Nearly two-thirds of employees cite being dissatisfied in their current roles because they do not see opportunities to develop and grow professionally. And with the current economic situation, many managers can't seem to find the time to help develop members of their team beyond their current roles.
As the team member looking to take their career to the next level, what are some of your options?
One of the simplest, cheapest and most effective methods is to get a mentor. It is most common to find a mentor who is several "levels" ahead of you in a comparable career path. This gives you the chance to ask that mentor very specific and targeted questions about how he/she progressed in his/her career and what he/she learned in each role. Your mentor will also be able to provide guidance on skills, credentials and associations that you may need to acquire.
You may want to consider seeking out a sponsor within your organization. Typically this is someone several levels above you in the organizational hierarchy, who will advocate for you and your career when opportunities arise. A sponsor will likely spend far less time with you than a mentor, so you should be even more respectful of the time you spend with this individual and be sure to say thank you for their support of your career.
Finding a sponsor or a mentor can be challenging. At the time of life when individuals have the knowledge and experience to be meaningful mentors and sponsors, they usually have obligations outside of work competing for their time. For individuals who struggle to find an industry, career path or role-specific mentor, you may want to consider a consultation with a career coach. Since career coaches primary job is to provide career guidance and accountability, you are likely to find meetings with them are more focused and you achieve results more quickly. Additionally, because you pay them, you won't feel like you are constantly asking them for favors, without being able to give something back to them.
Career Centers are a highly underutilized resource! Career Centers and their network of career counselors can provide effective career advice from career assessments to interviewing guidance. Even better, they can be more cost effective than a full-time career coach.
If you have graduated from a college or a university that has an established alumni association, you should investigate their career development programs. Alumni programs typically will have career resource centers whose services range from remote/virtual career webinars to in person or virtual one-on-one career counseling sessions.
Ultimately, even if you are not getting the career advice and guidance you would expect at your current organization, there are a plethora of career development tools and resources out that are available to you. The most essential thing is to take action - any action that will take you one step closer to achieving your career goals.
As the team member looking to take their career to the next level, what are some of your options?
One of the simplest, cheapest and most effective methods is to get a mentor. It is most common to find a mentor who is several "levels" ahead of you in a comparable career path. This gives you the chance to ask that mentor very specific and targeted questions about how he/she progressed in his/her career and what he/she learned in each role. Your mentor will also be able to provide guidance on skills, credentials and associations that you may need to acquire.
You may want to consider seeking out a sponsor within your organization. Typically this is someone several levels above you in the organizational hierarchy, who will advocate for you and your career when opportunities arise. A sponsor will likely spend far less time with you than a mentor, so you should be even more respectful of the time you spend with this individual and be sure to say thank you for their support of your career.
Finding a sponsor or a mentor can be challenging. At the time of life when individuals have the knowledge and experience to be meaningful mentors and sponsors, they usually have obligations outside of work competing for their time. For individuals who struggle to find an industry, career path or role-specific mentor, you may want to consider a consultation with a career coach. Since career coaches primary job is to provide career guidance and accountability, you are likely to find meetings with them are more focused and you achieve results more quickly. Additionally, because you pay them, you won't feel like you are constantly asking them for favors, without being able to give something back to them.
Career Centers are a highly underutilized resource! Career Centers and their network of career counselors can provide effective career advice from career assessments to interviewing guidance. Even better, they can be more cost effective than a full-time career coach.
If you have graduated from a college or a university that has an established alumni association, you should investigate their career development programs. Alumni programs typically will have career resource centers whose services range from remote/virtual career webinars to in person or virtual one-on-one career counseling sessions.
Ultimately, even if you are not getting the career advice and guidance you would expect at your current organization, there are a plethora of career development tools and resources out that are available to you. The most essential thing is to take action - any action that will take you one step closer to achieving your career goals.
About the Author:
If you are interested in learning more about professional development visit http://www.tumblr.com/blog/careersonfire.
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