Take time to reflect on your profession. Are you happy with your progress and position? If not, you can make a change. Others before you have grown their careers, and you have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps. No matter where you are in your career development, these tips can help you go further.
Start Small
Where you start is not where you end. Before becoming Director of GBTI, Carlton James held many other jobs. Don’t be afraid to work your way up the ladder. Each position you hold can act as a stair-step to the next level.
It’s rare for your first job to be your dream job. However, every place you work will help you gain experience, fill out your resume, and acquire references. Start wherever you can get hired and move on from there.
Consider Traveling
There is a good chance that your ideal career is not waiting out your back door. Staying in one location can limit your career growth, especially if you are based in a small town. Take a chance and start exploring job opportunities across the country and around the globe.
Even if you don’t want to permanently relocate, there are great short-term opportunities. Traveling for temp positions, internships, and volunteer work can be beneficial. The process may help you present yourself as a well-rounded go-getter with cultural experience to your future employers.
Make Connections
Professional connections can take you a long way. Befriend your co-workers, bond with your boss, find a mentor, and attend networking events. These types of people may become your best support system. Every professional has something useful to teach, whether it be about your career or life outside of work.
Personal connections are also vital to add balance to your life. If all you do is focus on your career, your life will become monotonous. That increases your chances of work burnout. Stay happier and motivated by taking time off for personal events.
Keep Learning
Earning a degree is a great base for any career. Even if your area of study does not perfectly match the job opening, it will still show you are educated and hard-working. Advanced degrees open the door to better jobs and higher salaries.
You should learn outside of a college setting as well. People, books, and the internet provide a nearly endless supply of information about any subject. Taking even a few minutes a day to learn something new can help prepare you for the next move up in your career.
Work Hard
Reaching your full career potential isn’t easy. If you feel like you’ve plateaued, keep working hard. Your upward mobility probably won’t be a linear line, and that’s ok.
No one else can determine where you should be in your career, so keep advancing at your own rate until you’re happy with where you are. Consider setting an end goal and small daily goals to help you get there.
There’s always room for career development. Following these tips can pave the way to the job of your dreams.