Personal development is crucial for anyone looking to develop their career. When looking at your CV, a recruiter who can see how you’ve progressed over the years will know that you are prepared to challenge yourself and take on the personal responsibility of learning new skills and making yourself more employable.
Whether you’re looking for a new job or just want to progress within the business you are working in, there are many things that you can do to expand your skill set and further your knowledge so that you are able to go for those higher positions when the time comes.
However, although you may be more than capable of performing in a senior role, you've also got to make sure you get yourself noticed by the people making those hiring decisions.
Here we take a look at ways you can help boost your promotion chances:
Learn new skills
It doesn’t matter what position you are in, or how old you are, you can always learn new skills or enhance the ones that you already have. Whether this is simply asking a senior colleague or another team in your department to explain the work they do, or taking part in the wide range or training courses that are available online, growing your skill set and having wider general knowledge on the sector you work in will be beneficial to your performance in the workplace.
Challenge others
A good way to get yourself noticed by those with the power to promote you is to show your personality and challenge opinions in a professional way - be an active voice within your company. Obviously you don't want to get a reputation for being stroppy or awkward, but discussing topics related to your work and sector in a professional way will help you reflect your interest and passion for the industry.
Think of solutions
One of the first things you will learn in the workplace is that your boss only really wants to hear about solutions, not problems. Complaining about things that could be better is easy. In every business there are always problems that make certain processes longer or seemingly impossible to complete. However, sometimes businesses just don’t have the resources to dedicate time to solving these problems. Take the lead by suggesting ideas on how things can be improved and help make things easier for your colleagues and company. Create a plan on what can be done to solve this problem and, with the approval of your line manager, start making changes.
Always be positive
Believe it or not, a positive and encouraging work environment can go a long way in terms of how both you and your team perform. Over the years a number of studies have shown that positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a crucial part of effective stress management, which is also linked to many health benefits. You can boost workplace morale in the smallest of ways like congratulating and recognising the good work or others, or simply treating the office now and again.
Socialise
Socialising with those you work with outside of the office can be an important way of getting noticed. Getting to know your colleagues on a human level can really help how you communicate with them when it comes to business. You don’t have to be the heart and soul of the party but attending social events will help you meet others from different offices, and helps to break the ice if you’re a new starter.
If going for an after-work drink isn’t your thing, take matters into your own hands and organise something different like a charity fundraising event.
Ditch the self-entitlement
One thing that will definitely put your manager off giving you a promotion is the notion that you are entitled to it. Instead of talking about how you deserve it and how brilliant you are, highlight the things that you have done on top of your role. As always, actions speak louder than words.
Go beyond expectations
It's a cliche for a reason, but "under promise and over deliver" is not a bad maxim to have in any job that you do. Every role has requirements that must be met and are expected but sometimes doing these alone is not enough. Go beyond what is expected of you and take on responsibility that isn’t required and you will be noticed.
Prioritise
Sometimes the list of things that you need to do at work is endless, and there is always extra work that you could be doing that will have more of an impact on things. One skill that is usually seen as crucial when it comes to working in high-level roles is the ability to prioritise your work. Time management is key to having a good work life balance as well. Sorting out the 'urgent' from the 'important' and getting them done in the right order is not only fundamental to a successful career in business but also a brilliant life skill to acquire as well!
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the Fresh Produce, Food, Agriculture, Horticulture and Garden & Leisure sectors but need some advice, feel free to email us info@morepeople.co.uk or call 01780 480530 for a chat about your CV and career with one of our sector specialists.
