Whether you’re working remotely or you’re currently out of work during the pandemic, staying at home offers plenty of opportunities to build on your career. But spending more time indoors can make you feel that life is on pause as we wait for the ‘old normal’ to come back. Still, it is better to take advantage of the available time to grow your career proactively.
Career management is critical to the success of one’s professional development. But allowing your current job and manager to determine your accomplishment and career goals may not be the best idea. If you want to maximize your talent and skills, having the initiative to manage your own career will enable you to make unique contributions to your company. It will not only level up your expertise, but it can be the key to that dream promotion.
If you’re dedicated to improving your career, working from home shouldn’t stop you from achieving professional growth. Whether you’re waiting for a raise or promotion, working on your dream job, planning to start a business, or searching for a new career opportunity, there’s still hope to expand your expertise. Here are the steps to become a more employable and valuable worker. Take note of these techniques to drive your career into action.
Invest in your education
Just because you’re done with school doesn’t mean you’re done with learning. Honing your knowledge and skills is a never-ending process. Having a stable job is not enough to keep you satisfied with the current expertise you have. There are plenty of ways to invest in your learning, from taking an online class, enrolling in an open online course, or signing up at a local college.
For instance, there are affordable online master’s degree programs to help employees unlock more career opportunities and become globally employable and competitive. As the job market becomes more competitive, it’s important to make yourself more valuable and stand out from the crowd.
Most professionals today struggle to find the time to enrol in a post-graduate program. From juggling a career, the family, and adulthood responsibilities, it’s almost impossible to squeeze some time to return to school. But today, universities are now offering fully online programs for professionals. You don’t have to give up your current job to become a student again. Plus, online universities allow flexible schedules to learn at your own pace.
Taking an online course is a great way to increase marketability and expand skills and knowledge base. It will also impress employers that you have the enterprise and motivation to work on your career. For those who are self-employed, having an extra course on your resume can bring more clients and increase earning potential.
Expand your network
Building on your connections doesn’t mean sending out LinkedIn invitations to everyone on your feed. Your colleagues and peers are the most reliable resource to expand your network and expertise. In this time of social distancing, don’t be afraid to reach out and leave a positive impression.
Keeping your connections alive helps increase your curiosity about your niche career. A diverse network gives insight on where to find career opportunities and how to improve your expertise. While it is difficult to organize face-to-face meetups, technology offers ways to continue expanding professional relationships. As your network grows, you’ll likely meet more people than others who are at the same level as you.
The key to building a professional network is to make yourself available. Checking in with your peers on social networking platforms, attending networking events, and taking part in online forums increase your chances of building solid business relationships to expand your career.
Improve your writing skills
Believe it or not, great writing skill is critical to your professional development. Since everything is done virtually, online communication is the foundation of your connections with your colleagues, managers, and potential recruiters.
Adjusting to the new working situation can be tough in these trying times, that’s why miscommunication and misunderstandings are never ordinary. It’s easy to commit mistakes if you’re juggling a lot of tasks, and editing is not your strong suit. Developing a habit of sending badly written emails and reports will reflect on your performance as an employee.
The best way to improve your writing skills is to practice diligently. Before sending an email, ask a coworker or friend to proofread it. Avoid using jargon and fluff as it ruins the conciseness of your message, which can cause misunderstandings. More importantly, always be specific when communicating with your boss and workers to get your message clear.
All these things may seem impossible with a busy schedule, but investing time to grow your career can go a long way towards professional development. Taking proactive steps to demonstrate that you’re willing to allot more effort into your career is a key trait of a valuable employee. So if you want to climb up the career ladder in no time, follow the steps above to open more opportunities for your professional growth.
