Pandemic has changed the way we live, grow and plan. Your career is no different. Job loss, economic slowdown, no hiring, no promotions, or salary raise. In the middle of such uncertainty, the mere thought of career growth seems like a remote possibility. If you are facing stagnation in your career then read this till last. We are sharing tips on planning your career growth and some interesting career options as well. So stay tuned.
While we plan our career growth it is in terms of promotion, raise, or a new job opportunity. In the most uncertain times, we need to think steps ahead and start investing in new skills, creating a new experience, and most importantly network. These tips can lead to your professional development. And who knows your next raise, promotion, new job is just one skill, one online course, or one friend away.
While laying out a plan for your career, try to clearly articulate your current situation. Are you looking for a career change, or upskill, or a better role in the same company? Why you want to pursue your career in the desired field? How are you going to accomplish your career goals once the pandemic is over,
If you are facing any gap due to pandemic-related issues, stop worrying start working. Your future employers will understand. Once the job market gets flush with new opportunities and company budget swells you career can rebound and attain unbelievable height.
Keep objectives in perspective:
If you have figured out that you need to upskill then try to find out what are the prerequisites of your training program and which are the resources you would require in terms of people to connect with or hardware or software to buy. Do not pick up a course at random just because it is selling like a hot cake. Keep your strengths and needs in mind. You can refer to good career guidance resources online and offline. like LinkedIn, career counselling workshops. The LinkedIn job posting can give you a fair idea around current requirements in a job by surfing through job listings.
Communication: It is always helpful to talk to your mentor regarding your career choices. Your mentor could be your manager, CEO or your college senior, professor, and so on. A productive discussion with your mentors can help you understand your prospects inside the company. Learn to take more responsibilities. This will help you gain experience. Feedback from your managers can help you understand your skill gap (hard skill or soft skill) if any.
Volunteer: We learn new things if we take new responsibilities. This is the easiest way to enhance your experience. You can start volunteering for any new project related to your new goals. This can enhance chances for your career growth within the company. This will also allow you to learn out of your routine work and help you get rid of the monotony of a professional setting.
Think out of the box: Think about ways you can improve your company keeping in mind company limitations around budget and resources. You can also help in streamlining the processes by identifying problems and suggesting the appropriate solution. Such efforts can be added to your resume, can be a gateway to find more opportunities in bigger roles. You can spearhead the change you want to see in the organization.
Network: For the growth of your career it is important that you grow and nurture lifelong relationships. This will help you find new opportunities outside your project. Nowadays companies use marketing automation tools to help in remote coordination among various teams sitting across borders. Strong deep bonds go a long way to enhance the quality of work and life. Make sure your work gets noticed.
Virtual Events: As most of the world has gone virtual, attending events virtually has become the way of life. Google meet, Zoom meetings, and a host of other apps have come into existence to support such causes. Such events can help in the understanding of industry events and helps in upskilling. Such networking events can be joined using platforms like, Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on. Such networking events not only help you in getting hired but also gives you an opportunity to catch up with your old colleague or classmate from school. You can also meet your mentors who can help you with tips to improve yourself.
Mentors: Find professional mentors to gain a holistic view of your field. Your professional mentors can serve as a great advisor you can look up to for gaining insights. Your mentors can share their wealth of expertise and experience gained over the years which can guide you towards the right steps for career growth.
Sign up for certifications: Nowadays as the technology is fast changing it becomes imperative to constantly update and upgrade your skills and knowledge. Start with the set of skills you want to upgrade. There are unlimited online courses to guide you in this journey of self-improvement. Some of these courses are free for example you can take up Coursera, Udemy, Alison, or LinkedIn Learning. A new course can give you an edge over others who have applied for similar roles. Your certifications can leave your employers assured about your interest in learning and can help you land up a good job opportunity. Sometimes even companies sponsor the deserving candidate for skill enhancement courses.
Holistic development: You can take the help of various sources for your overall holistic development. Such sources include a podcast, documentaries, YouTube videos, webinars, books, and more. This will help you keep abreast with the latest industry developments and helps with professional development tips.
Be master of your destiny. Stat helping yourself. These may be challenging times to find a new job or get a raise but if only you trust yourself these are the best time to lift your career and redirect it towards glory. The choice is yours. All the best!