Fulfill your career aspirations

Men and women who have successful careers have immense prudence and forethought. They plan their careers skillfully, take stock of their progress periodically and work hard to reach the top. You too can be like them. You too can fulfill your career aspirations. But the catchword here is resolution. You have to be dogged and always keep in mind that opportunities are invariably camouflaged as hard work and that you need to recognize them.

Here are some vitals:

·   Objectives: If you do not have any aims, there is no point dreaming of attaining any. You should know accurately what you seek to do and be in life; it is only then that you can set your sights on your career ambitions. In particular, you should be clear in your mind about various priorities in your life; in case there are any incongruities, your move forward will be impeded. And if you have far too many aims, the chances of success will automatically stand reduced. Simply having aims is akin to dreaming; you must set a schedule for their accomplishment.

·   Professional approach: The image that you portray of yourself should be one of professionalism. Besides appearance, you must pay attention to your overall conduct and the company that you keep.

·   Dedication: Nothing will materialize if you are casual. You must envision your journey ahead; and should never be wary of the aims that you set for yourself. Your progress can take a beating sometimes and your confidence may tend to get splintered. If that happens, tell yourself that you merit victory and that nothing can impede its achievement. Working hard will be more productive if you keep the end result in mind.

·   Communication skills: You should be able to articulate yourself well; learning experiences gained should invariably be shared. Efficient communications also entail good writing and listening skills. You should be able to sway others with your words.

·   Discussions: You must not shy away from your seniors in discussing matters. Such interactions help in gaining esteem in their eyes; needless to say this factor is essential to move up the success ladder.

·   Skills & expertise: You gain experience in everything that you undertake and do; and every experience is a learning experience. On-thejob training apart, you must acquire formal qualifications too so that you always maintain your progressive graph.

·   Networking: Your professional success is also contingent on your capacity to meet  people and sustain relationships. When you establish ties, you also carve a name for yourself; within your company, it serves to increase your popularity. Eventually, when it comes to finding the right person for a post, you will certainly be in the race for it. You must try to have maximum number of people in your network.

·   Advice: You should endeavour to identify a person whom you can look up to in when you get stuck in your efforts. In addition, you should also play a guru to some too. Besides establishing links with the environment, this will also serve to project you as a future 'captain'.

·   Self-promotion: Whatever good work you do should be in the know of your company's hierarchy, particularly those up in your chain of command. This is to preclude the possibility of recognition being inadvertently apportioned to somebody else or your contributions being rated relatively low. While blowing your horn should be avoided, there is no harm   whatsoever in putting actualities across in a subtle, yet straightforward manner.

·   Self-evaluation & introspection: When we say that you should think things over, the meaning is that you should keep an eye on the progress achieved by you. It implies supervision and scrutiny of your timetable. Concurrently, you should also evaluate how your actions are influencing your company's performance and growth, howsoever, minute they may be.

Your strength and determination to write your own future are indisputably the most forceful sways for your benefit. Additionally, your honesty, reliability, credibility and commitment are also essential to put your career in a mode that is to your advantage. It is only then that you will be poised best to optimize your career prospects. And that is when your career aspirations will start getting fulfilled.