Career advancement is such a common goal for most employees but it’s not easy to attain. Understanding how to manoeuvre through the required process can be a bit challenging, however, with some guidance, career growth can be an attainable goal.

Here are some of the professional growth strategies that can influence career growth; 

Draw your goals

Mapping your career goals is a good step for anyone seeking career growth. It’s one way of determining where and how to want to reach your career dreams. Also, having your goals set out makes it easy to visualise and take the necessary steps to achieve them.

Identify gaps

As an employee, you can carry out your own skills gap analysis. When you realise that you are performing below expectations, take initiative to evaluate your skills and see where you need upskilling and reskilling. 

Network

This point can never be overstated. Networking is the key to a number of superb opportunities for growth. First of all, it allows one to access prospects that you might otherwise have not been able to find as an individual. Meeting different people has a way of facilitating one access diverse fields and information that can help them grow professionally.

Ask for more responsibility

Writer Tim Stobierski points out that some individuals make the mistake of thinking that their boss or supervisor will simply know when they have earned a promotion or are ready for more responsibility. 

But the truth is that sometimes you must be your own advocate if you wish to develop in your career. Instead of waiting for your boss to give you more responsibility, actively seek out opportunities to take on additional tasks—especially projects that will allow you to learn new skills or flex your leadership muscles.  

Even if the experience does not directly lead to a promotion or a title change, it can be instrumental in propelling your career forward and preventing you from stagnating in your current role.

Grow your skill set

Expanding your skills is a sure-fire way an employee can use to expand their professional ability. Besides, having advanced skills enables one to perform their job well.

Seek for feedback

Not only does it limit potential for growth, but a lack of feedback from your immediate supervisor or employer can be somewhat frustrating. Feedback is vital for constant development because then, as an employee, you are sure of the impact of your work, where you are excelling and the areas that need improvement.

Practice and value accountability

This is basically taking ownership of your actions as an employee. It informs choices as you keep in mind the quality of your work and also the relationships you have with fellow workmates. When you are accountable, you take full responsibility of your success and your shortcomings too. An employee who yearns to grow in their career needs to make this priority, for this is one way of expressing how much you value your work.