Advancing your career can be difficult, especially in the beginning when you do not accurately know what you are worth nor have the bargaining power to enforce it. Rather than buckle down and wait, take a more proactive stance towards your career advancement today by improving your skillset from the get-go. There is no reason for you to let your skills or knowledge atrophy. Instead, follow this guide today so that you can improve yourself and your career outlook:
Continue Your Education
Continuing your education is one of the best ways to stay fulfilled in your life while simultaneously improving your skill set and becoming a more valuable employee as a result. The world is very fast-paced, after all, and if you do not work on keeping your skills sharp and knowledge up-to-date, then you can quickly lose your value as an employee.
Thankfully, improving your skills will not cost you another degree and an endless amount of hours. You can learn online for free, with the option to pay for a professional certification to showcase to your employers not only that you learned the skill, but did so to an acceptable degree. These courses are offered by top universities like Harvard or MIT, as well as from top companies like Microsoft. All you need to do is download the edX training app to get started and gain access. This innovative app features downloadable content, allowing to learn on the go, whether you’re studying communication, world history, a new language or digital marketing. The edX online training app is the perfect go-to resource to help advance your career.
Ask for Learning Opportunities
Employers have a vested interest in helping you learn and develop your skills. This level of skills acquisition is great for both parties, after all, and is necessary to succeed in this digital world. If your employer doesn’t have a team of talented, highly-relevant employees at their disposal, then they will fall behind their competition, after all, and they cannot simply fire and re-hire new employees every year. Employee retention is the best way to keep costs low. So, ask your employer for learning opportunities today. If they cannot offer shadowing shifts, then see if they will pay to sponsor your continued education.
Take on More Responsibilities
If you want to show that you are dedicated and can handle a higher position at your company, then be proactive about it. Ask for more responsibilities, and when a job opening comes up, apply. You will have the right skills and history to back you up.
Create Your Own Niche Website
A great way to become a thought leader on your own time is to start your very own website. This way you can make use of all the industry-knowledge you have and build your online reputation all at once. Simply start a niche website, keep it simple, and update it regularly. If you work hard on it, you can eventually use it as a major selling point when applying to a new job.
Ask for Career Advancement
Very few employers will look at all the hard work you do and reward you for it the way you want. You need to ask for career advancement. You need to apply for those higher ranking roles. If nothing is happening at your company, then you need to look elsewhere to find someone who does value your efforts and talent. This can be an opportunity for you to increase your salary and your value as an employee as well. The only person holding you back is yourself, so go for your dreams.