If you are looking to grow your career, but aren’t in a position to leave your current role, don’t give up. There are lots of ways to advance your skills and your contributions, even if you don’t receive a promotion right off the bat. Here are 5 ways you can proactively upskill yourself within your current role.
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Take on Challenging Projects
Rising stars seek to challenge themselves with the hardest projects that require the most teamwork to accomplish the end business goals. This requires a certain fearlessness and desire to develop your skills beyond what they might currently be. But the act of taking on a challenge and willingness to learn new skills to make sure it’s successful will actively upskill your career. Be eager to test your abilities, challenge yourself, and work with others to accomplish those goals. Your ability to stay calm and organized under pressure is a great sign of leadership and self-direction. And both of those qualities are what managers look for in those they need to help them lead.
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Request and Incorporate Feedback
Skilled professionals are also those who regularly solicit input and feedback on their work efforts. This feedback actively helps them better understand what is expected and what they can do to improve. The ability to accept criticism and learn from the feedback of others is critical to personal and professional growth. Maintaining a certain authenticity through this process is also a great trait for potential leadership to have. Individuals who lead by example and can motivate others are the ones who grow within their existing roles. They understand their professional strengths and are able to find people to complement their weaknesses so that they can work more effectively as a team.
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Motivate Others
Employees who are able to get buy-in and support from their team members are a natural pick for future leadership. It’s a critical skill to be able to be a leader even when not in a leadership position. That takes good people skills and strong professional networks. Those most effective in their jobs are people who are able to rely on colleagues to help achieve group goals. When you put multiple people to a task, the output can be exponentially as impactful as anything one person can do on their own. While you don’t need to be an extrovert, people with good motivational skills are able to connect on a genuine level with other team members and inspire action and support. That skill set is relevant in whatever role you find yourself in, and it’s one that can take your career to new heights.
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Take Advantage of Professional Development Opportunities
Mentorship and professional learning opportunities hold a great deal of value for employees looking to advance their careers. Many companies do invest heavily in the development of their staff, so if you are interested in growing internally, ask whether there are any programs you can join to focus your efforts on upskilling your career within your role.
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Take a Class
While it might be a big ask to go back to school to get a new degree, there are several training programs available to working professionals to help them reskill or upskill their professional lives. Those employees who are committed to their own career growth have a number of opportunities to learn new skills. The challenge comes when you are looking for the right skills that you will need for your future success. Ask yourself what job you would like to hold in the future, then do the research you need to understand the required skill sets to succeed in that job. You can pursue a continued education without abandoning your current role; you just need to know where to start looking.
For more support on growing your career in power generation, connect with the team at ESGI today.
