Learn these 10 tips to gain momentum and control in career growth!

Welcome to my Freedom Career Hub. Thanks for reading my weekly articles published here. This article is about the steps to follow to gain momentum and control in career growth or advancement in career. The persons who claim the ladder of an employment based on educational qualification and basic knowledge learned though educational period spent from schooling till college graduation.

Moving further for higher studies and doing research are based on various factors such as an individual aspiration, financial background, thinking of career growth, learn to know more in a field, aiming for faster achievements in life. However, bachelor’s degree holders in the industries may be stagnant in career growth due to their qualification with few exceptions.   

What are the steps to follow to gain control in career growth?

In nutshell, what is taught in schools, colleges may not fit perfectly when they come and join in the industries. The work schedule, environment, nature of job, meeting different people, understanding culture, and brought up, understanding what industries goals are becoming a learning curve for anyone who is joining as a fresher.

There are new leaders in the industry facing many obstacles and why? What would be the reason? How it could be overcome?

You can start reading below and will get insights about it. 

What you study a core subject today, it may not be your career growth ladder as ingredients. Practically, that concept is changing drastically for many students. What you learn at schooling and colleges may not be the right ingredients for career growth. You are studying various subjects; but not learning about yourself.

The more you learn, take possession of knowledge, learn many things related to your interest, then the job profile may unveil a hidden curtain at some point of time.

Sometimes, it looks slow in the career growth initially; but it may take you a skyscraper growth when you keep learning every day. The important point to note here, never stop learning. There is no substitute for it.

“The knowledge is power”.

However, the knowledge gives you strength to stay focused on what you are looking for internally after several research and review. It could happen only when you are geared up to understand the level and it is mostly a hidden concept of “knowing yourself”.

When you travel in main highway, you can see sub roads and then narrow routes may also be there. When there is an issue in a highway due to force majeure conditions, then you can see diversion, a board called for attention and to follow as per the sign boards; then need to slow down the speed, see the curves and bends, unfamiliar new routes etc. to go ahead further.

Why I am pointing out here is, career is also like that main road with other narrow routes as narrated. You may feel happy in doing your core activities in a job like a main highway and enjoy the work profile and environment once settled.

Suddenly, you may also face challenges, turbulences in a job like a diversion and sign board like emails notification from HR.

You may hear the BREAKING NEWS from a big boss in a story format and after a while, shocking news of layoff maybe announced by HR through emails and a display that news in a notice board. They will announce the names as per list prepared based on various inputs of respective bosses. Then, your boss may call you through intercom or mobile or send message as applicable, and say, can you please come and meet me in my cabin?

You may feel a wave of anxiety wash over you, as the butterflies began their daily flight in the pit of your stomach. What do you do then?

It becomes a shock and don’t know what is next? You may leap at once through a dozen different worst-case scenarios in a matter of seconds.

You may not know the next move? Your bank balance may not support for a longer period for survival? That’s ok. Stop it and now, think positive.

Many people are facing such shock and sudden unpleasant situations in life. How do you counter it? That’s why I am narrating the various studious steps to learn and apply in life.

My favourite phrase of “never stop learning” becomes an attractive and pleasing one, help you to pedal through a smooth sailing direction or diversion when such incident happens. Beware of it.  

I have been writing in many articles about its importance although the education concept triggers the students to learn what is trending of late and move towards it.

First and foremost is careful of not slipping at any point in career as life teaches you many sets back once it is experienced. Though you may be working so enthusiastically, suddenly HR may send an email about some turbulence the company may face.

It is an early warning signal for lay off. It is just preparing employees to know about it and start thinking about it. Once HR does the preparation about company’s situation and need to look at number counts, a second shock.

Then the top level may come into picture addressing the situation to a great extend to the employees and announce for lay off procedure. I am stressing this point once again to keep yourself refreshed.  

So, what you should understand as a starter, a midlevel or senior level career professionals, no company will show an empathy and it is a sympathy. It is like an instant coffee feel and you should understand it. 

Be prepared yourself at any time and that’s why I am so keen to teach the youngsters the way forward to prepare yourself for life survival. A sudden lay off may shock most of the employees but start working on yourself will be a smooth ride when such shocking occurrence may happen.

It shouldn’t become a shock for any employee at any point of time, rather it should give a confident to flip the next opportunity at your disposal when such preparations are done as discussed in this article.

