Seven Steps to Success
Are you looking to steer your career down a more fulfilling path? If so, we have put together this seven-step plan which will help you get the year off to a flying start and ensure that you are never again passed over for promotion. It combines the practical with the intellectual and is a fantastic guide to what succeeds in the workplace. So if you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and want to kick-start your career read on!
Are you in the Right Job?
Working out if you are in the right sort of job, in the right type of company or even in the right field of activity isn’t easy. One way is to ask yourself all sorts of questions about how you feel at work. You may be feeling quite positive but if you can identify closely with the following statements in terms of your present job then you’re probably not in the right place.
- The thought of going to work is depressing
- There doesn’t seem to be any moves or promotions on offer
- The work is boring and routine
- You often think about resigning
- Your confidence is lower now than when you started in the job
- The days pass very slowly
- You don’t respect your boss/colleagues
If these rather negative thoughts sound familiar then you will know that it is time to do something positive about your situation.
The Ideal Job Chart
Once you have got yourself into ‘career’ mode take it a step further and draw your Ideal Job Chart. This device, which requires total honesty, is used in vocational and careers guidance services and is designed to help you progress your career either taking your present job forward or changing jobs altogether.
You draw three interlocking circles and label them Skills, Interests and Personality and input your own information. The idea is to look at how your skills, interests and personality traits combine and you should then be able to work out all the elements that your ideal job should contain.
Make a list of all your skill areas, key here will be your technical skills but you will also need to think broadly about all the different abilities you have that could be used in the workplace. Communication, clear thinking, decision-making and numeracy are just a few to consider.
When it comes to your interests think about what you enjoy doing such as travelling, meeting new people, teaching others, problem-solving, working flexible hours, keeping fit, amateur dramatics or climbing mountains. It may be that you have always wanted to work in a certain area – and however impossible it may look put it down. You may not be able to move in one go but will be able to work out a series of steps to take you closer to your ideal job.
Quite apart from your personality type i.e. whether you are an extrovert, at the other end of the scale, or like so many of us somewhere in the middle, you also need to think about what makes you happy and content at work. Do you want to be a team member or in charge of others, work in a large company or would you prefer a smaller more intimate company? Do you enjoy working under pressure and how important is your financial package?
If you are in the right job then the information on the chart will confirm this. If, however, it throws up lots of new ideas then it is perhaps time to think again. If this is the case then putting your CV together is a first step – Kelly can help with its CV fact sheet.
How to Surf and Survive
The digital age is here to stay and as technological change accelerates it is important that you keep up to date with new IT applications. Your computer skills need to be good, it’s no longer enough to be able to word process – what you want is the ability to operate a suite of different programs. You need to be able to learn a new application quickly and be receptive to new ideas. As more and more business is conducted on the Internet you will need to sharpen up your information retrieval skills – it’s not difficult to surf the web but using your time effectively to retrieve the right information and then know what to do with it can be a different matter.
Make sure you are getting the right training at work to enable you to do your job effectively. If you aren’t then make your Personnel Manager aware of why you need certain training and be enthusiastic about wanting it. If the training is not offered in-house then find out who runs the course you want, where you can do it, when and how much it will cost.
20/20 Vision
Everyone needs to have goals in life, both professional and personal. If you want to achieve them you need to set some measurements for yourself on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis. If you don’t know what you want then you’ll never know when you have got it.
Speaking Up
There is a real difference between making your voice heard i.e. being assertive and being aggressive. Don’t be too pushy and alienate yourself from other people particularly your peer group because their support and respect for you is vital if you want to get on. Develop the art of timing, of presenting your ideas and views logically, of making sure that they will work and of being receptive to other people’s ideas.
Office Politics
There are office politics in all organisations, but it is probably true that the larger the company the more chance there is that office politics assume a greater importance. Try and avoid office politics. It is a dangerous game which takes people’s focus away from the job they are doing and often creates a whole host of problems for them. Develop a thick skin so that you don’t take every rumour and bit of gossip personally.
Working Smarter
Don’t fall into the trap of trying to be the person who works the longest hours. Concentrate on delivering results and making sure those results are the best you can achieve. Be confident of your own success and other people will have confidence in you.
Winning at Work
Success doesn’t just happen – you have to work hard and you need enthusiasm and a determination to succeed. On top of that you need ambition and a clear vision of what you are trying to achieve. It takes all of that plus the right attitude and being in the right place at the right time. You need to be managing your own career; getting yourself ready for your next move rather than waiting to see what might or might not happen.
