New year, new me!
As the financial year begins and the review cycle approaches, this should be your motto. You’ll definitely want to show your manager, team, mentors and colleagues how much you’ve grown over the past 12 months to become the best version of yourself.
After another 365 days orbiting the sun, you are not only older, but also wiser! About a year ago I entered the corporate world. During the year I worked with people all over the world. It’s not easy to start a corporate journey with just a few months of work experience, but with the right mindset, goals and people, things start to fall into place.
The key to my success is career development.this 2022 LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report Found that employees believe career development is the number one way to improve company culture.
I’ve seen growth myself in both my personal and professional life, and I wanted to be able to document it and share it with you all so you can use it and improve your standing in your organization. My professional development work has had an internal impact on my colleagues. The appreciation and recognition I received from the team confirmed my point.
Organizations with a strong learning culture are 92% more likely to develop novel products and processes.they are Productivity increased by 52%, 56% more likely to be the first to market their product and services, and Profit increased by 17% than their peers.Their engagement and retention rates are also 30–50% improvement.
source: Deloitte
1. Set your goals
Career development can be thought of as anything that makes you more effective and skilled in your current position and prepares you for your future career. This is an area where you focus on improving yourself, whether it’s learning technical skills like generating artificial intelligence, or non-technical skills like achieving clearer interpersonal communication.
To be able to determine what your career goals are, try answering the following questions:
- What are my current roles and responsibilities?
- What do I like to do? What should I avoid doing?
- Where do I want to see myself in the coming months and years? This could be proficiency in a skill, position, or even a different organization.
- What motivates me? What are my drivers?
Answering the above questions may not be the easiest, and it’s okay even if the answer isn’t immediately available. I follow what I call the 4R model: Read, record, review and reflect. This helps me find answers and direction to starting points and potential destinations. I may not know what my journey will look like, but knowing what I want to achieve will get me there.
2. Leverage your resources
When I started my career development journey, my overall goal was to become a better version of myself every day. Tomorrow’s yukata should be better than today’s or yesterday’s yukata.
I read and consumed a lot in the beginning. When I say reading, I don’t mean just books. What I mean is seeking knowledge and ideas in all areas. This can be done by listening to podcasts, watching videos, observing the outside world, and having interesting conversations with friends, family, and colleagues.
As you explore, digitally capture ideas and projects that interest you. Once you’ve collected what you want to focus on, organize everything according to actionability and feasibility. Focus on seeing if these new ideas are relevant to your personal and professional goals and if they align with the interests of your team, organization, and leadership.
For example, I learned that I enjoyed project management and I wanted to explore that to a level where I felt confident in it. I decided to apply this to my daily professional work and contribute to my team. I started reading about project management and its principles. I don’t want to jump right into certifications and courses. It requires a lot of commitment, time and money. Until then, I’m interested in seeing what other people my age and with my skills and experience are doing in the project management world.
3. Find a mentor
I recommend finding a mentor, no matter where you are in your career. When I joined G2, I was looking for someone on the team to help guide me. Ideally, they should be senior people you can turn to for guidance, or people whose journey looks like your own dreams.
My advice to most colleagues or friends is to have two mentors: one inside the team and one outside. This helps you gain a broader perspective and reduce bias when it comes to input and feedback.
I found my mentor by asking as candidly as possible. When I reach out, I remember to keep communication brief while still expressing who I am. I also told them why I was interested in their coaching, how I thought they could coach me, and what areas I needed to improve on.
To grab their attention, I mention their work—an article, a podcast, a blog post—and then I tell them how that work resonated with me. This provides a common basis for our communication.
4. Expand your professional network
Communicating, communicating and developing your professional network is a must. Outside of our friends, family, and workplace, there are plenty of people doing what you want to do in your career.
85%
of positions were filled through personal or professional relationships.
source: new resume
My go-to forums for connecting with like-minded people are through communities on LinkedIn and Slack. I also had the opportunity to explore and attend face-to-face meetings in these communities. These gatherings are intentionally interactive, allowing you to learn about everything available in your career and how to take advantage of your current situation.
In addition to networking with people in your industry, don’t forget to attend conferences and talk to experts outside of your personal comfort zone and professional workspace.
5. Communicate your needs
Communication in the area of professional development means maintaining and promoting mutual communication with your managers, colleagues, teams and all relevant stakeholders.
I have improved my communication and learning skills through peers, books, podcasts, and courses.I want to shout out this new LinkedIn courses I completed the communication points. After completing it I was surprised to find that the teachings from this course could be used in my professional and personal life.
After developing a good relationship with my manager at G2, I feel free to talk about anything without hesitation. We share a judgment-free zone.
I am a great planner and list person. Typically, before our one-on-one meetings, I like to bring up the agenda or mention the topic of discussion. This helps us address key issues effectively because we are prepared in advance. This is a practice I follow in my communications in the corporate world.
Some of the things I usually end up talking about are updates on our progress, new areas of work to explore, personal and professional wins, and anything else I find interesting. One thing I also learned is that your agenda shouldn’t be too long. As long as everyone has time to contribute, it’s okay to go a little faster.
6. Be willing to receive feedback
Giving back played a huge role in shaping who I am. I think it’s best to proactively seek feedback from colleagues. I typically schedule some time quarterly or semi-annually to connect with my managers and people on the teams I work closely with. This helps me get an unbiased idea of areas to focus on and tasks that perform well.
I think the feedback process is personal SWOT analysis. Again, giving back is not a one-way thing. My team at G2 has always encouraged me to share any feedback or constructive criticism.
Recognize and share feedback for improvement, connect with your colleagues, thank them for their guidance, and make it easy for them to work with you.
7. Continue your education
Professional development never really stops.
Employee development statistics show a high demand for growth, upskilling, and ongoing training. Employees are more engaged in organizations that prioritize career development, which is a powerful tool for recruiting and retaining talent.
Professional skill improvement and development can also have a positive impact on your personal life and growth. Employees who need training, coaching, and mentoring are typically high performers and highly engaged. These employees crave new skills and want to become more valuable and versatile. Don’t you want to be associated with these adjectives?
Continue to upgrade
As we celebrate the start of a year marked by personal and professional growth, let us continue to advance the need for continued growth. Remember, the journey to becoming the best version of yourself is ongoing, and professional development is the compass that guides us through the ever-evolving corporate world.
Whether it’s acquiring new skills, fostering a learning culture within your team, or seeking mentorship, a commitment to growth will pay off in personal satisfaction and organizational success.
Are you a company looking to invest more in employee training and development?Start by working with them to create a Employee Success Plan.
