5 QUICK WAYS TO ‘TURBO-CHARGE’ YOUR CAREER

We’ve addressed the issue of career growth before in this blog, most notably in the post “3 Simple Steps for Achieving Greater Career Satisfaction.”

Now, there’s no doubt that everybody is busy, so much so that it’s often difficult to devote as much time to their career as they would like.  Unfortunately, that can lead to career stagnation and a “good enough” mentality from which it’s difficult to break.

So . . . what steps can you take that will help you make the progress you want to make (AND won’t take up huge amounts of time)?

Below are five quick ways that you can “turbo-charge” your career:
#1—Conduct an audit of your skills and work experience.
That sounds scary, but it just means reviewing what you know and what you’ve done during your career to this point and making sure that your resume reflects ALL of those things.  Ideally, you should be doing this “as you go,” but if you’re behind in this area, make sure to catch up as quickly as you can.  You never know when a prime employment opportunity will make itself available.
#2—Seek out a mentor.
There are two main reasons you need a mentor.  First, for the technical aspects of the job, and second, for guidance with your career questions and concerns.  If your company does not have a formal mentoring program, it will fall to you to seek out a mentor.  Perhaps you have somebody in mind already.  If not, consult your boss or supervisor about possible candidates.
#3—Invest in yourself with training.
Like our #1 item listed above, ideally this is something you should be doing on an ongoing basis.  If not, there’s no time like the present to start.  This could be as simple as reading a book, watching videos, attending a seminar, or taking advantage of online webinars and/or podcasts.  Technology makes the opportunities almost endless.
#4—Assess your company’s plans for the future.
The first step, of course, is to know what those plans are.  Maybe you already know what they are.  If not, sit down with your boss or supervisor and discuss them.  Do the plans make sense to you?  Are the plans communicated and discussed with employees on a consistent basis?
#5—See where you fit into your company’s plans for the future.
Obviously, #4 and #5 go together.  Once you have a grasp of your company’s plans, where do you fit into them?  Can you grow with this company?  If so, in what areas?  In what ways?  You can’t “turbo-charge” your career unless you’re always thinking about the future, creating a plan for that future, and then executing your plan.

How many of these items have you already started?  How many can you start right now?  All it takes is a little time and effort to implement these changes and make the very best of your future!