Are you looking to advance your career? Many professionals dream about climbing the ladder and finding greater success, yet many do not know how to go about doing this. Simply turning up on time and completing your job to a high standard will not be enough, but fortunately, there are a few highly effective steps that you can take which will put you in a great position to climb the corporate ladder no matter what industry you are operating in. Additionally, these tips can be applied no matter what level you are currently at. Pick one or a few of the following to help progress your career:

Communicate

Perhaps the most important step to take is to communicate the fact that you wish to advance to your boss. Many people do not do this which means that their boss assumes that they are perfectly happy in their role and do not consider ways in which they can help them. If you communicate that you are looking to advance your career within the company, they may be able to make suggestions, introduce you to the right people and put your name forwards for vacancies that open up.

Establish Goals

It is easy to lose your focus when you do not have goals (this is particularly true if you are earning enough for a comfortable lifestyle too). Setting yourself regular and achieve goals will help you to keep your eyes on the prize and give you something to work towards.

Improve Your Workplace Performance

In order to advance, it is important that you demonstrate that you are a hard-working individual that has the right qualities for positions further up. This will involve improving your workplace performance, and there are many different ways that you can do this:

Seek Feedback

Following on from this, it is a good idea to seek feedback from those around you. This can be daunting, but it is important for learning areas that you can improve and what your strengths are. You will have formal reviews, but it is a smart move to seek feedback on a more regular basis and not just from your superiors.

Build Confidence

Being confident will allow you to believe in yourself which will make others believe in you too (although you must avoid arrogance). If this is an area that you struggle with, there are steps that you can take to improve your confidence which include focusing on your strengths, getting into shape, dressing better, working on your weaknesses and stepping out of your comfort zone on a regular basis.

Build Your Network

The saying “it isn’t what you know, it is who you know” may not be entirely accurate, but there is an air of truth to it. When you have a large network of influential individuals in the industry, it can open many doors. Even if someone in your network does not know of an opportunity, they may know of someone who does and could put in a good word if you network effectively. There are many effective ways to network in today’s day and age, including:

  • At work
  • At conferences
  • During training
  • At seminars
  • During industry events
  • During community events
  • Online

Learning to network effectively is a valuable skill and could play a big role in enabling you to find new opportunities.

Take Risks

You cannot expect change in your life if you continue to do the same thing over and over. It is for this reason why you must be willing to take risks whether this is putting your name forward for a presentation, applying for a promotion or applying for a job at a different company. Even if the risk does not pay off, it will prove to be a valuable learning experience – even the best will have failed on a few occasions.

Read

There is a tremendous amount of excellent literature on how to advance your career and books for specific industries. In addition to this, there is a lot of helpful information and communities online where you can discover helpful information and tools for taking the next step in your career.

Go Back To School

Earning extra qualifications can bolster your resume and teach you important skills that will help you to take on more responsibilities. Earning an MBA in marketing, for example, will help you to advance your career and provide you with the skills that you need to lead marketing initiates (this is particularly important in today’s day and age where there is a huge focus on online marketing). As an MBA graduate, you could easily land a lucrative role such as a marketing manager, digital marketing coordinator or a product manager.

Look After Your Physical Health

When you are so determined to impress at work and climb the ladder it can be easy to neglect your health. This is, obviously, dangerous and could lead to a host of issues which will only hold you back. It is for this reason why you should exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, drink enough water and get enough sleep. Make these aspects of your life a priority and you will feel fresh and healthy each day, so that you can work to a high level.

Look After Your Mental Health

You must also look after your mental health to avoid burnout, and stay in a positive mindset while on the job. You can look after your mental health through a healthy lifestyle, socializing with friends, finding ways to relax after work and speaking to a mental health professional if you are having difficulties. Many professionals want to climb the corporate ladder but they are not sure how to go about doing this. It can be daunting at first, but when you know a few different steps for advancing your career you can then use these steps and establish clear goals to get ahead


Leona Zoey
Leona Zoey

Leona Zoey is a freelance writer, she focuses on tech, business and marketing.