Career growth is continual learning, learning to improve your skills to provide more value to your current employer. Career growth includes promotions as well as job changes. Most people like to be challenged and want to learn new things. We never know what opportunities will come our way and it is never a waste of time or effort to better yourself.
4 ways to grow your career:
1. Have a strategy
Having a personal strategy is evaluating your future competitive advantage. Watch the current climate and determine the areas you need to focus on to grow and develop new skills. This includes taking the initiative to take additional classes, invest in training, read more books, take the steps to develop and enhance your current skill set.
Too often I hear that employees are too shy to talk to their supervisors about growth opportunities. Individuals with a growth mindset are more productive, more engaged, better problem solvers, and take more worthwhile risks.
2. Leadership
You are the leader of your career. Characteristics of a good leader include capability, integrity, empathy, vulnerability, and inspiration. You cannot inspire others if you cannot inspire yourself to move forward. Ask questions, listen, and act.
3. Change
Change is difficult for everyone. Practice seeing change as an opportunity for transformation. Change presents great growth opportunities. I am not the same person I was when I started my career, and I hope that I am not the same person or leader I was last month or even last year. Change is scary, uncomfortable, and needed to force us to adapt, try new things, and to fail at times. It is through these experiences that we grow.
4. Build a Solid Network
Relationships are an essential part of both personal and professional life. Networks include connecting with people who agree and disagree with you. You don’t want a network of “yes” people. We need people in our lives that challenge and force us to think of other solutions. We all need cheerleaders, they are important, they help lift us when we struggle. It is equally important to have those whom you trust who can also help show your weaknesses. These people if they are true friends will not only help you identify the weakness but also help you make them strengths.
Career growth is a lifetime process. Even if you are satisfied and happy with your job with no desire to change, seize the opportunity to challenge yourself and learn new things. No one ever loses when you strive to better yourself, because the more knowledge and experience you gain will add value to your employer and open up new opportunities.
By Cheryl Viola, Executive Director, MBA
References
Lambert, A. (2020, June 20). How to grow at work, increase your pay, and chart your career path. Retrieved from https://calendly.com/blog/how-to-grow-at-work-increase-your-pay-and-chart-your-unique-career-path/
Tobaccowala, R. (n.d.). Six ways to grow your career. Retrieved from https://spark.adobe.com/page/v5Vm3Adj4wZNY/