#Help to #Advance your #Career Know your career mission and pursue it with vigor Like Shakespeares prose, this habit may be interpreted on more than one level. As a philosophy, it challenges you to discover the unique role best suited to your talents, interests and values and serves as a driving force to propel you toward success. On a more pragmatic level, your career mission is represented by your job description. The happiest professionals are those who understand their work, and what it takes to do a good job. This comes from a combination of technical competence and knowing exactly what management or clients expect from them. As quality experts would say, they do the job right the first time. Competence alone will not get you what you want You must also make sure that management notices when you do good work, and understands that you expect to be rewarded for going above and beyond. Too often employees just assume that their bosses know whats best when it comes to helping with career advancement, and that doing a really good job will automatically be acknowledged. Unfortunately, the truth is that many workers only generate attention when theyre a problem. If you really want to advance your career, you have to ask for what you want. Your manager isnt a mind reader, and waiting quietly to be recognized is a surefire way to get passed over for a promotion. Become an entrepreneur – view your job as a long term consulting assignment, not a permanent gig Years ago, Fast Company magazine had a cover story called Me, Inc., which revolutionized its readers thinking about their careers. The article said that because organizations no longer guarantee lifetime employment, its important think of yourself as a contractor with a portfolio instead of a loyal employee. As a contractor, your focus should be doing excellent work, learning as much as possible from each position, and being ready to hop to a new job should the desire or need arise. Take some career development risks Seize the responsibility for your own career advancement. Dont waste valuable time hoping for the best, or waiting for your company to notice that youre doing high-quality work and shower you with riches and promotions. Chart a career path, and make your management your partners in working to advance your career. Trust your gut If a situation does or doesnt feel right, dont let logic override intuition. Have you ever taken a job your gut warned you against, only to find weeks later that your first instinct had been correct? Steve Jobs knows what the public wants and makes it available to them before they even know that they want it. If he had traveled the path well taken, we may still be using CD players instead of iPods. Logic has its place in the decision making process, but whole-brained thinking will give you a balanced perspective on your career advancement that pure analysis cannot. Network, network, network – even when you dont want a new job A well-developed professional network can be a source of friendships, mentors, and referrals for everything from pediatricians to plumbers. Your network can also provide objective insights for evaluating opportunities and problems. Trade organizations, churches, alumni associations, friends of friends, and continuing education classes all offer excellent sources for cultivating relationships with colleagues who can help advance your career. Remember: job security comes and goes, but a solid network of valuable contacts is valuable no matter the circumstances. Negotiate for a win-win solution While it may appeal to our most primitive instincts to leave opponents bleeding in the dust, we will probably have to work with them again. Humiliation does not breed long-term relationships. It promotes a long lasting desire for revenge. The next time you are in a mood to take no prisoners, put yourself in your adversarys place. Suggest a solution that benefits both of you. You may not get the short-term victory, but you wont be stuck with a long-term enemy, either. Fake it until you make it Im not suggesting you lie on your resume or present yourself as someone youre not. Faking it refers instead to those occasional lapses of self confidence we experience when faced with a challenging project. Self doubt can grow in you like a cancer: Can I really pull this off? Am I good enough to do this job? If you find yourself suffering from a crisis of confidence, remember that positive behavior can easily overtake negativity and pull you out of your rut. And your behavior is what others see, not what youre feeling on the inside. Have to give a presentation and scared that you dont know what youre doing? Use your nerves an extra source of energy so you seem even more engaging. Fear and stress can be your allies if you channel them effectively.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 06:58:25 +0000
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