According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey, the average worker has 12 jobs in their lifetime. This means people spend roughly four years in a role before moving on to the next opportunity.
Jobs for life are rare these days, and the onus is really on you to take control of your career and shape its trajectory. But how? And when? And who can help?
Here are some of the key questions you’ll need to ask yourself to ensure you advance in your industry. With a little forethought and strategic planning, a small dose of good luck, and these tips, you should be able to forge a path for growth and fulfillment at work.
What Do You Know?
In fact, before asking yourself what you know, it’s important to know what you want. Mapping out all 12 of your lifetime’s job movements may feel a little daunting – and unnecessary – but having an idea of where you want to end up, or at least where you want to go next, will help you to stay motivated and on track. Simply drifting through your career is unlikely to yield the results you dream of. Come up with a plan, even if it shifts as you move up the ladder.
Plan in hand, ask yourself: Do I know what I need to know to get to where I want to be?
It’s likely the answer’s no, not yet. Set yourself up as a lifelong learner: more than 50% of Americans believe they will have to constantly train and develop new skills throughout their working lives. Whether it’s an MBA, a leadership course, a university degree, workplace professional development programs, or any other of the myriad options available to adults wanting to upskill, showing the initiative to further educate yourself will convince your superiors of your dedication and willingness to work hard.
As well as further education, remember that you can always be learning at work. Be proactive: ask for opportunities and exposure to the types of tasks related to your end goal; plug into industry trends and shifts in technology that affect you; stay curious.
Who Do You Know?
The aphorism, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” is cliché, but in a world where 85% of all jobs are filled through networking, your connections do matter.
Invest time building strong connections across your organization. Your colleagues will appreciate small talk and goodwill brightening their workdays. Plus, you never know where your teammates will end up: all those you have worked with could be in a position to give you a leg up one day, and they are much more likely to do so if you’ve been a pleasant colleague.
Seek out people in your organization you can learn from. Ask thoughtful questions. Ask to be involved in projects with them, and take note of how others handle conflict, organize themselves, or prioritize tasks. Share your work goals with your manager; this will make them more likely to offer challenges and feedback that will help you grow in your career.
Successful careerists often identify and approach a potential mentor — someone willing to support and advise them as they progress in their careers. This may be someone in your company but doesn’t have to be. Ideally, it will be someone who has been through the career step you are about to embark on. Take this process seriously: it’s important your mentor feels you value their time and input, so put the planning in to make sure your meetings are productive.
Where Should You Be Working?
The jobs market is as fluid as it has ever been — almost three-quarters of U.S. employees are open to moving workplaces in the next year — so it’s vital to stay flexible and abreast of changes in your industry, especially if you work in a business susceptible to mergers or redundancy rounds.
That’s why it’s often crucial to build your personal brand: one of the areas you should be working on is your online presence. Keep on top of your LinkedIn connections and follow the blogs of experts and people you’ve met who might prove useful. Don’t forget your offline presence too: for example, you could attend industry-relevant events or arrange meetings with contacts you admire.
Consider your career holistically: how do all your former jobs build on one another to form a coherent picture of you as a worker ready for the next step? What skills are you missing, and what job will help you grow those skills? If you really want to upskill quickly, it could be worth joining a start-up; this can rapidly accelerate your career as you’ll likely be expected to try your hand at several different components of the company.
Remember to regularly update your resume and keep notes on your experiences and achievements, so you’ll have plenty to talk about in a job interview, and always be ready for a move.
When Should You Make a Move?
That said, choose your moves carefully. You don’t want to come across as flighty or someone who can’t hold onto a job. The unwritten rule is to try to stay in a job for a year — but use your judgment. If you have mastered the skills and had all the experiences your current role has to offer, then it’s probably time to explore new options. It’s easy to get complacent, staying in a role because you get along with your colleagues, or because your commute is good. Stay motivated to grow.
Review that career goal you’ve made. You may be able to organize it as a series of steps, each of which will upgrade your expertise until you’re in the dream job. This will help you to understand how long to spend in a role.
How Can You Get Ahead?
There are several ways to achieve success in your career, but honing your soft skills is a good place to start. You’ll want to come across as humble — own up to your mistakes and shortcomings, ask for feedback, listen to advice — but also competent and dependable. Don’t be afraid of a little self-promotion: offer to organize an upcoming meeting, take meeting notes, or mentor a more junior member of staff. Make yourself known by being helpful.
Organizations like a problem-solver, and someone who can see the bigger picture, so try to approach your job with that mindset, taking on projects that will help to set you apart and help you align with the company values, culture, and aims. Take the initiative at work: ask to take on leadership positions or to lead team meetings, for example.
