From the course: Administrative Professional Tips

Career management techiques

From the course: Administrative Professional Tips

Career management techiques

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- In order to begin to take charge of our professional futures and determine our career goals, we must actively take part in career management. This is important because we are ultimately the ones responsible for our goals and broadening our skills and knowledge base. The question is not, should I manage my career? Instead, the question is, how do I manage my career to position myself for success? Here are some techniques that have helped me manage my career. First is to employ effective networking practices. By connecting with thought leaders in particular areas and by creating a community of professionals who have your best interest at heart, you can propel your career forward. These networks can be both formal and informal in nature, and can change throughout one's career as our needs change. Your network can include people you've never even met in person, local colleagues, and those who you have an established relationship with. Choose networks that fulfill a variety of professional needs. Joining a professional organization is a very good way to begin creating relationships with those in your chosen field. Also, seek the services of a career coach. This person can serve a variety of professional needs. A career coach can help you outline specific steps to help you attain success, guide you through career transitions, and help you determine what the best career fit is for you. The person should be an experienced professional who has success in this area. They should have clients who can speak to how they have assisted them in reaching their goals. It will be a substantial investment to hire a career coach, so ensure you do your due diligence in selecting the best person to work with in this area. Finally, assess your own skills. Understanding your weaknesses, strengths, personality type, emotional intelligence quotient, and any other barometer for who you are at your core can be extremely helpful in managing your career. The more we know about what our makeup is, the better chance we have of positioning ourselves in careers and opportunities that will bring out the best in us and provide us with the greatest level of satisfaction. Personality assessments, questionnaires to trusted advisors, and other fact-finding exercises like these will be instrumental in moving us forward into work that we love. Consider taking a personality test such as Myers-Briggs to really understand where you fit into a scale and how you relate to others on the scale. By employing multiple career management techniques, we provide ourselves the tools, knowledge, and readiness to move our professional goals forward and help to ensure that we are discovering the best versions of ourselves on both a personal and a professional level. This is a worthy investment that we should put into practice for years to come.

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