How To Take Your Career To The Next Level

How To Take Your Career To The Next Level

Nearly two-thirds of employees cite being dissatisfied in their current roles because they do not see opportunities to develop and grow professionally. And with the current economic situation, many managers can't seem to find the time to help develop members of their team beyond their current roles.

So, if you are searching for opportunities to grow and develop professionally, what resources are available to you?

First, you could seek out a mentor. Mentors are typically people who have a career path you may want to follow. They may or may not be in your current company. Mentors are individuals who you ask very specific advice of. Because they are so graciously giving their time to help you, you should be sensitive to this individual's time and learn as much as you can from his expertise.

Getting sponsor can be a great method for career advancement. Sponsors are typically several levels more senior than you in the org chart. Because of their position, sponsors will advocate for you and your career when opportunities arise at their level.

You will likely spend less time with your sponsor than with your mentor, so you should be even more respectful of the time you spend him/her. You should always articulate your appreciation for how supportive he/she has been of your career.

It's not always easy to find a sponsor or a mentor. Unfortunately, by the time individuals have the experience and insight to be an effective mentor or sponsor, they are also figuring out how to create work-life balance. Consequently, they may be more time constrained than you are.

 If you find yourself not having meaningful mentor or sponsor relationships for any number of reasons, you may want to consider getting a career coach. Because the career coach's full-time job is to provide you with career guidance, you are going to find them to be more targeted in their approach to helping you and far more accessible.

Career Centers are a highly underutilized resource! Career Centers and their network of career counselors can provide effective career advice from career assessments to interviewing guidance. Even better, they can be more cost effective than a full-time career coach.

If you have graduated from a college or a university that has an established alumni association, you should investigate their career development programs. Alumni programs typically will have career resource centers whose services range from remote/virtual career webinars to in person or virtual one-on-one career counseling sessions.

At the end of the day, even if you feel stuck in your career development in your current role, there are a wealth of career development resources that are available to you. The most critical advice I can give you is to just take one step that moves you closer to your goal. Do it. Right now!