We all know what it feels like to feel stuck when it comes to our career and work life (if you haven’t, you probably wouldn’t be reading a blog on career progression). You can feel flat and frustrated that your career has stagnated. But equally, you should feel excited!
You’re growing and going after what you want and that is amazing. The key to turning your frustration into excitement is to follow these 5 steps:
Prepare and plan
Write down exactly what it is that you want out of your career. What are your ultimate career goals? Keep in mind that this isn’t always monetary.
What is it that you want out of your career? Do you want a role where you are hands on, instead of sitting behind a desk all day? Do you want to be more creative or have a role that allows you to utilise a particular skill set?
This step might require you to do a bit of research. Once you have worked out the details of your dream job, reach out to people in roles that fit those details. Find out what they love about their career and the steps they took to get there. LinkedIn is your best friend.
Create an action plan
Now that you know where you want to go, it’s time to create a plan. Set yourself a goal (or a few goals) and work backwards to create an action plan on how to achieve them. Make sure you create a timeline for when you want to achieve each goal to keep yourself accountable.
Things to include in your action plan:
- When do you want to achieve your goal by?
- What do you need to achieve your goal? i.e more industry experience, qualifications, professional development etc.
- Who can help you achieve these goals? Examine your existing network and see if you can utilise any existing connections to help you achieve your goals
- How are you going to achieve your goals? This is the crux of your action plan.
Seek opportunities for further development/Be an asset
The key word in career progression is ‘progression’. Seek out and accept as many learning opportunities as you can. Show that you are willing to put in the work by growing and improving your skills. Make the most of your current role by demonstrating that you are an asset. Be enthusiastic, helpful and bloody good at your job. Even if it’s not where you want to progress your career in the long run, it is a chance to hone your skills and will ensure you have a killer reference when it is time to move on.
Be flexible
Life doesn’t always go the way we want it to, and that includes our career paths. So, it turns out your dream job isn’t totally 100% exactly what you wanted? Have you just wasted a year of your life planning for a career you no longer want?
Absolutely not.
Every job, project, professional development course, extra-curricular activity is a learning opportunity. Even if the thing you learnt is what you don’t want.
If you find yourself in this situation, stop, reflect and reset. Look back at what you have learned and re-evaluate your goals and update your action plan. Remember, how fast you are progressing isn’t as important as the fact that you ARE progressing.
Find a Mentor
Lastly, you don’t have do this alone.
A career mentor can help you map out your goals and define your action plan. A mentor will hold you accountable to your goals, provide unbiased and objective career advice, support you on your career path and give you the confidence you need to succeed.
Progress can be daunting to even the most seasoned of professionals, but it doesn’t have to be. Get in touch today to see how a mentor can help you on your road to career progression.