That’s why I am very keen to teach the art of learning certain important ingredients while growing in career as a fresher or mid- way level in any organization.

You can watch this video about 10 Power Tips!

Let’s evaluate the following 10 steps as a skill development of yourself for boosting the personal and career growth in life:

1.   SELF -ASSESSMENT:

There is a tool to refresh here is “SWOT” Analysis. Now you can visualize what is SWOT Analysis and what are its abbreviations and few questions being mentioned as a starter. 

You must explore your interests, habits formation and regularizing it.

It is important to set your measurable goals, achievable and most adorable intentionally driven results.

The goals could be short term and long term, but truly valuable should be aimed for. The reliability of the building is based on the strong foundation, and it stays for years. Such reliability comes from impeccable ingredients being added while laying an unshakable foundation.

I am always stressing the need for laying such exemplary and highly indomitable platforms to be formed by every student at right time and at young age. Though I missed in my early age without having any guidance for such explorable platform, I am keen to teach the ways to achieve it by new generation of students who are reckoned with. 

This could be achieved by doing a thorough self-assessment process with the tools recommended.  

2.   SELF-EXPLORING MIND:

Though plenty of opportunities may be around you, but do a thorough research, explore what could fit for you as a person with a passion of achieving it.

There are many career paths keep flowing in the market and all may not be fit and review for yourself to pick the best out of it by writing down all those ideas and draw finally what fits you by re-reviewing it once again. 

You need to understand the trends, requirements, and opportunities. However as stated above, your passionate one should be pursued. It helps you to fix the mind wavering, stay focused on your growth opportunity.

While doing a self-exploring by yourself, you may be trapped with unnecessary distractions, and it may deviate the goals to set forthwith. The below proverb may be worthwhile to relook at again and get an idea of what I am meant to say about it.

The proverb to be refreshed here as

“Jack of all trees is master of none”.

The point to focus is a key for a progress.

The distraction is ruling the world in all walks of life through technology. The technology not only meaning for growth but entertainments. The digital technology is used by majority of the people for entertainment first and it is top in the list.

When you go through YOUTUBE videos and its forecast, it has given the data as above.

The deviation of focus is obviously flooded with so many popups on the screen though you are either trying to get out or pull required details.

Beware of what you spend and not to spend on time management.

3.   ENHANCING YOUR SKILLS:

Your competencies are counted in enhancing the required skills to nurture at right time. You shouldn’t think twice about investing for self- learning. The investment for your self-growth and it is another hidden ingredient of person who wants to grow in career.

While earning, certain percentage of saving to be earmarked for learning and kept aside without touching for any expense-oriented requirement.

It is like adding eggs slowly in a basket to hatch chicken while growing.

You need to find the skills for self-growth and to meet any untoward result while moving on the way of personal development.

You love the works, but companies may not be necessarily same you may want to continue for life. It may be or mostly may not be. A true love for a company a person works may have many occurrences of a day-to-day life.

The skills could be hard skill as well as soft skills. The hard skills related to the work profile and applicable if you are sticking to the job. However, it becomes an added asset. 

Learning the soft skills are becoming your lifelong asset as it is applicable in both personal and official life cycle.

The hard skills vary from industry to industry. The software engineers should learn many software programs time to time as per market demand and requirement.

The CORE subjects related to what do you study initially at school and later at college will help you to get a job for life sustenance.

Learning computer is needed for all professional as it requires to do all sort of activities related to various jobs, entrepreneurship, coaching & mentoring, teaching etc.

Nowadays, the doctors, engineers, charted accountants, business professional are learning the minimum operating procedure of computer, many tools as well as WhatsApp, emails, social media, and smartphones set up and its operating procedure. These are needed everyday to run job activities.  

So hard skills play a vital place in everyone’s life and do require activities. You may question, which skill is a transferrable? The soft skills are transferrable whereas hard skills vary from industry to industry and its application.  

Some of the most demanding soft skills are as follows:

1.   Communication Skill (Oral & written)

2.   Interpersonal Skill

3.   Leadership skill

4.   Conflict free work style

5.   Problem solving

6.   Art of planning and delegation

7.   Empathy

8.   Listening

9.   Cultural intelligence

10. Goal setting

11. Time Management

12. Critical thinking

13. Creative thinking

14. Work ethics and integrity

15. Teamwork

16. Decision making

17. Collaboration

18. Reading and writing

The list becomes more, but I listed some important soft skills to be understood and learned it through mentors and courses offered.

