From the course: Administrative Professional Tips

Take control of your career

From the course: Administrative Professional Tips

Take control of your career

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- Have you ever felt out of control in any aspect of your life? Do you know what it feels like to have others dictate your actions while feeling powerless to do anything about it? I've been in these positions before, and in the end, they have been the ones that have allowed me to grow the most. As administrative support professionals, we are often a part of, and included in, many organizational changes that take place in our places of employment. Oftentimes they directly affect us, yet we normally don't have input into the decisions. How do we ensure we still have control over our careers in the midst of changes going on around us, and that include us? Well I'm glad you asked. By concentrating our efforts on the areas we can control, it helps us to feel less anxious and keeps us in a position to have input into the decisions that affect our future. One of the steps that I do to take control of my career is to ensure I have a written vision in place and it's active in my professional life. Vision is a picture of something that we want to exist in the future. It's a target we intend to reach. It encourages us to think beyond what is, and shifts our focus to what will be. Your vision is unique to you. And the best part about your vision is that no one can take it away from you. No matter what your life circumstances are, your vision is what you can move towards in your future. It may need to be altered from time to time, but it continues to pull you forward. Next, speak up for yourself. I find it necessary to make sure I am responding versus reacting to conversations and actions. Reacting elicits more emotion, whereas a response is more thoughtful, and I take the time to truly see all sides of the situation. It is important to gather your thoughts, ensure you have the right audience, and then have the appropriate conversations. Whether it changes an outcome or not, I instantly feel better after having a voice. I also make it a point to practice assertiveness rather than aggression. Assertiveness is letting others know what you need and how you feel in a competent and self-respecting manner. Acing aggressively can come across as pushy and obnoxious in a self important kind of way. This way of operating will not get me my desired results, and will shut people down to what you have to say. I constantly monitor my behavior to ensure I am more assertive than aggressive in my speech and body language. Taking control of one's career is a responsibility that is our own, and something we must do regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. Although we don't have power over everything, we certainly do have control over our biggest influencer, which is ourselves. By employing certain practices, we can set ourselves up for future success in our personal and professional lives.

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