In today’s competitive job market, understanding how to advance your career is crucial. According to Lorman Education Services, 74 percent of employees feel they aren’t reaching their full potential at work due to a lack of development opportunities. If you’re searching for answers on how to jumpstart your career advancement, here’s an overview of paths you can take, common challenges you may face, and the best ways to get started.
What Is Career Advancement?
Career advancement is a crucial aspect of your professional journey. It’s using your skills and motivation to achieve your professional development goals, obtain higher-level positions, and earn more significant workplace responsibilities. Career advancement can take many forms, such as:
- Promotions or raises
- Lateral moves
- New skills or training
No matter your goals, it’s vital to share them. For example, you can discuss your desire to get a raise with your manager. Regardless of your advancement path, you may face common challenges that prevent your career growth.
Common Challenges in Career Advancement
Shortage of Mentors
Mentorship is essential to professional development, but many workplaces struggle to provide adequate mentoring opportunities. According to the Journal of Career Development, nearly 85 percent of employees don’t have mentors at their organizations; however, 97 percent believe mentorship is valuable to their career growth.
Causes for This Discrepancy Include:
- Lack of time and resources: Many leaders prioritize their companies’ bottom lines rather than mentorship programs.
- Absence of formal mentorship programs: Without structured mentorship programs, employees don’t know how to approach potential mentors.
- Generational differences: Members of older generations retire, decreasing the number of experienced employees who can assume mentorship roles within their organizations.
Technological Advancements
Technological innovations have significantly impacted career advancement. For example, working remotely has necessitated learning new forms of technology, such as video-conferencing software. This trend is expected to grow. According to a McKinsey report, 60 percent of occupations could have 30 percent or more of their activities automated by technologies such as artificial intelligence. With this rise in innovation, it’s vital to understand those technologies to avoid getting left behind.
Problematic Workplace Stereotypes
Stereotypes are preconceived notions about certain groups of people. In the workplace, they can hinder career advancement and be based on:
- Gender: Thinking women are less committed to their careers, resulting in unequal pay, limited opportunities, and fewer challenging assignments
- Age: Assuming older workers are less adept at learning new skills compared to their younger counterparts
- Race: Presuming certain races aren’t as capable as others
Lack of Work-Life Balance
Many professionals struggle to balance work with their personal lives. As a result, burnout has stagnated many careers. According to a job search site Indeed survey, over half of employees feel burnt out, and more than two-thirds believe that feeling has worsened post-pandemic. Advancing your career adds additional commitments to the mix. The Harvard Business Review says work-life balance isn’t a one-time fix. You must continuously assess how your work fits your evolving circumstances and priorities. Without the right tools and methods, you can flounder when managing your time as you grow your career.
Gap in Qualifications and Skills
An industry skills gap is a common reason many professionals struggle to advance their careers. A McKinsey report shows that 87 percent of companies worldwide know they have a skills gap or will have one within a few years. Essential business skills don’t just help you perform better at your job; they can also boost your confidence. Without that confidence, you can distrust your decisions, avoid professional risks, and take criticism personally—all of which can negatively affect your career advancement.
5 Ways to Jumpstart Your Career Advancement
Despite common challenges, you can jumpstart your career advancement in many ways. Here are five to consider.
1. Envision Your Goals
One of the best places to start is solidifying your professional goals. Envisioning your desired career trajectory can help you gain clarity. It can also:
- Provide direction: Enable you to prioritize your efforts and make decisions that align with your long-term objectives
- Increase motivation: Boost motivation to work toward your professional goals
- Aid professional growth: Allow you to understand what new skills, experiences, or abilities you need to achieve your goals.
Creating a vision for your career doesn’t mean focusing solely on your professional goals. According to the online course Organizational Leadership, your personal development journey is how you enhance your effectiveness in the workplace. That means considering how your qualities, professional practices, and capabilities build on one another as you grow your career.
2. Effectively Communicate What You Want
It can be challenging to communicate your needs in the workplace due to fear of rejection, a lack of confidence, or uncertainty about how your ideas will be received. However, speaking up is crucial to your career advancement, helping you gain visibility within your organization and build strong relationships with your supervisors.
Voicing your professional development goals to your manager or human resources department is critical because those conversations can shed light on helpful resources or enable you to gain a sponsor—someone within your organization who can support your case for a promotion. Your performance review is another critical instance where speaking up can jumpstart your career advancement. According to the Harvard Business Review, taking an active role in your performance review is essential because most managers aren’t able to recall everything you’ve done and want to achieve. Outline what you’ve accomplished in your role that’s benefited the company and your professional development.
3. Check Internal Job Postings
As you grow your career, wanting to move up your company’s ranks is natural. Yet, moving laterally’s another way to progress and gain new experiences. Lateral movement requires checking internal job postings or speaking with your manager to take on a new role or transfer to a different department. While this might not seem like advancement because it doesn’t result in more responsibilities or raises, it often leads to higher job satisfaction—which can be just as beneficial.
4. Network Within and Outside Your Organization
Networking is essential to advancing professionally. By connecting with people within and outside your organization, you can build a strong network that aids your career. Some ways you can network effectively are:
- Attending company events are great for introducing yourself to influential people in your organization, sharing your interests, and learning about others’ areas of expertise.
- Joining professional groups: Professional groups related to your industry or interests can help expand your network beyond your organization.
- Attending industry conferences: Conferences are fun to meet people outside your organization and learn more about industry trends and developments.
- Using social media: Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can help you connect with like-minded professionals, share work-related content, and engage in industry conversations.
By prioritizing relationship-building, you can advance your career while helping others do the same. A quick conversation or new connection could be what lands you on your next job or encourages you to ask for a promotion. You’ll never know unless you introduce yourself and start networking.
5. Continue Your Education
Continuing your education is a valuable investment in your career. By staying current with industry trends, developing new skills, and expanding your professional network, you can position yourself for success and achieve your career goals. Earning an advanced degree or obtaining a certificate through an online course are just some educational options available. You can also ask your manager or HR department about employee resources, such as:
- Tuition reimbursement programs
- Internal training opportunities
- Free certifications
Although these options can reap several benefits, online education is far more flexible if you want to achieve work-life balance while advancing your career.