Keys to Career Success
It's not unusual to hear people lamenting that their careers are at a dead end. But ask them what they have done to remove the success roadblocks, and they look at you in seeming incomprehension.
Work success doesn't come by accident, or as a reward for tenure, or as a by-product of seniority. If you want success, you have to plan for it, change for it, push for it, work at it. Here, a guide to reviving your stalled career.
SHARPEN YOUR PEOPLE SKILLS
You may be the smartest fellow in the room but if you can't emphatize or build rapport with your colleagues, you're destined to spend more time realizing your goals. Teamwork get jobs done faster than doing it yourself
PROJECT A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE
Focus on a businesslike air to emphasize your reliability and focus on getting positive results and achievements. This doesn't mean abandoning your uniqueness or individuality.
GO WITH THE WINNERS
You can't help but be inspired when working in the company of hardworking and success-oriented individuals. Conversely, your self-confidence and self-motivation will take a beating if you stick with losers – individuals that whine and gripe a lot.
DON'T WAIT TO BE NOTICED
It's not enough to do a great job; people have to know you're doing a great job. Be your own personal talent manager and tirelessly promote (in a tasteful manner) your accomplishments. Nobody can do that job better than you.
TAKE CONTROL
Shake off that herd mentality that lets others dictate your pace and your place in the grand scheme of corporate things. You alone know what your deepest dreams are, so get going and work towards your fulfillment.
ACQUIRE LIFELONG EDUCATION
Keep yourself marketable by being open to new skills, new knowledge, new technologies, new systems. Its' the only way to ensure your skills and your brain cells stay sharp.
LOOK OUTWARD
Some people don't need competition to ruin their plans. They do it all by themselves by being self-conscious, oversensitive and fearful of making mistakes. Lighten up. No one is watching your every move. There' no need to hide inside your shell.
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
Have you ever sensed something wrong? Or felt of a better way to do things only to banish that thought and regretting later when it was later proven to be correct? Learn to heed that inner voice. It can show you the right decisions and moves to make.
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY
Your choice of words and how you say them, have a profound influence on others' opinion of you. Speaking out your self-doubts can be a self-fulfilling prophecy and a barrier to your career advancement.
YOUR WORK IS NOT YOUR LIFE
Being a one-dimensional character who neglects personal needs, family, friends or hobbies for work is a steep price to pay for career success. Don't wait for ill health or tragedy to make you see the importance of a balanced life.
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