7 Expert-Tested Ways to Speed Up Your Career Growth

We all want the same things in life. We want happy families, good homes, good health, and the ability to buy everything our life desires.

A good job can help us achieve all these. A good job gives you a good salary, career growth, and flexible schedules.

Sadly, most of us are not growing. We have probably spent decades in one role, with no hopes for career progression. We spent most days sad, sending job applications to other firms.
Our worst days are when new staff members come and get better placements than we do. We hate it.

If you are in this situation, here are a few ways to speed your career progress, make more money, and achieve happiness.

Going an Extra Mile

If you work a 9-5 job, do you get to your desk exactly at 9 and leave at 5? Alternatively, if you are in sales, do you just do what your boss has requested you to do? If you are in procurement, do you take time to negotiate with the suppliers?

In other words, do you always do your work in line with what is in your job description? If so, this is likely the reason why your job growth has stalled.

Employers love people who go the extra mile and take the company as if it was their own baby. If you owned the company, would you arrive at 9 and leave precisely at 5? Would you accept all the prices given by the suppliers without negotiating?

If you go an extra mile for a company, you will increase the chances of being rewarded by the company.

Improve Your Skills

The work environment is changing rapidly. A good example of this is in collaboration. In the recent past, employees used to communicate and collaborate through email. Today, tools like Trello and Slack have changed all this.

In marketing, the traditional models of marketing are no longer working as companies move to capture the younger demographic.
In customer service, more customers are using social media networks like Facebook and Twitter.

All this change is happening in all sectors of businesses. To remain relevant, you need to improve your skills. If you don’t do this, younger people with better current skills will pass you by.
Fortunately, you can learn these things by using online platforms like Udemy, Khan Academy, and Coursera.

Talk to Your Boss

If you see no career growth, you should try talking to your boss about it.

Provided that you are a good employee, this will be an easy conversation. In the discussion, you should share with your boss your career history with the firm, your track record, and why you deserve a salary raise or a higher role.

By having this conversation, two things could happen. First, the boss could give you what you need. Second, the status quo where nothing changes can remain. Still, it is worth the risk.

The mood of the boss will play an important role in this. For example, you will likely get the raise or promotion when the company is in hiring mode or when its finances are improving.
Approaching the boss when the business is not doing well or when they are not in good moods will not be helpful to you.

Improve Your Network

You might have the best resume and the best skills, but, the networks you create will be invaluable for you. What do you do when you attend industry conferences or expos? Do you try to meet new people and exchange business cards? If you don’t, you should start doing so right away.

I have a friend who works in a respected consulting firm as an associate. Recently, during a business event, she met with a recruiter of another consulting firm. A few weeks later, the recruiter offered her a better job in her company.

This happened not because of her extraordinary talents or excellent resume. It happened because of the networks she created.

LinkedIn, expos, conferences, and other events can help you improve your career network.

Share Your Story

Sharing your story can help you become an expert in your industry without even knowing it. A good way to do this is by creating a website to share your story. For example, if you are a financial analyst for an investment firm, you can create a site to share your thoughts about the economy.

If you are a photographer for a media company, you can create a private blog about your work. Doing this will make you become an industry expert. Potentially, a recruiter in a more prominent firm might see your blog, which could open your doors to new opportunities.

Take Calculated Risks

To speed your career growth, you need to take calculated risks. One way to do this is by quitting your current job to join another company. You should consider doing this if you are not growing in your current position.

To do this, you should start by applying for new positions in the firms you want to join. Your resume, profile, and LinkedIn profile will help you catch the attention of the new employers.

In your applications, you should give a background of your track record in the current firm and explain how you will contribute to the new firm.

Find a Mentor

Mentorship is a very important thing, yet so many people overlook it. A mentor should be someone who has been there, done that. Someone who has seen it all and understands your industry.

The mentor can be your immediate boss or a leader in another company. For example, having an experienced professional as a mentor will tell you the truth about your industry and the prospects for growth.

Takeaway

Since a good job often results in more happiness, the earlier you start working on this, the better for you. I believe that we can all grow professionally by following the points I wrote above.