The arrival of the new year and a brand new decade offers the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. While many people see the new year as a time of making resolutions and starting a new health and fitness regime, you can also bring this fresh start feeling into other areas of your life too. Why not vow to make 2020 the year that you take decisive action to drive your career forward towards greater success?
A rewarding career can enhance your life in many ways. For starters, increased job satisfaction makes going to work far more worthwhile, and will make you feel more positive about your role. Of course, the financial benefits that often come as a result of career success shouldn’t be ignored. A bigger salary will enable you to have greater economic freedom, which results in a more comfortable lifestyle, and increased disposable income to spend in your personal life.
If you are eager to take ownership of your work life this year, you may be on the lookout for some ideas to help you to achieve this. Read on for some inspirational suggestions that can help you make your dream career a reality:
Find Your Focus
Establishing what you want to achieve from your career is essential. Without a clear plan in place, your career trajectory can easily veer off course. Try to visualize the specifics of what you want to achieve rather than a vague notion of your future career. With a clear idea in mind, it is much easier to take the steps needed towards achieving what you want.
SMART goals are spoken about so much in business, that they can seem like a bit of a cliché. In fact, making your goals SMART is the best way to chart your course towards career success. So, be sure to keep your career aims specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
Once you have established your goals, consider the most effective ways of achieving them, and how this can be transferred into practical actions.
Boost Your Qualifications
Increasing your qualifications is always a good idea. Studying a subject related to your career offers many benefits. Not only will your knowledge of the subject area increase, but your resumé will also receive a boost too. Having an additional qualification, such as a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California, will help to set you apart from the other candidates when applying for promotions. Continuing your studies also demonstrates that you are committed to your career and are motivated enough to continue to expand your knowledge base and skills.
Seek a Mentor
Does your company have a mentoring scheme? Mentoring is an area worth exploring to aid in your career progression. Larger companies often operate formal mentoring programs, meanwhile smaller businesses may set up mentoring relationships on a more informal basis. Either way, having a mentor can be really beneficial.
Finding the right mentor may take a little time, but once you have found the best person for you, you can start to see the benefits. Your mentor should be able to offer you advice and feedback that will aid your career. Having a mentor enables you to benefit from their expertise, experience, and knowledge. Together with your mentor, you can start to put firm plans in place for how your career progress. Your mentor will also be able to offer a fresh perspective on how you can go about achieving your aims and may be able to point you in the direction of some useful contacts and opportunities too.
Think Outside the Box
Sometimes the best way that you can achieve what you want in the business world is by thinking outside of the box. If you are struggling to find a way to progress, it can help to take a different perspective instead of merely following in the footsteps of others.
Highly ambitious people can often find themselves more suited to life as an entrepreneur, rather than an employee. Launching a business can satisfy an urge to be in full control of your career, and to do things your way.
Final Thoughts
Don’t forget that the path to career success doesn’t always run smoothly. Along the way, there may be setbacks and times that you doubt your ability to succeed. Resilience is the key to success in every area of life, so learn from your setbacks, and then move on to make something positive from them. With hard work and perseverance, you can achieve anything.
This is a collaborative post.
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