Overview
It all starts when you go to work, then you work, and finally, you wonder where everything is headed. You are curious as to what your next step will be.
How are you going to further your career goals? You wonder what the next turn will be for your career. You might end up making a wrong turn, or you may achieve success.
It is too easy to continue with your current role and accept the income it brings in.
You are not taking any risks and you feel comfortable with that routine, although you have no idea if this is what you really want to do over a lifetime.
This article will help shed some light on how you can actively manage your career.
It is important to keep noting every opportunity that presents itself to you.
You will need to keep track of those unique opportunities and write them down. It is easy to forget these experiences if they are not written down.
Every opportunity that comes your way should be analyzed in terms of what it offers and what it requires for you to grasp the experience.
Here we have 10 Ways To Actively Manage Your Career:
1. Set and Communicate Goals
Do you know what your goals are?
Do you have a clear idea of where your career is heading?
If the answer to those questions is no, then it is time for you to sit down and take some time out to assess your situation.
If there are any gaps or holes in your plan of action, they need to be filled as soon as possible to avoid further delays.
It is not just about the money, but it is also about your passion for work.
Having passion means you will be more inclined to be productive every day and eager to cooperate with others in order to achieve those goals.
Be as specific as you can when setting your career goals.
There are so many people who have no clue where they are headed.
Read more – Cultivate Curiosity and Creativity
It is quite difficult to progress if you do not know what your goals are and where you want to go.
Remember that every role within an organization has a goal, so define your own goals for yourself and see how this improves your chances for success.
2. Create An Feedback Loop
Ask for feedback from your boss and peers. The only way to better yourself is by using the opinions of others.
Feedback will help you in identifying what is going right, as well as where you need improvement.
Experiences that are worth noting include; leadership roles, special projects, and where you have made an impact on colleagues or customers.
Keep track of all these experiences and keep them in a safe place for future use.
The hardest thing is to balance your personal goals with your employer’s goals.
It is a fine line that you must walk so that you can be successful in both areas of your career.
But, the ability to listen to all feedback and give it some thought is critical to your success.
Do not be afraid to ask for feedback and do not shy away from any criticism that you receive; it will only make you a better person and a more valuable employee.
3. Change the Way You View Your Achievements
It’s easy to focus on the negative, but you can choose instead to look at your accomplishments and how they are an asset that others may not possess.
When reflecting on family vacations or celebrating a recent promotion, it is important to consider how each experience has provided you with something of value and has had some impact on your ability to learn and grow.
Try to think about your work accomplishments in a different way.
You may have to break them down and analyze the steps you took to get from point A to B, or think of how they applied certain skills that you gained during your studies.
This is a great way for you to create a vision board and begin working towards the dream career that you are after.
As a starting point, you may find it helpful to list all of your achievements, along with the skills and abilities that they required.
By going over these lists, you can get a sense of the direction you want to head in when it comes to building or developing further.
4. Manage Work Samples
Treat your work samples as your resume. This means that you should be updating them, in the same way, to ensure they are always current and ready for use.
You can use this professionally generated, but it is up to you to play around with it a little bit so that it looks unique and customized for you.
You probably do a great job at what you do, but it will be worth nothing if you don’t have the proper documents to back up your work history.
The more professional your work samples are, the better equipped you will be for any job offer that comes along.
It’s one of the most efficient ways for you to professionally demonstrate your skills.
Also, it is important to not only send out the same cover letters and resumes every time but to take some time and make sure that they are tailored around specific positions.
5. Join The Conversation
It is important to understand that a great way to get noticed by your boss is by getting in the conversation.
Volunteer for projects around the office and show off what you’ve got.
If people are talking about something you did outside of work, it will surely be brought up at an office meeting or used as a conversation starter with someone higher up than you.
Position yourself as an influencer in the conversation. Make sure you know how to communicate and express your ideas properly.
Take some time to find out who is or who has connected with the office, maybe a supervisor for example.
It is very important that you have an open-door policy, no matter what position of power you are in.
You need to be friendly and approachable to everyone in the office setting.
If you have a problem, they may be able to help or they might know how to provide you with some insight that will get you out of your pickle.
6. Be Genuine & Positive
Although it may be tempting to think that your boss is always watching, she really isn’t.
Keep in mind that you will get more attention and recognition from your boss if you can make yourself a valuable employee.
Your attitude at work can impact your relationship with your boss, as well as other colleagues. Whether it’s a positive or negative attitude, it will always be noticed.
People who have bad attitudes tend to complain constantly and are generally selfish and unhelpful.
If you work hard, you will get ahead of people in your office who may not.
Read more – Habits of Successful Professionals
Despite the importance of being a hard worker, always remember to speak with your boss using positive language.
It will help you on the way to getting ahead faster and improve your relationship with her in general.
7. Time Maintaining
Your relationship with your boss is not going to be perfect. In fact, there are always challenges in any kind of relationship.
The important thing is maintaining it by doing the little things and building on them every day.
Every now and then, you should ask what else you can do to make her job easier or how you can get ahead faster.
If you have a tough assignment, you should still ask how it’s coming along. This will ensure that your boss knows that you care about doing good work.
8. Never Stop Learning & Growing In Your Position
Growing in a position is vital because your boss and other employees may look at what you are doing in an effort to figure out where they can fit into the big picture.
If you are doing new things and making your boss proud, it will spread to other workers quickly.
It is important for you to spend time seeking out what opportunities you can grow in with both your job and career.
Even if it may not be a direct path to your current position or job title, make sure that you know what you want to do or learn with your career and apply it somewhere in your work environment.
9. Find The Best Opportunities To Help Your Boss
Opportunities don’t always present themselves when you’re expecting them. Find a way to tell your boss about what you are doing and what is happening.
This will help him or her have a good relationship with you.
Make it a habit to send her emails or any other form of communication to let her know what you are doing.
It is equally important to be ready and able to answer questions when your boss needs you.
Make it a habit of reviewing your own progress or any reports that you receive from an outside party.
If your boss asks about things like upcoming projects or challenges, find quality ways to respond so that she has no reason to ask the question again in the future.
10. Learn From The Mistakes Of Others
When it comes to managing your career, there’s more information available than you can even handle.
There are plenty of books and magazines on the subject that will teach you all about it. In addition, there is plenty of information online as well.
If you want to know how to become a better manager, you should take some time to read up on how other people have done it.
You can find information about mistakes and lessons learned, which can help you avoid those same problems in the future.