4.  ART OF NETWORKING:

 As you have aspiration to grow in career path, you should think of doing a best networking with friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and others whom you know.

Nowadays, the technological advantage is there for building a quick and engaging network of interest through social media. So, knowing about social media such as WhatsApp, FB Page set up, YouTube, LinkedIn, Quora, Reddit etc, using related technology and updates, application, programming etc should be part of learning while earning.

It is also important to attend events, seminars, exhibitions, online events to connect with peers, mentors, potential buyers, employers etc. A lone tree can’t be a grove. A group of trees fetch you many beneficial things for human being.

New opportunities, insights and guidance may knock while enhancing the networking.

5.   FEEDBACK LOOP:

As your growth is important, so you are focusing on it. That’s true. How do you do self- evaluation? It is important to know yourself through others. You should get feedback from your colleagues, supervisors, mentors, friends, people whom you know when deliver presentation, speeches, keynote address etc.  

You may get comments, suggestions which are either positive or negative also. You should not be worried about negative comments which helps you to finetune and polish yourself. This helps you to find area of improvement, progress, and growth.

Knowing such feedback from others are a real growth ingredient. You may not know what you do is right or wrong, so need some suggestion. So, this is one of the hidden growth tools for any person.

6.   BUILDING A PERSONAL BRAND:

If you grow, you may be happy to feel about it. But, how to do a constructive way of building the career foundation? In developing a personal brand is a worthful asset for self which reflects your skills, knowledge, and ability, thereby your value is known.

The company should know what your expertise area is, so that they start understanding your worth. If you are an employee, this idea applies a break in progressing your personal value. However, you need to find out a way in which how can you nurture skills within you and then to bring it outside. 

It is truly important in nurturing your worth by various ways discussed in this article. You shouldn’t forget, your busy schedules cloud your worth, thereby a personal value becomes a hidden asset. It’s a slogging out period. It depends upon, how soon you engage yourself, your betterment becomes faster.

           A man value is based on bundle of worth he or she possess. 

I would like to emphasize an important phrase here:

           If you fall asleep now, you will dream. If you study and learn now, you will live your dream. 

7.   INCREMENTAL GROWTH REVIEW: 

It is a human tendency while seeing a big hurdle or block and then get stuck from moving. Though it gives an inner fear, and it is not worth to keep but learn to practice an indomitable technique in life. The challenges may be big or small but learn the art of breaking it into small portion of it so that further handling won’t be a challenge. 

An example is, seeing a stone of bigger size could give a feel of its weight and unable to lift it. However, your idea is to lift it to the place and adore it. Then the best idea is to break into sizeable part for lifting it.

This idea should also be reviewed for long terms goals broken into sizeable part and doable too. Then your task becomes easy to handle and move further.

This helps to achieve your milestone of accomplishments. This way you can manage your career growth journey more manageable and motivate further to achieve your tasks though it looks bigger or harder.

You should always keep a watch on your performance and results while progressing towards the goals of long term and short term. Then focus on consistency while delivering the results.  

8.   RELENTLESS PROACTIVE APPROACH:

Some of the hidden ingredients to grow as a leader involves self- approach and volunteering any initiatives. Many people do have a shyness to come forward and ask for any task to perform it. The shyness brings a self-doubt on oneself, though you may have such calibre to perform such tasks or even harder too.

Those who shines in the reality of life will come forward voluntarily and ask for it.

It exposes your extrovert skill of performing irrespective of situations. My earlier days during schooling and to some extend in college were having shyness though I could do it. I was not having anyone behind me to correct it.

How to break such barrier? I was not having any idea at that point of time. At a later part of life, I learned it.

When such skill is nurtured in you, then you are dared to go and face any situation and challenge it. It shows your leadership skill.

 This proactive approach showcases your willingness to take on more and contribute to the organization as well as for self-growth.

 This skill prepares you to face any untoward challenges you may face at any time of crisis. It also gives a courage to shape yourself and look for different roles in an organization to grow.

 When such opportunities are not coming through or ceases to exist in the company, then you can look out for such opportunities.

