Trying to navigate your way up the career ladder is never an easy task. Working in the same job and not getting the opportunity to progress can become incredibly frustrating, especially if your colleagues are being promoted ahead of you. If you feel stuck in this situation, you are probably looking for the best ways to give your career a boost and start progressing through the ranks. Seeing your hard work and effort being rewarded with a more senior job title and bigger paycheck is always a great feeling. If you feel ready to kickstart your career and realize your promotion dreams, then why not give some of these tips a try?
1. Learn a New Language
Thanks to modern technology, distance is no longer such a significant barrier to businesses operating globally. But, while it may be easier to communicate online across the miles, it does not change the fact that you still need to speak the same language as your business contacts overseas. For this reason, learning to speak another language is especially beneficial in the business world. Using an online language tutoring service such as Preply to learn a second language can put you at a considerable advantage. Being bilingual is not a skill that many people possess, and as such, it is highly sought-after.
Being able to speak more than one other language fluently could make you the go-to person for your company when there is talk of expanding overseas. In this situation, your language skills could send your promotion prospects soaring and help you to stand out above your colleagues.
Of course, learning a new language is not merely beneficial in your current role. You may discover a wide range of new opportunities are opened to you thanks to your language abilities. You may decide to change careers entirely and take on a role as an interpreter or teach English to overseas students. Whatever you choose to do with your new language skills, you can be sure that they will provide you with lots of opportunities to advance your career.
2. Gain a Qualification
Continuing your professional development and updating your qualifications is beneficial throughout your career. If there are industry-specific professional qualifications available for your line of work, it is well worth looking into these. Gaining an industry-recognized qualification shows that you are dedicated to your chosen career and are an expert in your field. Before you pay to take these qualifications yourself, it is wise to see if your employer will pay for your training. For many employers, paying for their staff to undertake professional qualifications is an investment that brings benefits to both the company and your future career. This means that your employer may be willing to cover the cost of your training and taking your professional exams. You may also be able to get time off work to study for your exams and attend your training.
Even if you work in an industry that does not offer professionally recognized qualifications, it is still valuable to gain as many relevant qualifications as you can. Even taking part in general training sessions focused on subjects such as time management and presentation skills will still benefit your career. Taking advantage of any training opportunities that come your way is an excellent way to boost your skills and qualifications. Showing enthusiasm for training programs is also a great way to demonstrate to your bosses that you are focused on your self-development and keen to progress within the company. This will show you in a positive light when it comes to the next round of promotions.
3. Increase Your Experience
One of the main barriers to being promoted and getting the job you want is a lack of experience. This can be incredibly frustrating as unless someone gives you a chance, you will never get the experience you need to progress. To work around this common issue, you may want to consider voluntary work outside of your paid employment. Helping out a good cause and volunteering your time is an excellent reward in itself. Using this volunteering opportunity to acquire skills that you are unable to gain in your workplace can be helpful.
Another way to gain the experience you need is to volunteer for extra tasks in your place of work. If projects are coming up that are not part of your usual job description, you could volunteer to get involved to acquire the skills you need.
4. Get a Mentor
A mentor is an invaluable asset when trying to boost your career. Having someone on your side to guide you can boost your confidence and increase your chances of promotion. Your company may offer a mentorship scheme, so it is a good idea to inquire whether this is something that you can join. Even if there is not an official mentoring scheme available, you could still find out from the HR department if it is possible to match you up with a mentor.
Your mentor should be able to spend time with you on a regular basis to help guide your career to the next level. Having a mentor to discuss ideas and help you prepare for promotion can help you to fine-tune your skills and ensure you are fully ready for the next stage of your career journey.
5. Re-Write Your Resumé
Once you feel prepared and ready for promotion, you will need to make sure that you make a great impression when applying for more senior roles. The first step is to make sure that your resumé is looking good and contains all the information needed to demonstrate you are promotion-ready. Getting your mentor to take a look at your resumé is a great way to get a second opinion and get advice on any changes that should be made to improve it.
You may also decide to work with your mentor to perfect your interview technique so that you feel calm and prepared when the time comes to demonstrate why you are the best candidate.
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