While many people enjoy the finer things in life, such as exploring our hobbies, creating new experiences, and spending time with our loved ones, none will deny the satisfaction that comes from advancing in your line of work and stacking your professional accomplishments. Nothing compares to the tangible feedback of knowing you’ve given your all, having your efforts recognized, and seeing the fruits of your labor actualize in the form of a better job position, promotion, and maybe even a raise.
However, given the vastly uncertain and volatile situation of different markets, landing any career growth opportunity in the past year or so has become increasingly complex. This is not to mention the competition you’ll be going face to face with for that title. But what most aspiring employees don’t realize is that their career growth is a lot closer than they think. All it takes is pushing forward with the first step and having faith in their conviction to grow.
You Can’t Afford to Lie Low and Be Complacent
You see, even though patience is a virtue, there’s plenty of merits to go around for those who understand the value behind waiting, advancing in your career, and getting the shot at upward movement requires initiative. Lying low, staying complacent, and waiting for your turn will never get you anywhere. Being reactive won’t help you get a promotion but rather keep you stuck with the position you have going for you right now. And amid this slippery slope of economic recovery, that’s the last thing you’d want to happen. Here’s why you must take the first move:
- Action Defines Your Chances of Landing a Promotion: Unlike investments that yield profits over time, career development is defined by action. This means inaction is the enemy. Suppose you’re serious about professional growth. In that case, you must put in the work necessary to make things happen, even if the stars aligning together might seem impossible. As a result, your effort won’t betray you, and the golden opportunity of an interview will come your way in no time at all.
- Sometimes, Managers Are Waiting on Your First Move: Besides giving 120 percent of your effort into assigned projects and responsibilities, never be afraid to make the first move. You need to open up the topic of career advancement with your team manager. Most of the time, these seniors are just waiting on your first move, and if you show interest in moving upward, then they are sure to take notice soon enough. So, instead of playing hot-and-cold with your intentions, explicitly express them to your team leader to keep you both on the same page.
Don’t Wait for Career Growth Opportunity to Blow Over
Likewise, given that complacency has no business with career advancement and growth, many can’t assume that putting in the same amount of work will yield positive results. Specifically, some experts recommend you prepare yourself as if you already landed the promotion or raise. Waiting until then before you work on your qualifications is a bad reflection on your credibility and accountability. At the end of the day, you want everyone in the room to know that you deserve that next leg up. These are three ways you can strengthen your chance of getting this opportunity:
- Undergo a Critical Self-Evaluation of Skills: First, one of the best ways to prepare yourself for more significant responsibilities and the possibility of promotion is being critical with yourself. That also means undergoing a self-evaluation on your current skill sets. Nowadays, far too many employees are too engrossed with the technicalities and details of their work. While that isn’t a bad thing, it does help to invest in your soft skills as well.
- Search for Chances to Go Above and Beyond: In addition to skills training and self-improvement, you must actively search for opportunities to go above and beyond your standard work quota. Sure, a clean track record is often more than enough to convince your manager. But showcasing undeniable excellent performance will make them question why they didn’t promote you sooner. So close those extra deals with key stakeholders and spend more time researching the latest real estate listings to set your performance apart.
- Embrace and Evolve with Your Time Management: Even though working this hard and putting in the time to land that promotion is all about career development, never forget that this shouldn’t come at the expense of more time lost. Remember, what’s the purpose of moving upward if time constraints and more restrictions are the other ends of the bargain? So embrace and evolve with your current time management plan to cement your productivity skills.
In conclusion, although career growth and professional advancement might seem complex on paper, the hardest part is often taking that first step. So don’t hold yourself back when you’re aware of your real potential, and give that promotion a shot the soonest chance possible.
