Some tips about career advancement

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Cosmic Coaching Centre Corporate & Individual Career Solutions for Mid-Level Professionals & Executives


The way that technology has

transformed the workplace

does not only place a

premium on the technical

skills of employees, but it also

puts to test their individual

interpersonal skills. In

contrast to what many

expect, these interpersonal

skills are more highlighted

and showcased as the

technology used in a company

becomes more advanced. The same is true for the

opposite – those people who lack the important

interpersonal skills become more subject to the

criticism of a bigger audience simply because the

modern technological tools being used in businesses

these days actually lead to more frequent exchange of

information. This just goes to show that both these

skills are essential considerations for an individual

who desires career advancement.

In the past, the requirements set by employers when

hiring personnel are mainly based on the educational

background and experience of jobapplicants. These

days, however, there have been so many changes in

the way a job seeker is assessed for qualification. As

mentioned earlier, technology is now an important

aspect of the success of many workplaces. Thus, it is

becoming more and more important for an employee

toacquire certain technical skills that would be

applied to the job being desired.

However, no matter how big a consideration is given

to the technical skills of an individual, the

interpersonal skills he or she has remain something

that cannot be taken for granted. As a matter of fact,

one research revealed more people lose their jobs for

the reason that they find it hard to get along with

others, and not just because they are not technical

savvy.

If you are just about to start submitting job

applications, please know that companies are still

very likely to select new hires based on how they use

their writing to show who they are and what they do.

It is vital also that a job seeker properly presents

himself personally. Aside from these, employers also

judge job applicants based on how they analyze

various style of working, how they deal with

ambiguity and difficult questions and how they

approach different work scenarios.

In today’s workplace, everything is all about great

and effective communication. Furthermore,

administrative personnel typically serve as the

means of communications within the organization.

And most of these administrative professionals

prefer those who have strong communication skills

rather than those who only have great technical

skills. The bottom line here is that if you are looking

for career advancement, you will have to try harder

not just to improve your technical abilities, but also

to enhance your personal traits and interpersonal

skills.

Do you

occasionally get

that feeling of

being “stuck” in a

place where you

just don’t seem to

know what is

getting in your

way? This is

actually what many mid-level professionals are

experiencing in their careers and workplace. If the

same thing is happening to you, then you should

learn about these techniques and actions that can get

the gears of your career moving when they seem

hopelessly stuck in neutral:

1. Look within yourself. With total honesty,

analyze whether your own life-goals are still a

good match with the values and objectives of

your organization or company. There is no


point in working for someone whose goals

and values are conflicting with yours.

2. Analyze Your Goals and Ideals. If your goals

and ideals are going in a very different

direction, ask yourself “If I were in another

organization, what would I be doing

differently? Is it possible to incorporate this

vision into my current job?” This way, you

will know to yourself that what you are doing

right now is still according to your own life

goals. If it is, then it would make sense for you

to stay right where you are. Otherwise, it may

be time for a change.

3. Monitor the Way You Spend Your Time.

Over 1-2 weeks, take something with you

(notebook or electronic device) to record

your major activities. Ask yourself “Ideally,

how would I structure my time to accomplish

my responsibilities, and stay in touch with my

“vision” for how I contribute to this

organization?”

4. Avoid Getting Overwhelmed. The next time

you are stressed out by how much you need

to do, make a list of all the things you need to

accomplish. You should then take 15 minutes

to do the simplest things on your list that do

not require much time to complete. Take the

next 35 minutes to focus on tougher tasks

without interruption. Remember to take 10-

minute breaks before you start the process

again.

5. Create a visual one-page performance plan.

To successfully run your team, it is important

that you make it clear to yourself and your

subordinates the purpose and goals of your

department and of the organization or

company. This will ensure that you are all on

the same page. Spend time with key

executives. Set a regular time every other

week to meet with your own managing

executive to review your team’s progress and

ask questions about future directions.

6. Touch base frequently with your team. Take

a few minutes to ask “How are you doing?;

how are things going?.” Hear them out and

not just listen to what they say.

7. Conduct effective meetings or problem-

solving sessions. Have an agenda. State a

time frame for the meeting and stick to it. Ask

that participants come prepared to discuss

the topics on the agenda and keep your team

focused to effectively use your time.

8. Become a “lifelong learner”. Personal and

Professional Development is a choice. You

may feel that you have no time to participate

in further development – but there are many

ways you can be better in what you do in less

time. You should take advantage of certain

materials, such as books, audio programs,

seminars, a class or a professional association

meeting. They can save you months of hard

work as you learn new and faster ways of

achieving your goals.

9. Cultivate a Total Plan that Moves You from

“Stuck” to “Thriving”. An effective way to

acquire a totally new perspective is to use a

few personal hours to visit an area where you

can do some volunteer work that is totally

different from your usual activities. What you

may discover can enliven your personal and

professional life in unpredictable ways.

Career pathways is a

valuable program that

is designed to help

students get ready for

a certain career that

they are interested in.

Through the use of

brochures, planners,

and presentations,

children are made to choose a specific career from

different career fields or clusters. They also go

through different levels to help them determine

which career path they should pursue.

As a working individual, there are benefits that you

may also gain from using a career pathway. As a

matter of fact, you need to have or design your own

pathway if you want to promote your own career

growth by making yourself qualified for several jobs


within your pathway. Don’t get too overwhelmed by

this because through adequate planning, a lot of

initiative and some luck, you will surely be able to

control your career and the direction it may be

heading to.

Here is what you should do:

1. Compare your own accomplishments, skills

and education with those people with jobs

similar to yours. Take down all your

educational credentials, work achievements,

and set of job skills. Through this information,

your may create a baseline for tracking your

career development.

2. Rate your skills, credentials and

achievements by again comparing yourself to

others in the same field. If it is clear to you

that your performance is way better than

those around you, this could mean you are

ready to apply for higher positions.

3. Once you have figured out what job you will

pursue, widen your options by identifying

other available positions based on your

qualifications. This will give you a better

chance to see what other opportunities are

out there that you may consider or try out.

4. Never stop exploring and discovering other

jobs that can be linked to your

accomplishments, skills and background. You

should always look at these jobs as a possible

stepping stone for your own career.

5. As you take note of all the other positions in

your career pathway, you should also note

down the additional education and

experience that you will have to acquire in

order to be qualified for the position. As you

identify all the necessary developments or

improvements that you have to make, you

will also have made a sort of checklist of all

the additional skills or competencies you

have acquired.

6. If you think your career will only end in the

company you are currently employed in, then

there is no reason for you to stick with it. You

may start seeking jobs with various

employers so that you may have an idea of

where your potential can take you. As you

decide later on whether to stay or leave, you

will realize how important career pathways

can really be for any employee like you.