7 Top Tips For Progressing Your Career

/in /by

Are you an ambitious person who is determined to achieve higher and progress your career quickly? If so, you may be unsatisfied by the pace at which you’re progressing in your current position, in which case you’ll need these tips to help you recognize your ultimate goals and assess your plan of action.

Obviously, your performance level at work is spotless, and your attitude sets you apart from the rest, but just to make sure you’re getting everything you can out of your job, follow these 7 easy steps.

1. Take on new challenges and responsibilities

To ensure your career progression is constantly moving forward, you should endeavor to take on as much responsibility as possible. Not only will it indicate to your employer that you’re serious about your position in the company – in which case they may be more inclined to offer you a promotion or a higher salary – but being challenged will make you work harder, fine tune your skills and open doors to new opportunities.

Request to take over with client liaison or to manage new projects and teams. Or, for something more challenging, why not call and meeting with your boss and colleagues to share new ideas and future plans that will benefit the company. For this, you should use an app like MeetApp event – the best event app in 2018 – to help you organize and schedule meetings and conferences with other employees, as well as encouraging interaction and the discussion of business ideas.

2. Reshape your current position

If you’re getting restless with your current job tasks and lack of variety, take matters into your own hands. Talk to your boss about switching up your role to maintain motivation and learn new skills.

If your role entails the implementation of one tiny percentage of a wider project? Demand to take on more, and prove to your employer that you have the right skills and qualifications for a higher role.

3. Request training

Every employer should offer training, and if you feel like you haven’t been adequately trained it can make you feel resentful towards your company. Training will not only benefit you and future-proof your career, but it means your employer can get more out of you, too, so it’s really in everybody’s interest to train you on new skills, software and programs.

4. Take on freelance work outside your 9-5

If you’re not getting enough out of your job, whether it be skills and progression or money, consider taking up a side hustle, such as on-the-side freelance work. It will require great amounts of motivation and organization, but the benefits mean you can do more, be better, and experience other options. Cast your net wider!

5. Network

Networking is crucial for career progression; the people you network with can introduce you to a whole world of new possibilities. Remember: even the most unexpected scenarios are great networking opportunities – you may meet somebody in a coffee shop who may be searching for someone to help him build their start-up business, and you could be the best person for the job.

6. Negotiate

If you aren’t happy in your current position, don’t settle. It doesn’t help anyone, especially yourself, if you don’t ask for what you want: more responsibility, variety or money. Plus, your employer is most likely to respect you more for being assertive, and you’ll come across more valuable and a greater asset.

7. Trust your instinct

Lastly, trust your instinct. Aren’t sure your talents and work ethic are valued in your current job? Move on. Feeling underappreciated and under-paid? Talk to your boss or move on.

A job that has a clear path to progression with set goals and motivational mentors is what you should aim for, so if your job is dead-ended, hatch an exit plan and get out of there! Always strive for more, good luck!

How To Be A More Effective Leader At Your Company

/in , , /by


 
Being a leader is hard enough, but then you have to worry about being an effective one on top of it, which can, in turn, be incredibly stressful. Your company is counting on you to deliver your best results and you can’t be caught dragging your feet on the job. Being a good leader means you’re willing to step up and put yourself out there with the purpose of benefiting the group.

Always be brushing up on your leadership skills and thinking about what you could be doing better. The minute you start to get comfortable is when you’re going to lose your edge, which may cause you to lose some of your pull too. Your first step is to learn a few tips that will help you be more effective in your leadership position.

Always Make Time for you

Where some professionals get it wrong is that they’re always focusing on their tasks and other people. Remember that being a strong leader comes from inside you. This is why it’s important to put yourself first and take care of yourself. You can’t lead if you don’t feel your best and have the energy to do so. It also includes you taking the time to educate and train yourself on what you need to know to be more effective in your role.

Speak up

Leadership is all about having the courage to speak up and ignite change. If you notice a process that’s in place that’s holding everyone up then address it with the relevant parties. For example, if payroll is failing to provide pay stubs efficiently then tell them to use a company who can provide the service at a low cost and avoid fake paystub maker. Although it’s not your job to implement this change, you’re speaking up and being a leader to help the greater good.

Expand your Circle

To be a good leader you have to step outside your circle and get to know other people from different departments. There’s no room for having clicks and being secretive if you want to take charge at your company. Make time to get to know people in all positions and ask for their feedback regarding how it’s going for them. Have an open door policy and let everyone know they’re always welcome to step in and chat about anything that’s on their minds.

Delegate Wisely

First, you have to know how to delegate, and then you have to do it wisely. This means assigning appropriate responsibilities to others and people seeing you as an authority figure, so the work gets done on time. You must be clear and assertive in your delivery. To be an effective leader you have to be viewed as someone who means business, but also as someone who is easily approachable if there are questions or concerns.

Conclusion

Being a leader is crucial to the inner workings of your company. There’s always room for improving your skills and becoming more effective. The best way to learn is to start practicing new behaviors and getting more experience.

There Are More Ways To Reach The Top Than You Think

/in /by

You might be at a point in life where you are unsure how to progress in your career and how to reach success. This could be at the beginning of college, just before leaving school or even at a time later on in your life. At one point or another, we are all stuck with how to proceed. You may even feel pressure to make the right decision because you don’t want to be in the situation where a few years later you feel like you made the wrong choice.

We have a few options on how to proceed here.

