Four Steps That Will Help You Advance In Your Career

All of us want to do better at work, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some tips to help you do better every day in your career...

Start To Network
First of all, it’s important to learn how to network. A lot of people can feel reticent about doing this - it can feel strange and false to try to build relationships purely on a professional basis instead of actually making friends with people, but it’s an important skill to learn in the workplace. Life is often about who you know, rather than what you know - and if you go to networking events and talk to people instead of lingering awkwardly next to the canapes table, you’ll get your name out there, which means that it’ll be easier for you to change jobs and advance in the future.

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Ask For What You Want
It’s important to make sure that you ask for what you want in the workplace. Expecting your dream job or a raise to just fall into your lap simply won’t work - if you want something then it’s important to state your intentions clearly. If your annual review goes well then it’s perfectly fair to expect a raise in line with it. If you’d like more responsibility in your office or the chance to start heading up projects so that you can add new skills to your resume, ask your boss about it. So many people are apathetic about their jobs that they’ll probably leap at the chance to help an enthusiastic person advance.

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Keep Learning
No matter how great you are at your job, it’s important to keep professionally developing. Go on as many courses and go to as many conferences as you can, talk to people, keep learning about new ideas and innovations in your sector so that you can take those ideas back to your workplace and incorporate them into your job. Being curious about the world around you makes it a lot easier to have your own fresh ideas and to succeed. It’s also a good idea to keep getting qualifications like the CSUSM-EL, which can help you to get promotions and advance in your career. Making the people around you aware of the fact that you’re willing to develop new skills and learn more things will make them think of you when opportunities arise in your office.

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Work Smarter, Not Harder
Finally, you need to be aware that you don’t need to stay at your office until late every night, or come in at the crack of dawn, or work over every single lunch break. In fact, that’s a great way to burn out quickly and get disillusioned with your job. Instead, you should learn to work smartly instead. Learn to delegate projects and responsibilities to other staff members and make sure that you prioritise your work carefully. Staying organised is the number one way to manage your work effectively so that you don’t end up getting overwhelmed and confused.

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by Iconic Chica Contributors