The post-pandemic job market presented itself with a host of tumultuous challenges in 2022, not only did employers see higher-than-average employee turnover, but workers were seen leaving their jobs in droves as they jump ship looking for a greater purpose and career progression.
Over the last few years, companies of all sizes endured some form of employee resignation from quiet quitting, and job cushioning, to the Great Resignation, employers and team leaders have seen it all by now.
With millions of job openings – 10.5 million according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – the labor market remains a challenging place for employers to navigate as they look to attract and retain the right talent for open positions.
Despite seeing a record number of job openings, and a continuous amount of people still leaving the workforce, either to pursue other ventures or grow their side hustles, those that are holding on to their jobs are hopeful that in the coming year change, progress and further development will help take their career to the next level.
In fact, it was found that around 94% of employees would remain longer at their current job if the companies they work for invested more in their careers. Companies that make the effort to appreciate their workers, offer opportunities for advancement, and provide more work-life balance have experienced higher employee retention in recent years as workplace quitting trends sweep their way across the labor market.
Advancing your career in a tight labor market, against macroeconomic problems such as inflation, red-hot interest rates, a real estate correction, and economic uncertainty can seem like a massive headache. With new opportunities presenting themselves and ensuring ongoing career advancements for long-term success it’s best to bank on yourself, rather than holding out for guidance from your company or a potential mentor.
Here’s how you can boost your career and take it to the next level in 2023.
Determine potential growth points
Take stock of your current strengths and skills, through this you will have a better idea of where you can improve. If there are any skills you’d like to have learned in the past year but had limited time or resources, make the effort to further develop these abilities.
Although you might have had the opportunity to utilize your current skills to the best ability, new skills will help you learn new ways of problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking. Additionally, it’s possible to look back at your current skills to further develop them, while keeping track of how you can use new abilities to identify areas of development.
Set a career goal
It’s time to be clear about your career goals. Think of what you want out of your career, and how you can achieve it. Once you know exactly what you want, whether it’s to start a business or become an entrepreneur abroad, or even just get that promotion you’ve been wanting, you can align your skills according to the achievements you want to see in the coming months.
Identify your motivation
Next is to identify the things that help to motivate you in your everyday job. It can be a colleague, money, the idea of purchasing a new car, getting a promotion, or even your family. Every person will have a different list of things that motivates them, and when it comes to career development, most employees seek new things that will help keep them going even once they have achieved a certain milestone.
List a few motivations, and see whether you can narrow it down to three or five. Once you have an idea of where your priorities lie within the workplace, you’ll start to better understand the potential for career advancements.
Escape the comfort zone
Often employees feel bored or underutilized when they have become too comfortable in their current position. While this does provide many of them with a sense of security and financial stability, career growth and advancements often present themselves to those that look outside of their comfort zone.
Take a bit of time to explore new fields of interest, or even see how a new job will help you better utilize your current skills, or put yourself to the test by volunteering for a few days in a different position. Have a bit of courage to leap outside of what you know, and try to view your career from a different perspective.
Challenge yourself
In a 2018 survey conducted by Kom Ferry, around 33% of employees claimed that they were looking for a new job at the time due to feeling bored and needing a new challenge in the workplace.
This is still relevant today, and many of us often feel bored in our current position due to the lack of challenges. Make more time to take on new work or projects outside of your current scope of practice. This not only comes with a different type of responsibility, but it also helps you to learn new skills.
Research current job prospects
If your current job has a number of potential job prospects, take a bit of time to research how you will need to advance your skills and knowledge to achieve this improvement. Not all jobs stay the same through the years, and a lot of the time, the job you’re currently holding won’t necessarily be the same in the next two or three years.
Once you understand how your job will evolve in the coming years, it’s possible to align yourself with the future of your career as well. Having a better idea of how to be more indispensable will help you become more valuable for the company and place you on a path of career advancement.
Recognize your value
While it’s important to set future career goals and achieve these milestones, it’s just as worthwhile to recognize our current values and how much we have already achieved until now.
We often forget about the values we hold, and how we have used them to achieve our goals in the past. Whether you’re a loyal employee in the workplace, or someone who prides themselves in the work they do – recognize the skills, knowledge, and experience you have, and how it forms you as an employee.
Network with like-minded professionals
Networking remains one of the easiest ways to advance your career as it helps to put you in direct contact with the people and companies you want to potentially work for. Networking has become increasingly simple in the age of technology and online media, as we’re now able to constantly stay in contact with like-minded professionals through platforms such as LinkedIn or Indeed.com.
Every once in a while, see how you can update your current resume, or LinkedIn profile to help you stand out from the crowd. Try and link with the right people and see where you can strike up a conversation with someone prominent online. By putting yourself out there, you’re taking a step outside of your comfort zone, and seeking new avenues to build career prospects.
Get hold of your weaknesses
It’s one thing to know and improve your strengths, but it’s a completely different challenge to take hold of your weaknesses. Career development is about understanding both your strengths and weaknesses and how you can make both work to your advantage.
Instead of only focusing on what you can already do, or taking on new challenges, take a bit of time to understand your weaknesses, how they influence your work ethic, and the impact they can have on your career in the near term.
Know your options
If your current role has limited advancement opportunities, it’s about time you seek out what other options you may have available in terms of your career. Not all careers have an array of job opportunities, often some will have limited options to choose from, which can be a potential danger point for your career.
Once you know what your job options are, whether it be within the same company or with a different employer you will better understand what type of skills and strengths you require to make a career change or land that perfect job.
To finish off
This is potentially the year you make the career advancement you’ve been longing for. While it doesn’t happen overnight, it’s important to know that with the right mindset, determination, and attitude you’ll be able to gain the skills and strength you need to climb the corporate ladder.
Whatever career changes you seek, whether it’s within a current role or even starting your own business, having the courage to improve yourself and learn new skills can help you become a valuable asset. As you grow and develop, remember to identify your value, and consider how much you have already achieved with the abilities you currently have.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock