A new year always brings some new energy and motivation to career development and personal growth. The energy industry is in a really exciting place these days, and there are lots of opportunities for professionals to grow their careers if they set their minds to it. Today’s article covers some of the most impactful ways you can kickstart your energy production career in the coming months.
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Set Goals that Motivate and Inspire You
When it comes to reinvigorating your career, it’s important, to be honest about where you are and where you want to be. Setting small, achievable goals is a good tactic to get you through your workday or month. But you also need something big to aim for so that you are inspired in the long term. Set challenging goals that make you want to get out of bed in the morning, do your best work, and really celebrate when you make progress.
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Get S.M.A.R.T.
SMART goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. This is particularly true for challenging goals because this method helps you make sure you are committed and held accountable to your goals. Be specific about what you want to achieve with a particular goal. Make sure that you are able to measure your success or failures in what you do throughout the year. Keep in mind that attainability is critical to maintaining motivation. Make sure that your goal is relevant to your life and your work. And give yourself and your goal a schedule and stick to it.
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Make a Plan
Writing down your career plan for the coming year helps solidify your goals and document your progress. A plan helps turn dreams into something tangible. If you have a spot in your home or workspace where you turn to for inspiration, then that is a great place to keep a hard copy of your goals and your plan. Keep it front and center in your life to make sure you are working toward that goal every day. Success doesn’t just come to those who sit back and relax. Success is built on the steppingstones of effective goal planning and actions taken to achieve those goals.
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Seek Out Challenging Projects
If you are currently employed but looking to continue growing within your role, you need to seek out the challenging projects that will help push you in the right direction. Leaders within a company want to challenge themselves with the hardest projects that require the most teamwork to accomplish the end goals. This requires a certain fearlessness and desire to develop their own skills beyond what they might currently exhibit on a regular basis. Top performers are eager to test their abilities, challenge themselves, and work with others to accomplish broader goals of the company (or even the industry). Managers take note when you volunteer for challenging projects, so don’t be the one who sits back and lets others take the lead.
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Ask for Feedback
While it can be stressful to be on the receiving end of criticism, feedback is the one thing that can help you build the self-awareness you need to grow. Feedback is a gift, especially when you actively seek it out. The ability to accept criticism and learn from the feedback of others is critical to personal and professional growth.
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Invest in Your Professional Network
Networking is important when you’re employed and when you’re actively seeking new opportunities. It’s the one thing you should be continuously doing to make sure your career is on track. Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and commit to attending a certain number of professional networking events (virtual events count!) to make sure you are taking action to grow your network. While it doesn’t always need to be at the forefront of your attention, making connections with other professionals will always serve you well in your career. But don’t limit yourself to colleagues in the energy field. Stay close to your competitors to understand what they are able to bring to the table that you aren’t yet prepared to. Talk with neighbors or community leaders to continue expanding your professional sphere of influence. You never know when your next opportunity in power generation will come your way. Be ready and open to having that conversation when it arrives.
For more support on growing your career in power generation, connect with the team at ESGI today.
