Career advancement comes step by step

There were times when careers used to move on their own. Today, people want them to move rapidly; they seek instantaneous fulfillment. But things do not work that way. All of us have to inch forward towards contentment and progress; and success is not always easy to achieve. Therefore, there are some basic queries pertaining to career advancement that need to be answered.

You simply cannot afford to embark upon a career sans any idea and planning. You need to seek responses to the following questions:

· In what direction do you want your career to head?

· How do you propose to set your bearings?

· What actions should you be initiating?

· Are you able to visualize the impact of your career advancement on your success?

One thing that will always stand by you as you move ahead in your career is fortitude. A large number of people lack it and do not seek to cultivate it either. If something good has to happen, it will not be a sudden development; the start and end will never be without your notice. The unfortunate part is that we think that we are geared up well for anything when actually we are not. Therefore, it is no surprise that when things happen, they fail to move forward. Be it a new career, getting onto a career path, a job hunt or any other activity, advancement will be gradual. And this highlights the need to be patient. Some step-by-step measures to keep in mind in your career development are:

· Take off from wherever you are in conformity with a well-defined plan.

· Follow a sound & secure course; and acquire necessary skills.

· Have an analytical approach, anticipate things and respond appropriately on occurrence.

If you seek to move forward in your career, you simply cannot afford to wait for any prompting happening to take place. You have to always be preemptive in your approach and harbour an anticipatory disposition. Five simple tactics that will help you immensely are:

· Identify a navigator:  You ought to identify a successful frontrunner in your line of activity. He or she could be your manager, an employee of some other organization or even a person who has superannuated. The very fact that he has done well means that he would have traversed and piloted downsides and difficult situations that are usual for people like you at the echelon that you are at. Valuable guidance, clarifications of doubts and indication of directions provided by this so-called guru will assist you in attaining your objectives. Building an association with a doyen manifests your keenness to excel and can serve as a big advantage, particularly when it comes in the knowledge of others.

· Emulate a role model:  You need to be watching a person who is above you in your company’s hierarchy to emulate him. His or her deportment, to include dressing sense, demeanour, camaraderie and attitude can well be imbibed and followed. You need not impersonate your role model, but following all positive attributes will stand you in good stead when you endeavor to work in organizational interest.

· Make learning a habit:  Learning is an eternal process. You should make full use of various learning and development programmes organized by your company and this also includes attendance of seminars. Off time, it is a good idea to join classes and acquire additional qualifications. Remember that the more you learn about your job and the level that you aspire for, your dreams will invariably come true. You also make yourself a valuable member of your team in the process and be better poised to take on additional responsibilities.

· Formulate a five year strategy:  Whenever you ruminate on your career objectives, you should also think of what you seek or where you hope to be the ensuing five years. Having identified that, it must be recorded. It could well be anything – new qualifications, promotions or job change. Once recorded, they will serve as a visible summary of your objectives and juxtaposing any of them in an action plan will be rendered simple.  

· Manage your time & resources:  Time management is an essential ingredient of success. It is essential that you do not get overburdened and are able to maintain a good work-life balance. Further, you could be at any stage of your career, however you need to manage your resources wisely. Overspending should be avoided and savings affected for unforeseen situations.  

Remember that your luck has a limited role to play in your career. It will never whisper to you to get cracking. The initiative to be in command has to be your own.