Practical Ways To Advance In Your Career

Your length of stay in the company does not make you an automatic candidate for promotion. You have to show your boss that you add value to the business, and you possess the right attitude and skill to take on more significant responsibilities. Here are some pointers to remember when working your tail off a promotion: 

Advance your skills through continuous learning

Having more vital skills means greater opportunities. And you'll only acquire additional skills if you practice Steve Job's mantra: Stay foolish and stay hungry. Don't be satisfied with your present learning and past achievements, and always take advantage of several learning opportunities.

You can acquire a master's degree in business analytics to makeyourself updated with current industry trends or go out of your comfort zone to take on a challenging project. If you want a higher role, it's time to practice doing the responsibilities that come from it rather than settling for tasks that you are asked to do every day. But remember to be a consistent top performer in your present role before trying to demonstrate your skills in doing the duties of a higher-level position. 

Ambition is good, but blind ambition is not healthy.

It's a good thing that you dream of climbing the ladder, but it's not good to step on other people to reach the top. Are you familiar with blind ambition? It's when you shift your entire focus to your ultimate goal and neglect the people around you. You want your boss to notice your punctuality and diligence, so you work for long hours and strive to complete team projects as fast as you can.

Thus, you keep on demanding from your colleague to submit a report that is due for the next three days. In your blind attempt to raise yourself, you fail to realize that he might be working on tons of projects, and you are adding to his stress.

Be vocal about your aspirations.

Not everyone wants to have more responsibilities, so don't assume that your manager is aware that you are aspiring for a promotion. Have a dialogue with your boss and open up about your ambitions and interest in more significant opportunities. He is one of the instruments in getting your promotion. If you don't discuss your career goals with him, he might think that you are satisfied with where you are. And he might overlook you in case there are available opportunities for promotions. 

Tell your boss about your remarkable weekly accomplishments.

While it might be an aggressive move to notify your manager every time you complete a significant milestone, it is a way to let him know that you're moving the company forward. There are a lot of employees who do amazing jobs every day, but their accomplishments go unrecognized. 

Dress the part.

According to a survey, an employee's sense of style or the lack of it impacts his potential in getting promoted. While a polished appearance cannot solely earn you a higher job title, it can help your boss envision you in a leadership role.

No one dreams of being stuck at the bottom of the corporate pyramid, but promotion requires patience. The best way to advance in your career is to master your current role, build your worth, and raise your hand when an opportunity for a higher job role opens.