5 Steps to Boost Your Career in a Short Timespan

A successful and a progressive career is what everyone yearns and that too in a short period of time. However, achieving the same is not everyone's forte. These days, succeeding in a profession depends on various factors. It is not the skill nor the education that can solely guarantee you a career boost, but a myriad of things without which achieving the desired goal is a distant dream.

1. Evaluate what you have learned so far:

A week's time is just enough to jot down all the skills and your experiences that have played an instrumental role in the development of your career. It is a good way of looking back at your successes and failures and cogitate how to boost your career. A careful evaluation of your current skills can give you a brief idea of their relevance and scope in the present world. Furthermore, a pragmatic analysis of those skills gives you a clear idea about the skills that should be unlearned and the ones that need to be relearned. And the skills that we are talking about are not confined to technical one's, but other skills such as social quotient, emotional quotient, ethics, etc., which usually are considered subsidiary but carry equal importance. Various studies point out that people who successfully reach at the helm of their career are not the ones with a high I.Q. but those emotionally and socially adept. So a self-evaluation can be useful in improving your existing skill set and acquiring new ones.

2. Start learning a new skill:

Gone are the days where learning was imparted to students so that they could land a job and earn a living. Learning was confined to schools and colleges, and the people in the professional fraternity didn't find the need to learn or acquire new skills once they were out of college. But that is not the case anymore and following the same pattern would land you into the abyss of regression. The world is changing at an enormous pace. Growth is not the only agenda, but 'productivity growth' is the norm everywhere. Even in terms of career, it is essential to be competitive and outperform everyone else if you want to climb the success ladder. For that, it is necessary to have something in addition that can help you in boosting your career. So it is advisable to keep learning and start acquiring a new skill that best suits your profile and master it by regular practice. And when you have learned a new skill, it is important to update your resume.

3. Revamp your social media presence:

Knowledge is the key to success. Internet and social media have played a critical role in sharing information that was initially extinct, or was available only through limited mediums, and the pace at which the information reached us was sedate. Today the pace at which information is delivered is enormous and abundantly available that can cater to the people. For professionals, this can be a tool that can help to catapult their careers. There are professional networks where people can get in touch with people across the globe who belong to the same profession. Connecting with such people can be beneficial as it helps you in gaining knowledge about the recent developments in your career and can also open up opportunities. And its benefits are not only confined to knowledge acquisition, but it can be a useful in marketing yourself and boost your career. So it is advisable to revamp your presence on social media and be actively connected with your peers.

4. Start developing your network:

Importance of networking cannot be undermined in the professional world. A mere presence on social media or professional networks won't suffice, but you actively need to approach people. And it is also important to note that networking isn't a one way road, and you can't expect assistance from others if you are not willing to provide it yourself. So make sure that you share all the necessary information that can be helpful for others and respond to queries of those on your network. Developing good contacts can be one way of boosting your career in a short period of time.

5. Update your resume:

Resume is an effective tool in boosting your career profile. A well updated resume can help you in numerous ways. As an opportunity can arrive at any point of time an updated resume can be beneficial in capitalizing on those job opportunities and boosting your career. Also, a well-updated resume enables you to share it on your professional network thereby opening up more opportunities.

Following the aforementioned steps don't guarantee a career boost as the final outcome depends on the magnitude of effort that an individual puts. But they can certainly assist them in accomplishing their goals.

Harmion Morris is a career adviser by profession. She is always eager to share her knowledge and experiences through her blogs and articles and also contributor to Bsr.