Doable Tips to Boost Your Career This Week

Sure, the 9-5 grind will definitely get food on the table and the security you need - but, sometimes, it just feels like that much-needed promotion is so far away and completely out of reach. You may have been putting in an extra effort at the office already and hope that somebody notices soon and, whole a good boss certainly should notice this, there is nothing worse than seeing your efforts go unrewarded.

Luckily, there are a few simple ways to make sure that the important people notice you a bit faster. It doesn’t have to require too much fake flattery and other nonsense either, though, as long as you know which connections you should try to make and how you can give yourself that cutting edge.

Here is a handful of ways to get noticed a bit faster and feel that a promotion is within eyesight. If not, you can always find solace in the fact that there are other employers out there who will recognise an employee who works hard - and who will certainly appreciate the extra effort.

First: Network within the company

When you attended university, everyone preached networking and how expanding your circle can land you a number of great offers. As we progress, however, people stop reminding us of this - and we tend to forget all about it. You can easily continue your networking journey and climb the career ladder by working it from within your company.Try to seek out and befriend those with a bit more experience than you who have been with the company for longer, accept the invitations for those after-work drinks once in a while, and see if you’re not able to get a few insider tips on what it takes to climb the career ladder.

Most people with a lot of experience in a specific field would be happy to let someone shadow them for awhile as well, by the way.. Point out a few who have been working there for a while and spend some time observing different jobs and gaining a new set of skills - in addition to the new people you’re going to get in touch with.

It shows your employer that you’re eager to learn as well as adding some weight to your resume before you approach a potential new employer. It’s a win-win, in other words, and too good to miss out on when you’d like to progress as fast as possible.

Have a look at this article, to begin with, in order to learn a bit more about networking and brush up on your social skills before you head out there.

It is, after all, a good reason behind the old saying ‘it’s not about what you know - it’s about who you know’. By making sure that you know the right people, they might even put in a good word for you when a position with a bit more responsibility becomes available.

Next: Get out of your comfort zone

The painful thing with spending decades in an office is that we’re often quite aware of what needs to be done in order to make a change. It’s just a bit too scary to get there - and where we’re at suddenly seems a lot more comfortable.Think about how you can stretch yourself a bit further to get where you’d like to be; if you don’t like public speaking, sign up for a class to challenge yourself. The same goes for putting yourself out there and speaking up at a meeting, getting your thoughts heard, and being daring enough to expose yourself to negative feedback.

It could happen; they could tell you that your ideas are no good, and that’s completely fine. It takes a lot of bad ideas to make a good one, so keep tossing them in there, and bounce right back if you don’t succeed right away.

As long as you manage to step out of your comfort zone and do things that make you feel a bit nervous, you’ll know for sure that you’re also prospering.

One day, you might wake up and find that public speaking, for example, or approaching your employer with a brand new idea doesn’t make you feel awkward which means, of course, that you have overcome a massive hurdle and are ready for new challenges.

Remember to keep learning

The days of staying put in the same job are long gone - luckily, according to the younger generation. Many companies consider the efforts they put into training their employees as wasted, however, considering that many of them will jump ship in any way.

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By showing your employers that, not only are you keen to learn, but you’re also able to take the initiative yourself by signing up to those webinars, you should be able to catch their attention rather quickly.

Let your employer know that you’re considering to boost your knowledge with another degree or a relevant course, for example, and ask whether they’ll be able to reimburse you for this. The companies who know how to value their employees are usually able to; if not, their competitors will probably be happy to take such an eager and knowledgeable employee onboard.

You can start by checking out this Kettering university computer engineering degree, first of all, as computer science is one of those subjects that most companies will benefit from.

The great thing about many of these degrees is that you can take them online; that way, your education won’t interfere too much your work life and your personal life, and achieving your goals will suddenly feel so much more doable.

You could offer to volunteer

Finally, the main thing that will make an experienced employer choose you over the ocean of other seekers is a genuine interest in the field. It’s not something that comes with a degree or even an add-on course; it shines through your hobbies and interest.When you’re genuinely interested in the job and have made an honest attempt at educating yourself sufficiently, the evidence of volunteering can weigh heavy in the eyes of employers.

Plus, the people you meet while volunteering or pursuing another hobby will also be a form of networking. You never know who you will meet and who recognized your talents; the point is, at the end of the day, that you won’t make any new connections or get any new experiences if you just do the same day after day.

Get out there, seek out new experiences, and embrace life a bit, in other words so that it’s a bit easier to spot a new opportunity when it’s right in front of you.

Another point to this is that you could make it a proper adventure by heading abroad to help others. That way, you’re gaining international experience at the same time and should be welcomed into the arms of the company you’ve been dreaming about, increasing your income at last and eventually climbing up the career ladder like you’ve been planning.

Everybody isn’t in a position where they can just head abroad and chase their dreams, though, so keep in mind that there will be a lot of opportunities in your local area too. Try to choose something that you’re passionate about and which has at least some sort of relevance in terms of your current career - or the one you are trying to break into.

Job hunting and progressing with your career is a lifelong journey; by being smart about it and continuing to educate yourself, you can easily leave those other strivers far behind and get comfortable in a job that does not only make you happy - but which you will turn down other job offers for, in the end.

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