Career acceleration is like race – You can run with your feet; the way track and field athletes do or you can race with a Bugatti Veyron. Both options will get you to your destination but how you get there and when you get will differ greatly and this is precisely where career acceleration comes in.
Career acceleration takes time and it comes with careful planning, strategic alliances as well as making the right decisions to reach the desired goal. The following are 7 things you need to do to accelerate your career.
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Career Acceleration Decision and Plan
To accelerate your career, it is not something that happens by accident. You need to want it to a point where you make plans to make it happen. Making this decision is very vital to attaining your desires and wishes. This is the best time to ask yourself some critical questions such as why do you want this? What will your attaining it present for you? What will you do to position yourself to attain it?
You have to decide and plan your career acceleration to achieve it. What this means is that you to be intentional with your tasks, training and career moves. A plan would tell you what jobs to take and which ones to turn down.
Skillset and Leadership Quality
Showing leadership qualities at your organisation and in your industry is a very great route to career acceleration. Employers always look out for career professionals who are heavy on trust, diligence, innovation and work smart because such individuals own their job and are more likely to help the organisations navigate challenges and attain set goals. Go big on leadership if you seek to accelerate your career.
It’s also about skills because your competence and skill set are very pertinent to career acceleration. Upgrade your skills and knowledge of general trends in your industry because this is an important ingredient to help you become a thought leader in your industry. Another way to upgrade your skill set is to look at the demands of your organisation skill wise. Train yourself in such areas and don’t be afraid to take up relevant tasks.
Networking and Professional Relationships
It is usually said your network is your net worth. Your network can open you up to career acceleration opportunities and help you connect with industry influencers to help you scale up. Build relationships and provide value you can leverage on both for the short term and long term to help you accelerate your career.
Building and nurturing your professional relationships is really important; always think long term. Don’t fall into the habit of waiting to receive value from your network. Find a way to provide as well.
Approach Your Break Differently
How you spend your 30-minute or 1-hour break at work holds more potential for your career acceleration that you might have assumed. Let us put this into perspective – Would you rather spend your 1-hour break scrolling through your Facebook and Instagram feeds or would you rather watch a 30-minute video that has the potential of landing you a promotion? Of course, the video could be longer and as such, require more than one lunch break but devoting your break to learning a few times every week can add up to several hours of professional training.
Did you know that short breaks in the morning and late in the afternoon can help you give your work the necessary boost?
Exercising Can Have an Added Advantage
When you are at the gym or taking a brisk walk around your neighbourhood, you can actually lend this time learning just as much as you are lending it to staying healthy.
Why not consider downloading an audio version of a professional course on your mobile device and listen to this while you simultaneously burn some calories. You can even do this on a stationary bike or while you swim if you have a phone and earplugs that are waterproof.
Make Travelling a Smart Experience
What do you do when you’re travelling. Do you just sleep all the way through, listen to music or see as many movies as you can during the flight? What you do is really up to you but you can travel smarter by taking advantage of this time to develop your professional skills.
Transform your idle time into learning time that steers you closer to career acceleration. This isn’t just limited to the flight duration or the bus ride. A trip will present you with several quiet moments especially if you’re travelling alone. Make good use of this time.
Commuting Can Become a Smart Experience
Instead of just staring into space or going through gossip blogs on your way to work or on your way back home, it presents a perfect time for you to absorb the content of an audiobook or video to improve your skill set.
If it takes you one hour to get to work and another one hour, this adds up to 10 hours of commuting time that can be channelled into a focused learning time.
In conclusion, you need to be a top performer always. Remain passionate and stay on top of your game. Don’t be afraid to learn from your mistakes while you grow your career and pursue your next career acceleration destination. Remember that success is an unending journey. Take up responsibilities and cultivate the habit of carrying out career audits to learn what you are doing well as well as what’s not working. We wish great heights with your career acceleration goals.
