Career growth is a measure of the financial and emotional rewards you get in your professional life. Your skills and education got you where you are today. But where do you want to be tomorrow? How do you ensure that you grow not just financially but also personally and professionally? Adaptability, resilience, curiosity and innovativeness are a few characteristics that are vital for career growth. Follow these tips to how not to just survive but also thrive in your career.
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Network as much as you can
Whether it is within your organisation or outside it, build strong connections with people you like and look up to. Knowing people inside and outside your domain is an important factor in deciding your career growth. Your professional network will provide you with the roadmap to new opportunities, the inspiration to grow and a strong support community. Job security is short-lived, but a solid network of contacts stays forever.
Become an entrepreneur
No job is permanent as no company guarantees lifetime employment. So instead of thinking of yourself as a loyal employee, consider yourself an entrepreneur or a long-term contractor. Focus on delivering high-quality work and learning as much as possible from every position you hold. Be ready to explore new opportunities at a new job when the need arises.
Continue learning
The general trend is to learn until you finish school and college, work tirelessly throughout your work life and then retire. However, you can make your life more fruitful and your career more rewarding with ongoing learning. The world is your oyster, and more so with the rich repository of resources available online. Make the best of those resources to learn, both for professional and personal development. Combine work, learning and fun.
Accept that change is constant
Sticking to age-old company traditions is a career killer. It is change that opens doors to new opportunities. Make change happen proactively. Work with the assumption that your role has to change every few years or you’re not working right.
Take calculated risks
Taking no risks leads to no gains. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a corporate professional, taking risks is a smart thing to do for career growth. Calculated risks have low downside potential and on the upside provide more opportunity for career advancement.
Seek out opportunities
When you do a good job, why wait for others to give you a better opportunity or promotion? Look out for opportunities and carve out your own luck. In this way, you will find something in which you can invest your natural talents in instead of being forced to do something you don’t like.
Make your career your business if career growth is your objective. Think of each day as a chance to learn something new. Combine career, education and leisure for a satisfying work life.
