FEELING STUCK IN YOUR CAREER? EMBRACE CHANGE!

If you're feeling stuck in your career, or if you feel like there's something missing from the career path you've chosen for yourself, then this blog post is for you.

Today we are going to talk about how to prepare yourself for career advancement.

Here are some tips on what steps to take and what actions to avoid when it comes time to make a career change.

First, we'll talk about things you should be doing.

The three basic steps to CONSIDER for career advancement:

1.  Perform a self-assessment and prepare yourself for a career change.

You can look at your career trajectory and start with a high-level self-assessment of why you're stuck and where you want to go next. Then you can identify what qualifications you need to uplevel your career and be considered for new positions. Then perform a gap analysis to determine if you have what’s required or if you need to acquire new skills through training courses, mentoring, additional certifications, or degrees.

2. Develop your skillset.

Once you identify which skills are missing, check first if your company itself is offering training or mentoring opportunities by asking management. You can also consider pursuing further education while working on projects that would develop your skillset in specific areas - all while making sure you’re seen as a valuable asset to your team. You need to make sure you're doing everything possible to improve and broaden the skills that you currently have, i.e., taking on new challenges, attending training courses or learning new software/tools, reading industry journals, and networking with experts in your field who have those skills/qualifications.

3. Put yourself out there.

Once you've prepared yourself and developed your skillset, it's time to start putting yourself out there. Attend career fairs and networking events; network with people in your field, submit articles for publication and generally get your name out there as someone who is knowledgeable and skilled in their area of expertise.

Now let's talk about things you should AVOID if you want to make a career change.

1. Don't sit on the fence too long!

If you're thinking about career advancement, do it now rather than later. Waiting for an offer to come, might never happen and it could mean losing your dream job or career opportunity while waiting around for someone else to make a decision that impacts your career path and future aspirations - don't let this be you! The longer you wait, the more time is wasted, when instead you should have already been in your dream position. So take a proactive approach and start exploring opportunities while learning new skills and connecting to potential employers and partners, and showing how valuable and skilled you are... you catch my drift?

2. Don't limit yourself to what you know.

This ties in with the first point about doing a self-assessment. If you're limiting yourself to what you know then you're not giving yourself the opportunity to grow and learn new things. Expand your horizons, try new things, take on new challenges!

3. Don't be afraid of change.

Change is good; it's how we grow and develop into better versions of ourselves. So don't be afraid of thinking about career advancement. Embrace change and see it as an opportunity for growth - after all, that's exactly what it is!

One last thing, reach out for help.

If you're feeling lost, confused, or just don't know where to start then reach out for help. Talk to your family and friends, talk to career advisers, hire a coach, read books on the subject - there are plenty of resources available to help you make that career change.

So, there you have it!

Some basic tips on how to prepare yourself for career advancement - whether that be making a complete career change or just taking the next step in your current field of work.

Remember to avoid doing things that might hold you back and instead focus on developing yourself further as this will only serve to benefit you in the long run when it comes time to make a move.

Dr. Loubna Erraji, Executive Coach

CEO & Founder, Advancis Consulting, LLC