Do you want to get ahead in your career?
You’re not alone. The average person spends around two hours per week on career management, but the average executive spends ten times as much time on their career.
And that’s because they know that managing their career is one of the most important things they can do for themselves—it will help them to develop and advance professionally, and it will help them stay motivated and engaged at work.
Career management doesn’t start when you’re looking for a new job or promotion. It starts when you first start working.
In each role you take, you should be thinking about how your professional development will benefit your employer as well as how it will benefit YOU personally.
This means taking advantage of opportunities like training programs or professional development opportunities offered by your company, along with opportunities to contribute to a project which will heighten your profile, networking and engaging with stakeholders, as well as regular reading of journals, and articles, among others.
But what if you’re just starting out and don’t know where to begin? How can you possibly manage something when there are so many unknowns?
Here are four tips to get started with how you can effectively manage your career:
1. Understand Yourself
To succeed in your career, you need self-awareness: the ability to gauge your skills and identify your strengths and interests. You also need to understand your values and how they fit into your future plans.
2. Establish Your Brand
A brand is a well-crafted reputation, representing your strengths, values, uniqueness, and passion in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd. A clear personal brand increases visibility and raises your profile.
3. Build Your Network.
Don’t underestimate the power and potential of networking with others — both inside and outside of your organisation. This will give you stronger relationships with people who can help you advance in your career, as well as a safety mechanism for unexpected career events.
4. Be Proactive in “managing up”.
It’s important to develop an effective working relationship with your boss as you develop and further hone your leadership skills. By proactively identifying ways to address any shortcomings and complementing your manager’s ways of working, you can enhance your professional development and provide them with real value and showcase your skillsets.
If you’re really wanting to take charge of your career, rather than wait for others to manage it, it can help to have some guidance as to how to go about this.