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Most likely, you know many examples of rapid career growth and as many stories of stagnation. Someone literally jumps the steps of the career ladder, while someone has to stagnate. Let’s figure out why this happens and how not to fall into the number of the latter.
Before diving into the topic of career growth, you need to understand whether you need it at all. To decide, ask yourself the following questions:
- What are your priorities for the next 5-10 years?
- Do you plan to work at all?
- Can you balance your career with raising children?
- Is there a spark?
- What do you want to achieve with career development: salary growth, social status or recognition of the professional community?
Often by the age of 30, employees develop the habit of not rushing forward and agree to go with the flow. In order to reverse this trend and form a new strategy of behavior, additional efforts and motivation are needed.
And if, despite the likely difficulties, you are ready for a career breakthrough, here is a list of life hacks that will help you prove yourself without changing your job.
Take on the most
If there is an opportunity to take on an additional amount of work within your position, take it. You can take on another client – take it. An additional load in the form of a corporate magazine, speeches at conferences, articles in professional publications – this is also not worth giving up.
The more people and business processes will be tied to you in the company, the better. But there are some nuances here: it is important to evaluate your strengths. In addition, we should not forget that some of the additional work can and should be delegated.
Don’t Treat Your Job as Temporary
Often I hear from clients: “Now I’ll finish it … (there is an endless list of things to do), and then how I’ll take it!” It is nothing but procrastination and avoidance. And therefore, we again need to return to the beginning and think: “Do I really need this, since I keep putting it off for later?”
Or another example: “I’m not sure that I will be at this job in a year / two / three: we will change the leadership, a new law will come out …”. As a result, this “temporality” can drag on for years, and you will remain where you were.
Think about it: even if management changes in a year, the whole team is unlikely to leave. Moreover: even the new management will need caring and experienced employees. Suppose, if you are thinking about leaving in a year, then, firstly, it is far from a fact that you will leave, and secondly, it is better to have more projects in your resume for which you were responsible. This will give you points in the interview.
So don’t blame circumstances for your “downtime” – take responsibility for your steps and act.
“We cannot wait for favors from nature, to take them from her is our task”
The aphorism of the Soviet biologist Ivan Michurin, as well as the famous phrase from the movie “The most charming and attractive” are also applicable in career matters. Don’t wait to be offered a promotion – ask for it yourself, offer yourself!
This is a typical misconception: “I work so well, the management sees it, and when the opportunity arises, I will immediately be promoted.” Show initiative. Explain why you deserve it, tell me what your plan is.
It definitely won’t get worse: in the best scenario, you will be promoted, in the worst case, the management will know that you have ambitions, that you want to develop in the company, and next time your candidacy will definitely be taken into account.
Try to communicate with the head without intermediaries
Another common misconception is that “someone will put in a good word for you.” Well, if everything is true and you really have friends or a sponsor who will take care of your growth. But in practice, this is a huge rarity.
The older you are in the career hierarchy, the less likely it is that someone else will think about your advancement. Therefore, if possible, minimize the number of links between you and the leader who makes specific decisions. So he will clearly see your merits, your activity. And the risks that someone will appropriate the results of your work will decrease.
Live what you do
Remember the tipping point in The Devil Wears Prada when Anne Hathaway’s character realizes she doesn’t truly live by the values of the magazine she works for and doesn’t want to be associated with it? Only after she was imbued with the idea of fashionable gloss, her career went up.
If you do not share the values of the company where you work, do not be proud of the product that it releases – it will be extremely difficult for you to succeed there. Insincerity will be read subconsciously by everyone around: clients, management, and shareholders.
Find in your work pluses for yourself: something you must certainly like about it. Otherwise, why did you accept the offer at all?
Be a plus person
Unfortunately, people often tend to criticize the world around them and perceive it negatively, and this affects their perception of reality. However, whiners do not become successful. Be a person with a plus sign: look at the world and events positively, try to see something good in everything, and the world will answer you in the same way.
It is much more pleasant to work next to someone who sees the positive aspects of life, believes in the good, in luck and success. With such a person you want to communicate with both colleagues and management.
About the Developer
Alina Sokolova – Coach, consultant and business coach. Her .