5 easy ways to grow your career

Have you dreamt about working from a shiny white office as the boss of a successful business ever since you were a kid? Then, you have big career dreams. A lot of professionals have such career dreams and goals they want to achieve. However, you need to put in hard work to get into such leadership roles. In fact, many professionals have to grow their careers for almost ten years before they get to a C-level role!

If you want to achieve your career goals in a shorter time, there are many things you can do to get noticed at work. Taking on more responsibilities and growing your skillset will fast forward your career growth. Here are five things that you must do to grow your career:

Ask for responsibilities outside of your daily tasks

Once you have got used to a routine in your role, you will find yourself having free time on the job. This piece of advice is for when you begin to have such free time. Instead of sitting behind your desk and sneaking in a few episodes of your favorite Netflix show, talk to your manager about taking on additional responsibilities. However, be careful not to bite more than you can chew.

Be in the loop of your industry

If you are painfully unaware of the mass layoffs happening across your industry as a tech professional or the massive opportunities for new professionals within your industry as a healthcare worker, you have much fewer chances of making ideal career choices. Read and subscribe to magazines, newsletters, or other sources of information in your industry. Once you learn something valuable, bring it out during a meeting to impress your managers.

Ask someone if you can shadow them

Are you coveting a particular leadership role? Are you on good terms with the person who already has this role in your company? Then, you can ask them if you can shadow them around for additional training. However, you will need to complete your daily responsibilities before you go standing in meetings that you don’t need to attend. Get the maximum use of your shadowing time and try to fulfill a few responsibilities of the role.

Attend networking events

Your promotion does not have to happen within the same company. There may be many other employers willing to hire you for a leadership role. But you will never find out about those opportunities unless you network with your peers. Your professional network can provide referrals for you for great opportunities. Even if you are not planning a career transition, you can gain many benefits by networking with other professionals. You will have help solving problems, learn about new technologies, and get insight into industry trends.

Take some classes

One thing that is vital for growing your career is upskilling yourself. You can’t expand outside of your current role without learning new skills. Does your company provide training opportunities for employees? Or is your employer willing to cover the expenses for a higher degree? Then, you must use these resources to grow your skillset. Enroll in a masters degree program or gain a new professional certification.