The Complete Guide To Your Career Growth

This Post Was Written By: Emma Grace Brown

You Can Learn More About Emma Here: emmagracebrown.com

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Are you looking to make a change in your career? Whether you are a mental health professional or someone interested in exploring different opportunities, having a professional development plan can help you stay on track. Here are eight steps that have helped many professionals take control of their careers and reach their goals.

Define Your Goals

Before taking any action, it is essential to set clear objectives. What do you want from your career? Why do you want it? By asking yourself these questions, you can develop an understanding of what drives and motivates you. This will be the foundation for everything else that follows.

Determine What Skills You Need To Develop

What skills do you need to acquire or improve upon to reach your goal? It could be anything from problem-solving skills to communication and collaboration skills. Make sure that this list is realistic and achievable. Once you have identified the skills, find out what resources are available to help you learn them such as online courses, workshops, seminars or mentorships.

Go Back to School

Going back to school can be the best way to acquire new knowledge and sharpen existing skills. Explore online options for furthering your education with universities, colleges or other educational institutions that offer courses in your subject area. Having a degree with a certification will give you an edge over other applicants when applying for jobs. For example, getting a compTIA certification will open up opportunities in the field of information technology.

Create A Plan Of Action

Once you know which goals and skills you want to achieve, create an action plan that outlines how much time each project should take and what tasks need to be done each step of the way. Set realistic deadlines, but also remember to leave room for unexpected delays or issues along the way so that nothing derails your progress completely.

Connect With A Mentor

If possible, try connecting with someone who has already achieved success in the same field as yours to gain insights into how they got where they are today and how they managed challenges along the way. They may even have helpful advice on which strategies worked well (or not). Having an experienced mentor by your side during this process can provide emotional support and guidance when things get difficult.

Evaluate Your Progress and Celebrate Wins        

Once everything is in motion, take time to evaluate your progress regularly and celebrate any wins. This will keep your motivation levels high throughout the entire process of striving to meet your goals, no matter how small or big those wins may be.

Update Your Resume To Match Your Achievements       

Be sure to update your resume and CV with any new qualifications or achievements so potential employers know exactly what experience and skills to bring to the table. Updating your resume is an essential part of job hunting, as it allows you to highlight your most recent experience and qualifications. Take the time to carefully review and tailor your resume to each specific job you apply for, focusing on accomplishments and skills that match the requirements of the position.

LinkedIn is also a great platform to connect with like-minded people, whether for business, networking and/or anything in between. Right now you can get a FREE LinkedIn 2-Month Premium Business trial, just click the link below to get signed up!

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Start Your Own Business     

Finally, if all goes according to plan (and even if it doesn’t!), it may be time to strike out on your own. Being self-employed is becoming increasingly common these days, so why not give it a go? With a proper business plan and a strategy for marketing your services, you’ll be on track to make quick work of launching your business. When choosing a business designation, you’ll do best to opt for the LLC, which can offer both asset protection as well as certain tax advantages.

Making changes in our careers or starting a business can often seem intimidating at first, but having a professional development plan will make the entire process easier. With clear goals in mind, identify which skills need developing then get started on creating an action plan that outlines exactly what you need to accomplish to meet your goals. You may also want to improve your career prospects by earning an online degree. All these steps together will help anyone take control of their career paths so you can reach your ultimate destination.

Until next time,