The average employee spends 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. If you’re unhappy with your current career or prospects, those 90k hours (about 44 years of employment) will be miserable. For this reason, it’s incredibly important for you to find a way to advance your career with passion and purpose.
What is career advancement?
Career advancement is the upwards trajectory of your professional journey. Progression could include transitioning from an entry-level position to management or completely changing careers. Each person’s career path is different, and your end goal will vary between professions.
There are multiple benefits to advancing your career that go beyond money. By taking the initiative to learn and grow, you could participate in cutting-edge research, become a published author of your works, refine your skills and experience, and travel the world for conferences.
Here are five ideas to help you advance your career.
Creating a strategy for advancing your career requires time, energy, and a lot of focus. To successfully climb the corporate ladder, consider our career advancement tips.
1. Relocate to another country.
While the idea of uprooting your entire life for a career opportunity sounds terrifying, relocation may be the best option for advancement. When you move, you’ll have access to a broader job market, better promotion opportunities, and the potential for better compensation.
Professionals can expatriate their employment or freelancing gigs overseas. If you enjoyed your experience abroad, you might want to look up some information regarding renunciation. By renouncing your citizenship, you won’t have to pay U.S. income tax as an international worker.
2. Network and strengthen your social skills.
When people think of networking, they usually imagine a corporate round table discussion that’s only purpose is to land you a job.
However, networking in the modern era involves creating and nurturing long-lasting relationships that help you strengthen your social skills.
With advancements in technology, it’s much easier to connect with people and grow your network. By speaking to more people, you open more doors to exciting opportunities. Even if career advancement doesn’t occur right away, you’ve at least made a friend in your industry.
3. Explore mentorships or volunteering.
If you have a close relationship with one of your co-workers or are interested in exploring one, mentorship can offer many opportunities for career advancement. It’s essential to ask for help and guidance from people you trust so you can minimize mistakes and improve your skills.
When mentorship isn’t available, try volunteering. By volunteering, you’re showing a commitment to your broader field, allowing you to network further and build a stronger reputation. We recommend volunteering within your community to place focus on your loyalty.
4. Level up your education.
One of the most straightforward paths towards career advancement is going back to school. Unless you plan on switching careers, you probably don’t have to get another bachelor’s degree for your field. Instead, find courses that earn you a certificate or associate’s degree for your troubles.
Alternatively, you could study for a master’s or Ph.D. in your field, on-the-job training, continuing education classes, or virtual/online learning. Some companies may cover the cost of training or assist you with tuition fees, so it never hurts to ask your superiors for help.
5. Keep up with technology.
Your industry has likely grown and changed thanks to technology, but if you don’t keep up with industry-specific tech, you may miss out on some of the best jobs. For example, the healthcare industry solely relies on tech to input and find patient records under HIPAA security standards.
All industries have had to implement technology to keep their security top-notch. At the minimum, you’ll have to comply with your employer’s internet policy and security, so you’ll have to constantly learn, use, and adapt to various laws concerning tech safety, among other things.
