Category: Career

Being a good employee isn’t enough to get noticed and put your career on a higher level. If you have been doing all the right things like working hard, introducing new ideas, and helping colleagues who’ve asked for your advice, that only means you are an excellent employee. However, it doesn’t mean you are getting anywhere further than that. There are loads of simple tips and everyday habits you will need to adapt to successfully take your career to the next level. Here are a few recommendations on what to change and what to focus on to easily level up your career.

Get up early

Other than multiple health benefits, getting up early can help you achieve a feeling of confidence and accomplishment. Early birds have more time to do things which offer a sense of control that you might not enjoy if you wake up later. This way you are automatically more determined and prepared for the day and preparation is the key to improvement.  This tip is probably the least fun, but it will inevitably change your mindset, and improve overall productivity, so If you seriously want to level your career up, do yourself a favor and get up early to accomplish everything you have set for a day. 

Have a role model

If you want to kick your professional growth up it is a good idea to follow people who do the same thing you do but on a grander scale. Make sure to identify what they are doing that you are still not, and what it is that works best for them. Regardless if you are an employee, or you are running your own business, having a good example of what you are trying to achieve is very important. It reminds you that what you are going for is possible and helps you understand how. Also, remember that it is more than ok to use someone else’s experience and knowledge to improve your career. 

Related: Innovative Ways You Can Assist New Hires Adjust To Their Work As Soon As Possible

Invest in your core competence

Your core competence is the area where you provide the best results. It is a point where you have the highest potential and the greatest creativity which is also a place where you may be easily deceived. The key is to look for ways to invest in them and highlight them in any way possible to elevate yourself higher. They include any exceptional skills, and individual competitive advantages that separate a leader from an average player in the industry. These are your best assets and your employers must understand that well. Regardless if you are looking for a promotion in your current company or changing your job altogether it is very important to point out your best qualities upfront. 

Go to workshops and conferences

Everybody knows that beginning a new job can feel overwhelming as there’s so much to learn and take in at once. As you get more comfortable and confident at your job, you will find room for improvement. One of the best ways to get more knowledge and upgrade your professional skill set is to visit conferences and workshops that you have never taken part in before. There are various high-quality boot camps around the world depending on the job skills you want to improve.  And if you want to go big, the advice is to go solo. It can promote the ultimate productivity, helping you to focus on the learning.

Improve communication

Want to be noticed and respected at work you have to be a good conservationist. Even if your job isn’t customer-oriented or doesn’t require you to provide presentations to clients, it is still important to communicate effectively with your boss and colleagues. That means being constantly present and diligent about checking emails and calls and staying in touch with your co-workers and their tasks. Besides, regardless of the position you are looking for, employers are always looking for people that express themselves well. So work on upgrading your communication skills, and don’t forget to watch out for your body language as another type of communication that may reveal much more than you are aware of.

Change industries

In some cases, you might find you’ve reached the ceiling in your current career, and changing the industry field or a company might be the right choice. Some industries offer very few opportunities to improve your career, or it just may be much harder than in others. As much as changing careers is a tough choice, in some situations, it might be the right one. Before you make this decision take a long hard look at your career and put all pros and cons on the paper, so you get a better insight if it’s better to switch to another job or stick at the current one.

Do more by doing less

Sure everybody has heard the saying “the less is more”, but how can it help you achieve your career goal? It is quite simple. Instead of setting hundreds of goals in front of you, and not finishing half of it at the end of the day, set smaller and more attainable goals each day. This way you will make sure you’ll have enough energy to get a few important things done. When it comes to long-term planning it is essential to create time-frame goals and adjust your daily task accordingly because, without the daily goals, nothing else gets done. 

Be clear and focused

Before you start with any of this, you should make sure you are clear with what you are looking for, and why you want it. These questions are critical and demand precise and deep self-exploration, and that might not be as easy as it seems. You will need to be willing to work on your goal every day, so you must be sure enough that it’s the right thing for you. There are a million things you could do instead of following your goal plan, so it is important to have that as a priority. Another crucial thing is to find a way to stay laser-focused to help you get you to your chosen destination. 

The key elements for a successful upgrade of your current career are positivity, productivity, and motivation. Changing your habits and following the tips mentioned in this article will certainly help you reach your goal faster and easier.

The hiring process can be rigorous for both employer and applicant. With so many questions to ask, so many people to vet and so much research on both ends, it’s an arduous process that only feels fully completed when you can finally land on someone who seems like the best possible choice out of the scores of applicants.

Landing on that right person for the job is tough enough, so weeding out the good and the bad is the risk/reward duty of the interview process and the employer. There can be a lot to dissuade and a lot to persuade in choosing someone, so it’s good to know the good and the bad of finding a good candidate for a job. Here are some key factors to consider.

Lack of Experience Isn’t Always a Deal Breaker

Experience is an asset, which many job applications state, while some say it is a requirement. It is a good idea to not get too hung up on this part because there are a lot of gifted, eager, and talented applicants who have not had the time in the workforce to acquire all of the experience needed. It’s more important to find experience in crucial skills related to the job, like the use of tools or software, as well as other unorthodox examples of experience like life experience. The perfect candidate is not someone who checks off every box, but one who can reach their potential in due time.

Background is Hazy or Has Red Flags

While experience should not be mandatory for the right applicant, a must is a good background and one that isn’t questionable or concerning. A dbs check is a type of background check to determine any criminal activity or warnings, and many places have these kinds of resources to ensure that an applicant is legally qualified. Besides that, there are tools to do background on social media presence and other information to check out. Similarly, it’s good to do this before an interview process to see what they say and whether their account of their background or past is in fact truthful.

Confidence (or Lack Thereof) Is Noticeable

How people carry themselves is a good way to determine if they are going to be a good match for the job. Confidence is a major skill to have that takes years to develop. Lacking confidence is just as noticeable, and in the interview process, you can tell when someone is timid or unsure, as well as self-doubtful. Downplaying their skills or being cautious with how they are perceived may be a sign that they aren’t yet ready to handle the job they are applying for, while confidence is a good sign they are up for the challenge. However, it is good to note that overconfidence could be a sign of someone thinking they’re punching well above their weight.

Interview Process Feels Choreographed

As you can obviously tell, and from your past experiences, finding the right applicant is not easy and the interview process is a defining factor because it gives you time to meet face to face with the person behind the CV. A good interviewee is always prepared, dressed appropriately, and follows key steps like proper posture, eye contact, and speaking habits. A surprisingly bad interview isn’t one where someone shows up looking like they rolled out of bed, but one that feels overly choreographed and planned. Following generic phrases and using vague answers is a sign that they are not prepared and are just doing what they were told, rather than being themselves, which could be a sign of a less than unique applicant.

Provide Limitations On What They Expect

Every job has requirements that you might not want to do but will do because you understand your role and the needs of the employer. Some applicants will make it abundantly clear that they won’t be doing certain tasks, which is a red flag that they are setting up barriers and expecting something they are comfortable with. There are limitations on what to expect, but when they provide concrete no answers for many simple tasks, they aren’t the one.

Appear Knowledgeable About The Job and Employer

Leaving on a high note is an applicant that has done their research on the job, its responsibilities, and the employer themselves. A go-getter of an applicant is one that is knowledgeable, even before the interview, and has made it clear that they know what they are looking for and why they have come to you to find it. This is a sign of an applicant that is hirable.

The hiring process is long and difficult for everyone involved because it requires countless hours of preparation and consideration, but with these key factors to consider, you can feel confident that you will find the right applicant.