Supercharge Career Progression With These Top Tips

Do you wake up every morning feeling excited about your day? Or does the humdrum of getting up and going to work leave you feeling uninspired? If it’s the latter, you’re not alone.

According to The Independent, over a third of UK adults aren’t happy in their current jobs. But don’t despair, the study also found that people with a sense of purpose, such as teachers, were happier than employees in general management and sales roles. 

If you want to achieve more in your professional life, and feel more satisfied, you need to invest in developing your skills and take a proactive approach to climbing the career ladder.

In this guide, we’ll reveal top tips that will allow you to supercharge your career and open up new opportunities.

What is career progression?

In simple terms, career progression is where a person continues to develop their knowledge and take on more specialised and senior roles during their working life. It might involve taking courses to diversify your skillset or moving from junior to management roles.

Career progression looks different for everyone, but its main premise is to set long-term goals broken down into short-term objectives.

It’s important to remember that there’s no set path. Some people might want to move into a different area during their working lives. Others might have more clearly defined goals for getting a better salary and taking on more responsibility. The point is, it’s your career and you’re in the driving seat. 

Find out more about taking charge of your personal development in our guide. 

Why is career progression so important?

There was a time when people would leave school and head straight into the workforce – often working in similar jobs to their parents. A job was a job, and security was more important than a person’s wants and dreams.

Today, most workers change jobs every four years, and the Millennial generation was the first to display less loyalty to their employers, with Gen Z following suit and earning the label ‘the quit generation.’

With economic conditions meaning that many people are simply not earning enough to live comfortably, career progression, for many, is no longer a nice-to-have – but a necessity.

Here’s why career progression is so important:

• Financial stability: More money equals fewer problems – and nobody would turn down the opportunity to boost their salary.
• Job satisfaction: We all want to be happy in our careers and take on new challenges. Climbing the career ladder will often result in higher job satisfaction rates.
• More confidence: When a person builds their skills and steps up to the plate to take on more responsibility, it inevitably boosts their confidence.
• Less instability: Technology will continue to evolve, and AI could mean many people have to either update their skills or completely retrain. When you focus on career progression, you can future-proof your job and ensure you’ll always have a seat at the table.

How can I develop my career?

So, now you know why career progression is essential; it’s time to look at how to supercharge your career and take advantage of all available opportunities. From sitting down to evaluate your wants and needs to invest in training courses, there’s so much you can do.

Let’s take a look at the best career progression tips:

Goal setting

Goal setting is central to a successful career because it keeps you on track and lets you define what’s most important to you. It isn’t all about money – career progression can mean taking on more responsibility or changing industries and to do this you need to set clear goals. 

Once you know what you want, it’s easier to focus on identifying key areas you’ll need to focus on to reach those goals.

Mentorship

Never underestimate the importance of mentoring because it really can change your life. Imagine having access to an industry expert who will give you the skills you need to tackle any challenge head-on, and you’ll understand why mentoring is invaluable.

The best thing is most mentors enjoy sharing their experience and success, so you’ll receive hands-on learning from an industry expert. There are also many types of mentoring, so you can be sure to find the right style for you. Plus mentoring is a great way to boost your employee wellbeing! It’s a win-win all round. 

If you’re considering exploring this route, here are 50 questions to ask a mentor and get the desired results.

Find out more about the powerful benefits of mentoring in our guide. 

Networking

Ever heard the phrase ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’? Well, networking is one of the most important – and valuable – career progression tips.

It can open up new opportunities and introduce you to key people who will help your career in the long term.

The best thing is, networking no longer needs to be a headache because platforms like LinkedIn and mentoring software such as Guider, make it easy for anyone to meet other professionals in their industry.

A study in the USA found that people who network frequently receive better job offers than those who do not. So, if you’re not networking already, now’s the time to start!

Learning and development

Benjamin Franklin once said, “For the best, return on your money, pour your purse into your head“. It couldn’t be more accurate because learning and development opens so many doors for career progression.

Whether it’s going on training courses provided by your employer, or investing in new qualifications, when you expand your knowledge and develop your skills, the world is your oyster.

Taking a short course could result in that much-wanted promotion, and showing a commitment to personal development shows you’re a proactive employee.

Know your industry

Industries are moving at lightning speed today as technology continues to evolve and define how we live, communicate and work. Staying informed about what’s going on in your industry is essential for navigating your career path.

When you stay ahead of the curve, you can adapt to new technology and set yourself apart from other, less proactive employees.

What can I do as an employer?

Employers should also focus on providing employees with career progression opportunities because it increases productivity and boosts retention rates.

According to PR News Wire, a whopping 82% of employees would consider leaving their job if there were limited training and development opportunities, so employers need to be on the ball.

📖 Find out more about developing leaders with coaching and mentoring in our guide 📖

Employers should focus on providing their teams with regular training workshops, access to mentorship and allow each team member to develop their skills.

Providing mentoring for career development is a fantastic idea because you can utilise your top-performing employees to help less experienced team members learn on the job, resulting in higher productivity and profits.

Many employers are already benefitting from setting up a mentoring programme. Unfortunately, a lack of planning and understanding can cause mentoring programmes to fail.

Planning ahead and seeking specialist advice ensures you have a mentoring scheme that enhances retention rates and gives your team the training they deserve.

Find out more about setting up a mentoring programme in our guide. 

The wrap-up

There will be plenty of changes in the years to come as we begin to integrate our lives with AI and machine learning. By staying ahead of the curve and utilising every opportunity available, you can safe-proof your career and look forward to continued growth.

Whether you’re an employee or employer, focusing on career progression can result in financial security, enhanced retention rates and a more capable workforce.

Looking for more advice? With Guider, developing talent is made simple. Talk to our team today to find out more.