Take charge of your career

With the changing environment of the workplace, it has become more and more challenging to move up the corporate ladder than in the past. Gone are the days when the boss could walk by your desk and see how diligently you were working. As more employees are telecommuting or reporting to bosses in different geographical locations, being a visible employee and advancing your career takes careful planning and focus. It is now necessary to take responsibility for your own career advancement.

Here are several ways that you can take charge of your own career:

1. Talk to your boss. Have a direct conversation with your boss about your future with the company and your career goals. Stress to him that you are interested in being a valuable asset to the company. This shows both confidence in yourself and interest in the success of the company.

2. Ask for more. Let your boss know that you are willing to take on new projects or assignments that will further develop your skills and help the company. Taking on more responsibility will make you more valuable to the company.

3. Sharpen your professional and people skills. Continual learning is important to sharpening your professional skills. Because the marketplace is continually changing and evolving, keeping up to date on these changes will further increase your value to the company. Being professional, friendly, outgoing and helpful to coworkers, other departments and customers will help you develop relationships that could provide opportunities for you in the future.

4. Find a mentor or coach. A mentor can help you develop the skills you need as you move up the corporate ladder. Whether you have a mentor inside or outside of the company, a mentor can provide valuable career guidance to you as well as useful information. A coach can help you develop strategies and provide you with valuable perspective as you face the challenges of moving forward in your career.

5. Sell yourself and build your reputation. Careful self-promotion is a good way to create visibility within your department or company. Make sure that influential people are aware of your major accomplishments and the benefit to the company. Building your reputation as an innovative, dependable, professional, and valuable employee will further help you sell yourself.

To learn more about developing your career, check out Get Smart! About Modern Career Development by Dr. Michelle Casto or call Nexus Coaching Partners for a complementary consultation to get your career moving forward. During the month of April, we are also offering 20% off our career assessments. Call us today and see if we can help get you moving forward!

Warmly,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
"Bringing Inspiration to Life"