Find A Basic Job

You can complete this part-time or full time depending on your situation. This is also a smart move if, for whatever reason, you find yourself out of work. People are often wary of taking a basic job because they think that it means a low level of pay. On occasion, it can, but a basic job can also be seen as the first stepping stone. Slowly but surely, you can rise through the ranks to the point where you will be able to grow your paycheck, your responsibilities and indeed, your position in a company or sector. This is a smart move if you are completely unsure of what direction to take. For the time being it does set you on a path that with hard work will lead to great success.

Choosing A Degree

You might be in a situation where you are choosing a degree. This could be a post grad or your first time in college. It is important to understand which degrees open what doors and the type of thing you can expect. For instance, a law degree doesn’t just open up the possibility of working as a lawyer. Most people with law degrees can find a job operating in human resources. Human resources can be another high paying position that could prove to be a useful backup. While an online social work degree is something that can indeed help you find a position in social services or even in the health industry. By knowing you have more than one route available to you, you’ll find the right path.

Get Yourself Out There

Of course, if you take the necessary steps, you can make sure that the right career finds you and avoid searching for it yourself. You can let a business owner or business headhunt you for a role that you would love. Doing this is all about making sure that you are active on social media. Make sure that you have a Linkedin Page and that you are staying active across social media. You don’t have to use this for personal use. Instead, use it purely as a way to build up your own personal brand. In other words, who you are and what type of business interests you have.

Do this and as well as the possibility of being headhunted, you could find yourself getting far more job offers when you send out your CV and attend interviews.

We hope you see now that there are more ways than it seems to reach the top with any career path.

How To Improve Your Leadership Skills

/in /by

Wanting to be a better leader is a good goal to have. You’ll be strengthening your chances at moving up in your company and helping your organization to succeed. It’s a great personal goal because you can take the skills you develop with you and use them in all areas of your life.

Think about when you’re managing employees in the office versus when you’re at home. It’s likely some of the skills carry over and help you succeed in both environments. You can’t simply want to be a better leader. You have to put in the hard work it takes to achieve results.

Find A Mentor

Your first plan of action should be to find a mentor who you admire and believe has strong leadership skills. Make it your goal to observe them in their element and take notes about why they’re admirable to you. Ask to have a meeting with them and discuss your goals and any tips they have for you. Try to connect on a regular basis and keep learning from them as you start implementing some of their suggestions into your daily life.

Be Innovative

Always be thinking ahead about how you and your business can take your industry by surprise. For example, the painting and decorating company athdecorating.co.uk decided to launch a website for marketing their business, which they hadn’t previously done. It’s a great way to get their services out there and in front of their target audience. Think about how you can do this at your company. Put yourself in charge of the project to make sure it goes smoothly. Show you’re a leader by being attentive, organized and assertive when discussing the details and assigning roles.

Ask for Feedback

Be open and honest with others about what you’re trying to achieve and ask for feedback. Approach people you work and interact with on a daily basis for their comments and suggestions for improvement. You may find some of what they say surprising and be able to use their advice to help you improve your leadership skills. You never know what other people are observing that’s difficult to see for yourself. Focus on what you’re doing right and be honest about where you’re struggling, so you can fix it.

Take Advantage of Professional Development Opportunities

You’re not going to progress by sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself that you’re not a top leader in your company. Be proactive and ask your company what they offer for leadership training. Take an online course or an in person training session that allows you to practice your skills in front of others. Use this as an opportunity to educate and challenge yourself to becoming a better leader, boss and partner at home. Always be learning and jumping on any training classes that will help build your skills.

Conclusion

Be glad that there are ways to improve your leadership skills, so you can keep moving forward in the right direction. Don’t worry about your weaknesses. Look at them as opportunities for growth.

3 Ways to Further Your Business Career

/in /by

Getting a job in business is a great way to use your creative and analytical skills, so it is no wonder that so many people pursue degrees in the field. But if you have been working in the business for a while and you have been in the same position for several years, you might be in search of more. Are you ready to take your business career to a whole new level? Check out the three ways to go about doing so below and get ready to enjoy the perks of an exciting career in the ever-changing world of business.

1. Get Your Master’s Degree in Business

These days, so many people have a bachelor’s degree in business, so one of the best ways to enhance your skills and differentiate yourself from the competition is by pursuing a master’s in business degree. You could go for a master’s of business administration by signing up for an online MBA or opt for another one programs for business leaders at somewhere like Syracuse University. However, you should weigh the pros and cons of these degrees before signing up for the program that will best suit your needs and expectations for your career. See which programs will give you the skills you need to take the direction of your dreams.

2. Dive into a New Project

If you want to prove your worth to your employer, consider stepping outside of your comfort zone every now and then. Volunteer to help in a project that crosses across multiple departments at your organization, rather than always sticking with your usual team and your usual project requirements.

Get involved, gain valuable new experience, and deepen your skills. Prove that you are willing to take risks, learn new things, and work hard with new teams of people. Your employer will certainly take note and be more willing to help you advance to higher-paid, higher-level positions. Plus, this is a great way to experiment and find out if you would love working in another department or in a totally different position than the one that you are currently in.

3. Use Your Downtime and Commute Time to Educate Yourself

There are countless business experts out there that you could learn from on a daily basis, and many of them are putting out free content that you could easily access online. So take advantage of these opportunities to learn something new during your downtime, whether you have free time during your evenings and weekends or you squeeze in listening to a business-related podcast during your commute to and from the office. You might be surprised by the tips and tricks that these experts share on everything from how to start a business, to how you can impress your employer.

With the right advanced degree in business, along with the right projects to prove your specialty in a particular area of business, you could enhance your career and boost your salary. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and do what it takes to further your business career today!