Take Charge of Your Career Development Today

December 21 2016 - The majority of employees and workers in the U.S. still rely on the common cycle of promotions and advances when it comes to their career development. Over 60% of workers simply wait until they get promoted or find a better job to pursue. From the 40% who do take active steps towards advancing their careers, only a small portion of them actually have plans and know what to do.

In today's competitive market, waiting to be promoted is simply not an option. To really advance in your career, you need to take charge of your career development today. Here are some of the things you can do to get started.

mwylink

Develop a Set of Goals and a Plan

There are two things you need to do first: visualize the goals you're trying to achieve and understand how you can get there in a timely manner. Goals can be anything you want, from landing in a particular position you have always wanted to reaching a specific annual salary within five years. Setting a time limit for your goals is also a good idea, since it will give you a timeframe to work with.

Next, figure out a way to achieve those goals. Let's say you want to be a professional family nurse practitioner. Do you have the requirements to work as an FNP? Do your current degree and certifications allow you to get to where you want to be? What other things do you need to have in order to be the best in the industry?

By answering these questions, you will be able to devise a roadmap and start working your way towards developing your career in no time. With a clear set of goals and a plan in hand, it is time to move on to the next step.

Be Proactive

As mentioned earlier, waiting is definitely not an option, especially if you want to reach new heights in your career. Other people are working hard to improve their skills and show their best performance at work; you need to do the same.

Getting a higher degree is always a good first step to take. Fortunately, top names such as Bradley University now have accredited online learning programs. These programs, designed to be completed 100% online, allow you to get the same valuable degrees as offline programs, while maintaining a degree of flexibility.

A more proactive attitude is also needed at work. You can schedule a meeting with your superior and discuss ways to boost your career further. Ask for tips on how to improve your performance and find out more about what it takes to be considered for the next promotion.

Be a Team Player

Lastly, don't forget to be a team player. While ideally you'd want to be seen - and valued - based on your performance, it is impossible to ignore the fact that subjective views will still play a role in determining your career.

Being a team member is the best way around this potential obstacle. By working well with the rest of the team and getting along with your superiors, you don't have to worry about personal preferences getting between you and your dream job.

• More Human Resource Development Articles