Invest in your career, whether you are staying put or seeking promotion
Have you ever been complacent or comfortable at work? Perhaps on autopilot?
That was me at one stage in my career. Great job, excellent salary, wonderful family….life was rosy. I was coasting along.
And then I started to notice that my peers were moving on and changes were happening around me. The landscape was shifting and the wake up call came when someone externally was brought in above me.
I realised that I hadn’t given much thought to proactively planning my career. At first, it was all about securing a job and earning a decent salary. Looking back, I was somewhat naïve. I hadn’t asked myself questions about progression or what I needed to do to move forward.
Today’s work environment is unpredictable. With rapid technological advancements, the rise of remote and hybrid work, ongoing global challenges, jobs are no longer for life. Redundancies due to automation, economic shifts and organisational restructuring are becoming more common.
Whether you are happy where you are in your career stage or wanting to actively progress you need to Give yourself the edge and take ownership of your development
Why?
Being stretched, stimulated, gaining new skills and knowledge, staying up to date with changes in technology and in your field … can lead to:
- Increase productivity
- More interesting work
- Re- invigorate your passion for what you do
- Boost your confidence and morale
- Build your transferable skills sets
- Expand your competency and capability
- Increase your professional attractiveness and credibility
These benefits will not only set you up for future promotions but also help you stay competitive in today’s evolving job market.
Career development does not necessarily mean moving up the ladder. But it does mean that you are actively engaging in learning and development and are continuing to add value to your organisation.
Some ways to develop within your current role
Identify your strengths
What are you good at? What strengths are you utilising at work? Which ones are you not using yet?
Studies show that people who use their strengths daily are six times more likely to be engaged at work. For example, if you are good at organising and do this competently outside of work, why not volunteer to organise team meetings . It might be a task that your manager dislikes doing and one which you can take on, demonstrating greater responsibility and leadership.
Identify areas for development
What skills and behaviours do you need to improve or develop? Have an open discussion with your manager about how acquiring these skills can benefit both you and the organisation. Find out if your company offers any training programs. Ask if there is any budget or funding available to attend courses or gain new qualifications.
Show initiative
Are there areas in your department or team that could be improved? For example, are there outdated processes or systems that people complain about but no one addresses?
I once worked in a role where there were no staff development activities. I took the initiative to organise a weekly ‘lunch and learn’. Each week we would explore a different topic. As colleagues became interested, they took turns in facilitating the session showcasing their expertise.
Find a mentor
Identify leaders within your organisation who have the skills, qualities and behaviours that you admire. Reach out for a coffee chat and ask them how they developed those skills. Be bold and ask if they would be able to mentor you. If no one fits the bill in your organisation, find someone outside your workplace.
Grow your network
Connect and build relationships inside and outside your organization. Building a strong network will broaden your perspective and provide valuable opportunities for future career growth
Be a mentor
Offer to mentor a junior colleague. Mentoring others will help you develop your leadership and communication skills, give you a fresh perspective, and provide the satisfaction of helping someone grow. If internal mentoring is not an option, there are external mentoring opportunities through local or national schemes.
Go beyond your department / organisation
Are there projects within your company that you could get involved in, that would benefit from your expertise and skills? This will help to open up your organisational perspective and grow your contacts, connections and visibility.
You could also try volunteering for roles within your community such as becoming a trustee of a charity, a governor in a school, member of a community group.
Take control and be proactive in developing yourself. Jobs are no longer for life. With a rapidly changing work environment, it pays to invest in developing a career with updated skills, knowledge and wisdom which will give you the edge – whether you plan to stay where you are or aiming for progression and promotion.
What is one action that you can take right now to invest in your career development?