10 Simple Tips for Career Success

The concept of a mid-career change is a bit of a misnomer. In fact, most career changes aren’t really that at all, but rather mid-career shifts. Most of us rarely shed our years of hard-earned experiences for a completely new trajectory. However, we often shift that trajectory to incorporate skills in a different range of positions.

Below are five proven steps that will help you avoid ending up in a career corner with no way out and improve career success.

1. Career Pathing

At a fundamental level the term career pathing is the relatively straightforward process used develop a career course (or path) that supports both short and long-term goals.

Let’s say you’re a registered nurse working in the emergency room and the grind has is getting to you. By making early decisions to assess your professional skills and define certain long-term goals, and possibly the educational instruction necessary to achieve them, you are far less likely to be left with limited options for movement or advancement.

Ask these three questions:

Where do you want to be in three years?
What steps necessary to get there?
What resources (educational or training) are need to accomplish these?
2. Ongoing Career Planning

Most of us planning a road trip wouldn’t suddenly decide to just wing it at the halfway point of your destination. The same is true with your career. You must map out a strategy and continually update it.

If you’re career is stalling you need to recognize that, in fact, is happening. Long-term and regular planning updates offer insights and details that help paint the big picture. The clearer your goals the more likely it is you’ll be able to recognize if it’s better to get an online business management degree or take a few business analyst training courses.

Planning equals greater understanding.

3. Keep Track of Transferable Skills and Experiences

In any career it’s the skills you accumulate that really matter, not the titles you acquire. Titles are just made up terms. One company may match your skills with communications specialists job and another might point you toward a title the call public relations officer.

Focus on your skills and abilities and much of your career will take shape itself. The more you learn how to improve your skills, the higher the opportunity for you to get promoted and increase your salary.

4. Continuing Education and Training

A big part of your career planning should be continuing education and training opportunities. Many companies are more than happy to offer (and pay for) these experiences to enrich and improve an employees work life.

So whether you should take some forensic computer courses to advance your criminal justice career, or film editing courses to launch your career as a director, continuing education and training is a key to success.

5. Pay Attention to Signs

At a certain point everyone takes stock in their careers and measures their happiness against other factors like salary and recognition. However, if you’ve ever had twinge of feeling that you should be doing something else in your life, stay open to those possibilities. It’s not necessary to jump right into something new with both feet. But a long-term strategy of paying attentions to road signs along your path will likely offer you more clues on your journey.

What have been your experiences in today’s workforce? Please let us know in the comment section below.