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Chart your career map with care
Today, employees enjoy the privilege of asking the employer about the professional growth they can offer them in return for their services. The terms of employment have shifted from the employee as a seeker and the employer as a provider to a mutually complementing contract. Driven by their career plan, the employees are keen on diversifying their areas of knowledge and experience and on vertical growth. In the present scenario, one can see them executing different tasks,
acting in diverse positions and not hesitating to hop from one organisation to another that meets their expectations.
Employers too have realised the importance of career progression for employees and are working towards accommodating the demands of their talented employees. Organisations are defining roles in a way to nurture the growth of employees who in turn can work towards the growth of the organisation. Some organisations even let them go in search of a job that suits their credentials and expectations. As a result, recruitment processes are focusing on taking employees whose personal goals are aligned with those of the company. But career progression requires much planning and careful execution.
Here are a few essentials one should know to embark on the path.
Self-exploration: Take stock of your interests and goals. Chart out your existing skills and required ones. From the required skills list, examine the efforts each skill requires, like price of the course and number of hours it demands. Now list the skills, which are feasible to acquire.
Goal setting: Set realistic short-term and long-term goals. Devise a strategy to meet them. This must include ways to gain the required skills. Be ready to accept any changes you may have to make in the future, guided by the situation. Now examine to what extent you can meet your goals in the present company and when you would need to shift.
Opportunities: Always keep a tab on what is happening in your organisation. This helps you to know about the opportunities and future demands in your industry. It can even equip you with the acumen to anticipate future changes, which in turn helps you to be prepared. Also, someone else may grab a much-coveted opportunity if you do not update yourself with improvements around you. Sometimes changes in your own company may result in the company’s goals matching your goals.
Network: Expand your contacts list. The person whom you meet today may be the CEO who can offer you your dream job tomorrow. In this era of rapid career progression, you may find that your colleague can fetch you an opportunity in the future. It becomes imperative that you maintain good relations with all your peers, managers and acquaintances.
Execution: Execute your plan of action sincerely from the first day. Be focused on your goals. Be frank and clear in communicating your objectives to your employer and colleagues because your success largely depends on them.
Grab the right opportunity: Try and grab the right opportunity, not the best. While deciding between options, remember that the best might not be the right one for you. Consider both your long-term and short-term goals before deciding.
Re-examination: Every now and then keep examining the requirements of the market and introspect to identify your interests and priorities. Realign your goals accordingly. Modify your action plan to suit your goals. Forgoing part of your priorities or interest sometimes helps you gain larger benefits.
Seek help: Always be ready to seek the help of others in case you are in a fix. It can be help from your friends to understand your interests or help from seniors to learn something new or a professional’s help in setting goals or executing your action plan.
Looking out for a career progress is no longer raising eyebrows in any organisation. Similarly changing from one company to another is also not being seen as disloyalty but as a hunt for a suitable opportunity. However, if this is not managed properly you may mar your career graph. As opportunities keep coming your way, you need to think carefully to take a step in the right direction.
NITYA SAI SOUMYA
faqs@cnkonline.com
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