It is a dare move and a job mobility skill too.

Sometimes lateral move may fetch you a greater growth in a long run.

 9.   ESTABLISH WORK-LIFE BALANCE:

You might have heard about this famous quote as

‘A sound mind in a sound body”

is the English translation of a famous quotation by the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher THALES proving the close link between physical exercise, mental equilibrium, and the ability to enjoy life.

 In life, whatever be the position, status, wealthiness a person owns, it is a 50% achievement of the life cycle. The balance comes from, how you perform on the health side.

You can’t buy the health though you may be a millionaire or billionaire. It is more precious than wealth and it can’t be bought or stolen from others. It’s a fact.

But how many people are caring for their own health?

Is

“HEALTH IS WEALTH”

proverb being taken seriously in life? The majority people are running after wealth and end up in loosing their health. The result of mushroom growth of pharmacies, hospitals, health experts is due to second priority given to health.

The proverb is rephrased in a modern way as

WEALTH IS HEALTH?

The world moves towards it, and it is detrimental. However, there are more awareness coming through and people giving priorities for their health by going to gym, parks, beaches etc and do morning or evening walks or jogging.

Though the above activities are performed by wealthy to normal people, still, why such health degradation happens? 

You can’t draw a picture without a wall. So, the wall should be built steadily, and it should be preserved first.

It needs to be practised consistently every day. It starts from your positive feelings, thoughts, prayers, meditation, exercises, yoga, and then refresh yourself for works and other personal schedules proceedings every day.

The works related could be performed by your employees, but the health should be taken care by yourself.

The trending term is a burnout, and it is flashing everywhere.

Why does it occur?

Job burns out is a special type of work-related stress. A state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.

It becomes a culprit from not being productive. It drains your energy, brings negative feelings, cynical and resentfulness. 

You may be a king in the business or organization. However, you should dedicate a meaningful time for family and their engagements. Sparing sometime with your beloved ones are a secret behind bringing a flow of energy, happiness, and strong enthusiasm to perform your duties.    

So, it is better to think right now about work-life balance and start enjoying both side of coins.

When burns out happen at office or business, then you can heal it at home. It is the right place for sharing all your heartful thoughts and get healed.

I have written a separate article about work-life balance too. You can refer it.    

10.   LEARN FROM MENTORS AND COACHES: 

A person can grow when knowledge grows too. It is a real growth of a person. When knowledge grows then it brings a wisdom at a later part.

Being young in life, you should look for a mentor who can guide you, provides insight about life, get a best advice based on his wisdom and experience.

"A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you." 

— Bob Proctor

The successful people do go with mentors, but the outside world is not aware of it. There is a real score for them.

“If you can’t see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before.

- J Lorren Noris

You may be good at something, but real advice comes from a mentor and coach who can guide you with a right idea. It is an investment for any person who wants to grow and minimize the errors being met earlier. 

“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” 

– Phil Collins

A right idea at right time clicks a best deal.

This is one of the best ways to minimize the regrets at a later part of life.

In your eyes, what you see all will become greenery. Is it a real situation? There is an oasis and there is a mirage. How do you differentiate it?

How do you analyse and pick the right one?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

— Maya Angelou

So, a vital and most important part of life is to make you feel and it is never forgotten.

When you learn from mentors and coaches then you learn the best in you, deliver the best and keep it in you what is not to be revealed.

I have read an article from Inc.com about hiring principle of Warren Buffet:

The title is mentioned below:

Warren Buffet’s no# 1 hiring rule:

Focus on people on this 1 trait instead of IQ. He also stresses that if future hire don’t own this trait, then their IQ alone will kill you.

They are as follows:

1.   Integrity

2.   Intelligence

3.   Energy

If they don’t have the first one, then the other two will kill you.

Here is the snapshot of it: 

You can review it and take a right insight for your growth cycle.

If you feel, it is an important skill to develop and nurture it, then go for it. It builds a solid foundation for your seamless growth in career as well as in personal life. To be honest, it is missing with many people.  

The guys who have highest IQ won’t find in an organization for a longer time than the one who has integrity. It is simply, the highest form of person who safeguard the assets he is responsible.

Hope my article gives a deeper insight and you can grab golden nuggets for a life and career growth.

The life teaches many lessons; what you learn and implement with a great heart becomes your scores to count and lead.

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