Work skills and capabilities are said to deteriorate with passage of time, as the brain undergoes the natural process of ageing. In such a scenario, how can one guarantee that personal growth is never compromised and the career always sees an upward swing? Here we have enlisted 5 ways in which you can enhance your personal growth and in turn give your career a much needed boost.
Be a pleasurable figure
Are you wondering how putting up a happy face will help you boost your career? Yes, the best thing one can do to reach new career heights in tough recessionary times is to be light hearted and positive. This doesn’t, however, mean that cracking jokes and making funny remarks should become a part of your personality. A pleasurable figure is the one who is very approachable and helpful towards the surroundings. Always filling yourself up with positivity and sharing good vibes will help in planning well for your future. One can successfully interpret future only when there is a certain degree of light heartedness. So if you are planning to give a major boost to your career, do so with a big smile on your face. Studies have proved that over 60% of bosses all around the world feel that happy people are great at work and always work harder than their subordinates. Happy people often have great interpersonal skills and energy to make things happen as they want to.
Develop an alternative career plans
What are the first thoughts that cross your mind when we talk about developing an alternative career plan? Is an up-gradation of position, taking up a new job or taking up a new role in similar domain? Most of the people would hardly see developing alternative career plans as a positive step towards boosting their career. But it becomes a necessity in uncertain times like these, because having an alternate plan for your career is like setting up tone for a true change in the direction. Career changes are increasingly being observed around us. If you are well educated and have years of experience that help you take risks, shifting to a new career endeavor could be beneficial for you. For example an alternative career plan can involve shifting from an established company job to a start-up, setting up your own entrepreneurial venture or completely adopting a new career path, like a doctor opening up an NGO or a lawyer taking up academics.
Make networking a habit
Networking should be a part of your daily life. It should not be an activity done occasionally or when the need arises. Schedule your Outlook with weekly reminders to make calls to recruiters, industry friends and HR professionals. Be very active on LinkedIn, do intelligent personal branding by sharing views, writing articles, joining professional groups.
Test your prospective market
Have you ever tested your employability quotient? Are you aware of the raise you are capable of getting in the next 5 years? How is the new competition in the market going to impact your job prospects? What are the economic situations of your industry in the near future?
These are just a few questions you can ask yourself for evaluating your employability quotient. It is like a small exercise that will benefit your career planning initiatives and make it easier for you to take corrective measures as and when needed. Timely assessment of new job prospects will help you assess what you are doing or not doing correctly to get a much needed career boost.
Learn and Unlearn
Studies have proved the fact that more educated and experienced professionals are less likely to observe a career related decline. Better learning abilities release more neurons in the brains, which will boost your productivity in the near future. New learning will guarantee more exposure and development of ability to meet future challenges.