ahead. Instead, progress is made through a series of small, incremental steps that can often be slow going. So be patient. Enhancing the value you can offer to your current and future employers – and truly getting ahead in your career – takes time. You need to set goals, and slowly work toward achieving them.
If you’re ready to move ahead in your career – and into a new position – let Peoplelink know. As a leading recruiting agency, we can connect you with job opportunities that are a great match for your skills and experience. Contact us today if you’d like to get started.
