Moving ahead to a higher-level job means higher pay and more responsibility at work. Earning the new position does not just happen by accident. There are several things you can do to be proactive and advance your career.
To give yourself better chances to advance your career, College Central expounds on several essential business behaviors you need to show your company you are ready for a better position. Identify what aspects of your chosen career you love the most and pick a path to advancement.
Many business behaviors start at home. Learn to manage your personal finances, which helps you manage money for your company. If you are given a project that has to stay under budget, experiment with your personal finances first.
Maintain strong professional relationships. Having the right connections to advance your career is not about schmoozing, but about edifying each other at the office. You must also be technology-friendly. Smartphones, tablet computers and new computer software make life easier at home and at work. Play around with technology at home to discover how it benefits you at work.
Manage a strong personal brand. When your name gets mentioned in the office, staffers should know exactly who they are talking about. Part of this personal management includes taking stock of potential weaknesses and working to correct them. Take a class to shore up your job-related knowledge and skills. Learning more skills improves your efforts to advance your career.
Sell yourself to others, even if you don't have a true sales position. You sell yourself to your boss every day you show up early, complete tasks on time and show you are the go-to person on the team. Enhance problem-solving skills at work. If you troubleshoot a dilemma on your own, then that is a positive step forward as a salesperson for yourself.
Keep an optimistic outlook, even when bad things happen. Business owners and managers must be even-keeled in good times and bad, or else the team may fall apart. Stay true to yourself and your values, so your boss and co-workers know what to expect on a daily basis.
Become a strategic thinker. This means you realize tasks you accomplish today have repercussions months or years into the future. When you have a plan to get from step A to step Z, you think ahead to accomplish your goals, much like long-term projects within your company.
Advance your career by analyzing others around you to see how they succeed. Aim high, even if your step is just one above you. When you want a middle-management position, study CEO-level tactics to learn to manage your department. Emulate a business leader you admire.
Learn to think like someone who runs a business to advance your career. These tips are relevant for personal attitudes, as well as at the office. Make these behaviors an integral part of your life, and see where they take you.
Photo courtesy of EladeManu at Flickr.com
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