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This is a collaborative post.
If you are sitting in the morning with your coffee and breakfast filled with dread about heading to a job that you hate, then it might be time to make some changes. Too many people head to work day in and day out to somewhere they don’t enjoy and somewhere where they feel like they aren’t progressing or being heard.
If you are finding this too familiar, then this post is for you.
Many people hate their jobs for various reasons, and many people wish they could do something about it. It might be the right time now, to start doing something about it. Think about changing your career prospects. Whether it’s completely changing your career, moving into another role in your workplace, or climbing the career ladder one more step.
These tips should help you:
Sign Up To A Course
If you need a certain qualification to get a promotion or possibly move into a different career, then a course is the way to do this. It could be going into college or university or taking an online course, either way, it will get you where you need to be when it comes to being attractive to future or current employers. These courses could range from a day course to years of study either way, they will benefit your future career path.
Build Your Online Portfolio
It could be that you already have an online portfolio, if you do it’s time to improve it. If you don’t have one, it’s time to get one set up. Upload elements of your work so you can showcase what you can do and how well. You should also think about getting previous employers or clients to give you some testimonials so you can show how great a worker you can be. Using LinkedIn or building a website are two good ways to do this. A website is the best way if you are self-employed as it also gives a place where potential clients can contact you.
Make An Effort For Your Boss
If you don’t impress your boss, then you are never going to be considered for a promotion. They are also unlikely to give you anything more than a standard reference if you were to leave for another position. You need to put in a decent effort and prove yourself to your managers and supervisors. Even if you are unhappy in your job role at the moment, think about the future reference you will get. Turn up each day on time and ready to do the job as well as you can. If you are looking for a promotion opportunity, one of the best ways you can appear attractive for this is to learn about the job role and take on more responsibility. Not only will you benefit from the experience, but you will also stand out from other candidates for the promotion as you have already taken the time to learn about it.
Talk To Your Supervisor And Boss
If you don’t speak up your boss or supervisor is never going to know that you are looking to progress in your career. It’s something that everyone is looking for. Some people like to become familiar with the job they are doing and like to remain in the same position rather than climb the career ladder and gain more responsibility. Arrange to sit down with your supervisor or boss and speak to them about your aspirations for the future and what it would take for you to get there. It could be talking about extra courses you could take, shadowing them to learn about their job roles and more. If it has been a few years since you started working theorem they may have even forgotten that you want to climb the career ladder. On the other hand, your boss will be able to let you know if there is any potential for moving up with the company any time soon, especially if you are now ready to make that move. If there are no positions for you to move into, it could be time to look to take the step up but elsewhere.
It may also be beneficial to speak to HR. There may be certain career steps that the company follows to help its employees grow and learn along with the company values. It could be courses you need to do or certain things you need to learn before you are eligible for promotion.
Start A Side Hustle
If you are looking to change your career rather than climb the ladder where you are, then you could consider starting this change with a side hustle. This works especially well when you are looking to become self-employed but you first need to build your client base and grow your income before it can replace your full-time job at the moment. When you take on contract or freelance work, you can grow your skills, build on your resume, and potentially try new careers without losing the security of your job role. Once you know that it is a viable option you can more easily make the move when you know you like it and that it can be profitable. Just make sure you don’t burn yourself out.
Network
If you are looking to gain more potential of getting a promotion or becoming headhunted by potential employers you need to network and get yourself out there. You have probably also heard the saying ‘ It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ Well to a certain degree, this is true. If you know people who are working somewhere that has a referral scheme or know of upcoming positions then you can ask them to suggest you for the position or point you in the right direction. You can also use them as a reference for the position you are applying for.
This short guide should help you when you are looking to improve your career prospects. Do you have any other tips that could help? Please share them in the comments below.