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Six ways to turbocharge your career this year

Allen Associates, News & Blog

Many of us have ups and downs in our day-to-day working lives. At times, it can be difficult to determine how to progress. In a survey from CV-Library, 64 per cent of UK workers admitted feeling as though they hadn’t achieved success yet. Whether your aim is to make a difference, work somewhere you love, or earn a higher salary, we have a few tips to help you keep your career advancement plans firmly on track.

Invest in yourself

Developing a strong personal brand will affect the way you’re seen by colleagues, clients and potential Employers. To succeed, you should be able to present yourself as confident, professional and competent - which means setting time aside to make yourself marketable. Would your social media profile benefit from a portfolio website or a new blog post? It’s worth remembering that 93 per cent of companies will search for you online when you apply for a job. A good web presence requires careful management, so don’t put this off when you’re busy at work.

Say ‘yes’ to new opportunities

Don’t wait until you feel ready for a new challenge. If you receive an opportunity to do something different within your workplace, embrace this – even if it’s out of your comfort zone. After all, you never know where it might lead. The chance to lead a small team on a new project could result in an offer to take responsibility for extending this company-wide. Develop a reputation as a person who is keen to try something new, which will stand you in good stead for promotion, and avoid being hesitant to move forward.

Review your goals

Having a clear set of short-term and long-term goals will keep you focused on future growth. Of course, these will depend on what motivates you as an individual. Do you aspire to gain a leadership role, increase your professional knowledge or win bigger clients? Take time to write these down, and also to review them regularly. Hitting these targets can be incredibly motivational, and if you’re struggling to complete them it’s worth reflecting on why this is the case. Above all, make sure your Employer is aware of what you’d like to achieve – have a conversation with your manager to request the right support.

Ask for feedback

Often, the best Employees and Candidates are incredibly self-aware. They can describe their strengths, talk about how they’ve improved and where they need to develop further. This kind of attitude is always impressive. You may think you know this already, but it’s worth checking to see if this view is shared by your current manager and colleagues. Sometimes feedback may be hard to swallow, but without this, it can be hard to improve professionally. Always be open to having an honest discussion with people.

Develop skills in demand

If you’re reading about your industry, you’ll be able to spot new, developing trends, allowing you to develop your skillset further. As an example, digital developments are affecting many different professions. By spotting new technological tools and working out how to use them before anyone else, you’re likely to find yourself in demand. Take a moment to consider the things in your sector that Employers look for above all else. By demonstrating experience in these areas, you’ll guarantee yourself a successful career.

Don’t wait around

Earning your dream job or position can be hard work – it’s rare that you’ll succeed otherwise. With this in mind, don’t wait to be given your next promotion. Follow the tips above and work with your Employer, setting yourself a realistic deadline for what you’d like to achieve. Once you feel you’ve met this, talk to your manager. Many companies will encourage ambition, and reward loyalty with a clear progression path. However, if this isn’t the case, it could be time to move on. If you feel as though you’ve learnt everything you can within your current workplace, speak to a recruiter in order to explore new opportunities externally.

Over the last 20 years, we have grown as a business to become one of the leading independent Recruitment agencies in Oxfordshire, and in 2018 we opened our first London office, to service Clients and Candidates in the capital.

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