Are you looking for change in your career but do not know where to begin? They say great things may come to those who wait, but why wait when you can seize your own opportunities right now?
Many successful people create opportunities for themselves and manage their own careers. After all, your company does not have complete control of your professional growth. Your manager is not responsible for your career — you are. Instead of passively waiting for a job offer or promotion to come your way, you can be proactive in pushing your career to the next level.
Here are six things you can do to upgrade your career:
1) Build your career prospects through networking
A saying goes: “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” Some of the best jobs out there are not advertised, and most high-level positions in a company are announced internally or shared through connections.
Building your network not only opens doors to career prospects, but also connects you to new ideas and people who can support you throughout your professional and personal life. The more relationships you build, the more people will know about your character and the work that you do. This means more opportunities could come along and these people might even recommend you for your dream job.
2) Clean up your social media profiles
Social media is more than just sharing your vacation photos or videos of your pet’s new tricks. Today, it has become a tool for many headhunters to find suitable job candidates.
Many recruiters and companies use social media to advertise their job openings, and search for or check on prospective candidates. Make sure that your social media profile is updated and contains information they can use to better understand your professional background. For example, include the name of the university you studied at, your work experience, and other relevant interests or hobbies.
3) Spruce up your LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn is known as one of the world’s largest professional networks, where job seekers and companies can connect. Here, professionals can showcase their skills, career accomplishments and network with others who work in the same field or industry. For companies and recruiters, this is where they can easily view potential matches for their job vacancies or shortlist people for their talent pooling. With so many users on LinkedIn, how can you stand out? The trick lies in your profile!
Upload a decent headshot photo of yourself, taken with even brightness and without obstructions, so that recruiters can see your face clearly. Under the “About” section of your profile, include a short and clear description of your job title and employment status, and highlight your strengths as a worker.
4) Build your personal brand
Your personal brand is how you appear to your professional community. How do you gain recognition and become the go-to person in your field? One approach would be to have a strong online presence.
Have you polished your social media profile yet? Do you have a personal blog where you can share useful information about your industry and interests? Are you an active participant in forums who provides insightful feedback on other people’s content? It would be even better to have your own website, because you get to have more control over your online presence. All these will greatly contribute to building your reputation and boosting your career growth, as people would gradually start to recognise you as a reliable authority in your chosen industry.
5) Acquire new skills and certifications
Consider taking up an academic programme or professional skills certification course to enhance your current skill set or gain new skills to add to your strengths. You can effectively move towards self-improvement and raise your value in the job market.
6) Maintain good health
Exercising, eating right and keeping a healthy lifestyle might not have a direct connection to the skills you can offer as an employee, but they can greatly affect the quality of work you deliver.
If you are in tip-top shape, you will be more alert and effective in making quick decisions in a fast-paced environment, be a more reliable colleague, and perform better. Your good health will contribute to outstanding performance at the workplace and may open doors to career advancements and promotions.
With over 500 academic programmes for higher learning and professional certification courses for skills development, we provide opportunities for you to always stay relevant. To speak to one of our consultants, please call 8613 8989 or email us at [email protected]