It can be easy to stay so focused on your daily tasks at work just to get the job done. In fact, that seems like the right thing to do, right? Stay focused and complete your work – great! However, sometimes, staying too focused on just your daily tasks might mean that you’re missing valuable career development opportunities. These opportunities can help you grow as a professional and advance your career.
How Can You Maximize Your Career Development Opportunities for Continued Growth?
What are Career Development Opportunities?
These are situations that will allow you to improve your skills, increase your knowledge, and ultimately grow as a professional. These opportunities might be available to seize at your current workplace, or may be easily added into your life. A key characteristic of a career development opportunity is that it may require you to take a risk. But more often than not, these risks are absolutely worth the reward.
Why are Career Development Opportunities Important?
Are these opportunities essential? Absolutely not. If you are completely satisfied with your job exactly as it is now, then you may not feel at all inclined to seek out an opportunity to advance your career. However, just reading this post means you’re a go-getter and will probably look for an opportunity once you’re through reading.
We’ve mentioned that career growth and advancement is possible as you seek out career development opportunities. But there’s a lot more to that. Consider these benefits:
- Improved sense of well-being
- Better work performance
- Less stress and anxiety
- Greater job satisfaction
- More self-esteem and self-confidence
When you consider the list of opportunities below, you will find that the more you dive into these opportunities, the more you feel the benefits above taking place in your life. Pretty soon, it becomes a feel-good cycle that can easily lead you to greater professional growth and possibilities.
6 Career Development Opportunities
Mentoring
One of the best professional development opportunities is mentoring. To be involved in a mentorship program is to not only build a professional connection with someone, but it’s a fantastic way to learn about the industry and about yourself. You’ll be able to reach out with questions, obtain career advice, and get the support you need to make a career move.
If you are paired with a mentor, take advantage of the opportunity to ask insightful questions that not only help you navigate your professional world, but will also help you make a genuine connection with your mentor.
Career Development Programs
Some companies may have career development programs through the human resources department. These can include activities such as:
- Career counseling
- Job shadowing
- Informational interviews
- Instructional videos
- Mentorship programs
Any of these options may help you gain a greater appreciation for your current role as well as help you develop your own career goals.
Continuing Education Courses
There are so many opportunities to learn something valuable to help you grow as a professional. Since the world is changing so quickly, nearly anyone would benefit from adding more continuing education courses to their lives. From developing a new skill, to learning about an entirely different segment of your industry, continuing education courses are a great way to become a more valuable worker. These courses can also help you find a greater passion for your work and help you as you navigate your career path.
Feedback
Ask for feedback. While most companies will have annual performance evaluations or other checkpoints for feedback, if you feel like you’d like feedback on your overall performance or something specific, just ask for it. Seeking out constructive feedback can really make a positive impact on your performance in the short-term and long-term as you look for ways to grow as a professional. This can also serve as the perfect time to set professional goals for yourself.
Additional Responsibilities
Sometimes, a manager may ask for extra help during a busy season or big project. Take this opportunity to show your willingness to learn, adapt and be a team player.
You may also find yourself feeling almost too comfortable with your workload. If you feel like you’re performing your best with your current tasks, ask your manager for more responsibilities. This extra workload can provide you with essential learning opportunities and the experience with greater responsibilities may be the preparation you need to grow into a bigger role.
In-House Promotions
Once you’re ready to seek a new challenge in your role, you may want to put yourself up for a promotion within your company. Your state of readiness will depend on your experience and performance at the company and can also be impacted by the development opportunities you’ve already tackled. When you feel it’s right, discuss with your manager or human resources department about possible opportunities for an internal promotion. Most companies are excited to prompt from within rather than have to bring in someone from outside the company.
Ready to Take on More Opportunities?
If you’re looking for a new job to help you make the most of your career goals, contact Axiom Staffing Group.
