Help yourself to professional advancement

You run a greater risk of becoming excessively self-assured and smug about professional advancement when you happen to be in a job. In most cases, people who are already employed do not make extraordinary efforts to heighten their skills, particularly when they appreciate that such skills may not be of much use while serving in the company. You fail to understand that when you take any step that could possibly help you to grow professionally, you are bound to succeed in some field or the other – perhaps today or even tomorrow. However, if you do not add up to your skills and qualifications, there is every likelihood of your colleagues and even juniors overtaking you in your career journey – something that could turn out to be highly disadvantageous when you aspire to move into some higher slot. 

It is inescapable to pay due attention to your professional development if you seek to remain relevant in your field. Just in case you fail to add any additional qualification or skill to your list for a couple of years, you are likely to be rendered redundant. With competition getting tough and the employment climate being what it is, you have to harbour an open-minded and avant-garde outlook; and focus on what would be required in your next higher designation. Considering various factors, it is essential that you acquire more and more transferable skills so that you get to stay relevant in different roles in different industries in the times to follow.

Being in command of your own professional advancement has become an imperative today; this has been brought about by the recent economic slowdown wherein companies have expressed their reluctance to facilitate employees grow beyond their fundamental functions. Today, you find employees not willing to stay on with companies – something that was not heard of in the yesteryears – and as a result of which, the value attached to training an employee who could be lost is not appreciated. In other words, if the aim is to preclude attrition, facilities for professional advancement need to be provided.  But since that is not being executed on ground, you yourself have to be at the wheels of your career.

Some methods that can help you in the advancement of your career are:

· Acquire new skills: Getting into a job does not imply that it the end of your learning effort. You can always enrol for evening, weekend, correspondence or even online classes to acquire additional qualifications. You should continue to move ahead and acquire knowledge in any domain, howsoever relevant or unconnected with your current work it may be. Learning a new skill can be done if you can identify those that are desirable and then start putting them into action. You can also consider going in for honorary assignments because they doing so will throw open opportunities to become adept at skills that otherwise you would not have been able to become proficient at.

· Engage in informational interviews: They will provide you with hands-down experience on issues that you have so far not been good at. You will learn the nuances of work that you intend taking up subsequently, besides boosting your PR and widening your contact base. You will thus be able to learn from the accomplishments and mistakes of others. Even if you observe how people discharge their duties, a lot can be learnt too.

· Latch on to a ‘Guru’ for guidance: You should identify a mentor – somebody who you trust and who has time for you. A person could be highly experienced but he may not have time to spare for you; such a person will never turn out to be a good mentor. But a person who is genuinely interested to help you will also facilitate the decision-making process by you. He will be a source of great encouragement by sharing his or her experiences and offering practical advice. You need to find a professional in your field whose career you would like to emulate. Your focus should be on finding a person who exhibits qualities that you would like to hone in yourself.

· Participate in professional seminars & workshops: These events are one of the most powerful career tools available and yet, far too many people tend to ignore them. You should identify seminars and workshops that are meaningful for you. Attendance or participation in them will help you to learn new skills and expand your network – all key factors for professional advancement. You should find out what is available for professionals who share your role or work in your same industry; you will thus get innumerable opportunities to meet and mingle with some of the top professionals in your field.

You should never forget that the price of success is hard work; devotion to the work you are doing and the job you are in; and the determination that whether you are successful or not, you have applied the best of yourself to the work that you are at. You may harbour apprehensions, however, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.