Tips to help take your Career to The Next Level

No matter what stage you find yourself at in your career - there is usually a chance or opportunity for progression and stepping up to the next level. This may mean moving into leadership or moving into a different area within your sector or industry. It might mean going back into education and retraining for a whole new role. Whatever progression looks like and feels like to you and your career, just must know that if progress is important to you then you need to take action. The sooner that you start working and progressing your career, then the sooner you can reap the rewards. So, to make sure that this happens, what do you need to focus on?

Invest in Yourself

To achieve your career ambitions and goals, you need to invest in yourself. If you do not invest in your efforts, knowledge, and career, who is going to? Just remember it's never too late to invest in your talents, even if this means going back to college as a mature student. To successfully invest in yourself, you have to know what you want, and you have to be prepared to change and grow to get it. If that means learning new skills, then that is what you need to do. Or, if it requires diversifying within your job or role - then this is what you should focus on. Look at how you can invest in yourself and look at what you can do to be better. It's also important to invest in the right technology and applications that will help streamline your career or better your education. An example of this is Shiftcare software, usually implemented for in-home healthcare providers to help update patient notes, pay attention to roster details, and provide useful to the employee as well as improve patient care.


Focus on Your Skillset

When did you last look at your skillset within your current role? When did you last see if you need to improve your skillset? When you are busy working, you can overlook change and improvement of your skillset, and this can be something that ends up holding you back. Take a good look at your skillset now and see what you have to offer. Also, see what you are missing. For example, are you great at listening but poor at communication? Or do you need to work harder at analysing and researching within your role? What skills do you have that are specific to your career, and what do you need to learn that will be beneficial to your efforts? 

Know When It Is Time to Move On

While there may be opportunities for progression within your current workplace, there may not be. It is important to be brutally honest wherever you can. If there is no room for growth and change, then you need to focus on moving on as soon as you can. If you refuse to move on, or if you stay too long, you will end up stagnant. When you are stagnant, you will struggle to push forwards as you will lack both direction and focus. If you are unsure about whether it is time to move on, take stock of what you have and what you can have - is there enough progression and opportunity for growth?


Set Out Career Objectives and Goals

Once you have decided to move, you must then start setting out career goals and objectives. What would you like to achieve, and by when? Career objectives and goals that are both realistic and achievable will help you achieve more and ensure that you stay on the path that is right for you and your future. If you do not focus on goals and objectives, then you may struggle to realise your true potential. A good career goal or objective will focus on what you want to achieve within the next 12 months. For example, do you want to have moved on in this timeframe? Or do you want to have started advancing your education?

Seeking a Mentor

We can all benefit from others experience and it's never a bad thing to ask for advice from senior members and look to them as potential mentors.  A mentor will be someone who is in (or near) the position or role in which you aspire to be. They will have a vast degree of experience in the role and in the industry, and they will have lots of knowledge and valuable information to share with you. Finding a mentor can be difficult because most professionals are always extremely busy. However, taking your time to reach out to others can help you get a mentor that can develop you and invest in you and your future.

Diversification - New Specialisms

You may find that there are limited options for pushing forward in your existing industry or specialism, and this is when diversification may be necessary. When it comes to looking at diversification, you need to look at new opportunities and new roles that allow you to make use of your existing knowledge and skillset. To take your career to the next level, you do not want to have to start from scratch again, as this will take too long but sometimes short courses are offered by your workplace (usually for free or at a reduce price) so take advantage of that, or look for possible free courses to increase your skillset online that you can complete alongside your current role. 

Looking at Your Education

On this journey to achieving more and doing more, you will find it beneficial to advance your education wherever you can. Studying for a post master's certificate that is specific to your industry will give you an excellent platform to leap onwards from. Advancing your education and deepening your knowledge and awareness of what the industry entails is crucial. When you advance your education, you can then push forwards with a little more ease. To ensure that you study the right program for you, then weigh up what you want to achieve. For instance, are you looking to achieve a greater knowledge of your industry, or are you looking to focus on improving one aspect of your role or future role?

Always Focus on Clear Communication

As you push forwards and take the next step in your career progression, you need to understand the true value of clear and open communication. Communicating what you want to achieve, and your goals and ambitions will help everyone gain clarity and certainty about you and your future. If you are not focusing on clear communication, colleagues and those around you may always feel that you are holding something back. Unfortunately, you could find that this ends up stalling our carer moves - because it leaves people with uncertainty. Clear and open communication will allow you to progress when and where you want to.


Get the Support That You Need

You may feel that you can tackle anything, and you may want to push forwards on your own. However, no matter your starting point, it is important to see that support can be advantageous to you and to your future. There are other professionals out there who want to support you and aid you in your efforts. Trying to do everything by yourself can be isolating, not to mention exhausting. So, rather than embark on this journey on your own, reach out to others and build a support system that you can utilise and learn on - when you need it the most!


Be Prepared to Push Yourself Further

There will be many things that try to hold you or stall your progression. However, it is important to be prepared to push yourself forwards as much as you can. If you are not invested in yourself, or you are not pushing yourself, then why would others give you the time of day? When you are pushing yourself (perhaps outside of your comfort zone), you then know just what you are capable of. If you fail to push yourself, then you may end up doubting yourself, and you may be full of what it questions.


Make Periods of Self-Evaluation a Priority

On this journey to take your career to the next level, you will find that progression within yourself is just as important as anything else you do. Periods of self-evaluation are crucial on your journey; they will help you see where you can improve or alter what you are offering. If you do not undertake regular self-evaluation, how can you be sure that you are doing enough? How can you be sure that you are giving enough to your role and future?