Want to go further in your career? Here’s how to get there in no time

Lifestyle

Aug 12, 2015

The average person spends 8.8 hours in work every day – that’s a little over 9,000 hours a year which essentially makes up one third of your life. It’s crazy when you think about it, right?

It stands to reason that you will want to work at something that you love, but unfortunately in life there are little twists and turns that can lead you astray and send you down a path that you didn’t necessarily want to be on.

But whether you’re on the path you’re happy with or would rather be going in a different direction, these tips can help you to feel fulfilled at work… and maybe even lead you to that dream job.

Find a mentor
Find someone in your line of work (or the one you want to be in) that you admire and ask them to mentor you. Most people will have no problem giving you advice that they have learned over the years and helping you along the way. They will also be great if you have any ideas as they can advise you what road to take to achieve those goals.

Ask for an evaluation
This can be scary but also extremely helpful with getting you to better yourself and your work ethic. As some criticism might sting a bit, it will be an excellent insight into what you’re doing wrong and how you can improve it.

Stop procrastination
Every single one of us do it, whether we procrastinate by cooking, cleaning, watching TV or reading a book, you need to stop. Identify what way you put work off and make a strategy to discourage yourself from doing so. You will thank yourself in the long run.

Take initiative
Don’t sit back in the corner and let other people do all the work. Take your own initiative and do the work for yourself. If you spot a problem, fix it. If you spot an opportunity, take it. You won’t get anywhere if you sit back and don’t look for ways to improve.

Information is power
Study your industry the best that you can. Work environments are constantly changing, so make it part of your job to keep up with it all. However, you don’t have to quit your job just to get back to studying or be unfocused at work. Studying online is a great way to broaden your knowledge and skills without spending too much time attending in a traditional university.

Network, network, network
One of the best ways to move on up in your career is to meet new people and network. The more people you meet, the more contacts you will have and in turn you will gain more opportunities. Always treat people with respect, as you never know where they could be in a year’s time.

Confidence
There’s no point carrying out all of these tactics if you’re not confident in what you do. Rely on yourself. If you are going to crumble after one hit, you need to readjust your goals. You will be knocked down on your way to your chosen career, but get back up and fight ten times harder. And never give up.