Many of us are looking for ways to improve career prospects. Even I look for ways to improve my career, even though I work from home as a freelancer.
If you want to get ahead with the new realities facing many today, you need to develop some new characteristics. Michael Stewart, writing for the Huffington Post, offers 4 characteristics that can help you move forward in your career:
1. Comfort with Discomfort
When you think of your career, you probably think of getting comfortable, and settling in for the long haul. Those days are gone, though. Many of us can expect to change careers multiple times, and there is no such thing as a company being loyal to its employees. Sometimes, you need to be ready to move out of your comfort zone.
If you want to advance in your career, writes Stewart, you need to show that you can stretch beyond your comfort, and change with the situation. The business environment changes quickly, and you need to show that you can adapt to situations beyond your comfort level.
2. Interest in Professional Growth
You can’t just be about a title anymore. Many employers are looking for someone who is willing to grow professionally, whether or not there is a “next level” or a better title. If you want to develop skills that can be transferable when you change jobs (and you will likely change jobs), you need to pay attention to professional growth opportunities. You can’t be so focused on climbing the career ladder that you neglect to turn yourself into the kind of person that companies want to hire. Plus, Stewart points out, you can gain valuable insight when you look to professional development. That insight is transferable between jobs and careers.
3. Be Willing to Experiment
These days, says Stewart, you need to be willing to experiment with what is likely to be next. He writes that being an early adopter is important, since you want to be on top of changing trends. If you don’t want to fall behind, you need to be up to date with new platforms and new technology. He says that there is a mindset that comes with being willing to learn and experiment, and that mindset engenders flexibility. You can keep your mental muscles flexed so that you learn faster in a number of fields and situations. That is a characteristic that is valuable no matter your career path.
4. Develop Different Skill Sets
You know that you need a diverse portfolio to see success in your investments. If you want to see success in an investment in yourself, you need to develop diverse skill sets. Make sure that you develop your soft skills, and that you also consider other perspectives. Stewart says that this can help you avoid groupthink and set yourself apart from the crowd. If you want to progress in your career, you need to be seen as a problem solver, and adaptable to different situations. Developing a diverse set of skills and perspectives can help you approach things differently — and come out ahead.
