Is Your Career Advancement Path Like This? Probably Not…
When I was at IBM 33 years ago, advancement opportunities were easy to define. You worked hard for 5 years, made a name for yourself and then you moved (hence I’ve Been Moved) in to a better job, making more money and holding more responsibilities. You were there for 2 years and so on and so on until you were a high-level executive at the company.
That career advancement path is not so clear any longer. Companies nowadays can freely assign and fire employees as swiftly as they hire them.
But rather than the company taking care of you, why not take care of your own advancement opportunities? It can be done according to Bruce Tulgan, Author of Its Okay to Manage Your Boss. Even if you have been in the same position for several years, there is hope.
4 Career Advancement Paths
Find a Mentor
A mentor can give you feedback, advice and insight about ways to advance your career. Here are some place you can find a mentor:
- Peers outside your company
- Managers within your division
- Someone in human resources
- Leaders in your industry
- Family and
- College friends
The key with valuable mentorship is to have meetings on a regular basis to discuss what the next step in your career development path is. I would say the most effective relationship requires monthly meetings, regardless how busy you may be.
Join Networking Groups
Work with your mentor and boss to identify the best organization to join. They may be:
- Industry associations
- Women’s groups or
- Minority organizations
Join committees and attend functions. Get to know others and be a valued resource. This can lead to good feedback to your management and your ability to learn new insights from other like-minded professionals.
Request Training and Always Be Learning
According to a recent SAP and Oxford Economics report:
- 39% of Millennial workers would consider leaving their job because of little to no training and development
- 29% expect and want more feedback and only
- 7% received professional development through networking
Suggest training for yourself, as well as, team building activities such as the type of development Fun Team Building provides. We have great full-day training sessions that can help you and your team grow.
Take Care of Yourself
Working all the time doesn’t help you with career advancement opportunities. You need to have a balanced life, so make certain you:
- Take care of your mind, by constantly reading and learning. Reading newspapers, online articles or fiction can make you more interesting and conversational.
- Take care of your body by eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep.
- Take care of your emotional well-being by spending time doing the things you like and with friends and family.
All of these options should help you with career advancement and keep you happier and healthier in the process. Remember there is no linear path to career advancement; today it is very fluid and while you need to work hard, following the above steps will help!
Fun Team Building can Help
Larry Lipman the owner of Fun Team Building is an excellent trainer and can help your team realize their dreams, including career advancement opportunities. He has small and large group corporate development group training, as well as, teacher/educator programs.