Today’s job market is highly competitive. To stay ahead of the competition, it is so important that you keep learning and growing. As you make your career a priority, you need to find ways to learn and grow for advancement.
Developing new skills doesn’t have to mean going back to school in the evenings. Sometimes the skills you are looking for are right there with you. Know what you want to learn and find ways to develop those skills while you are at work.
If you are looking for a promotion or raise, you have to give more value. The best way to go about this is to feed your career with skills and knowledge that show you are worth the raise and promotion.
Here are 5 tips to develop your skills at work for career advancement:
1. Get a mentor and be a mentor
You need to have a mentor at work for this is crucial to attaining new skills and knowledge. A good mentor has gone ahead of you so will help you solve some of the challenges and roadblocks you face. A good mentor will be the person who tells you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear. They will give you the needed feedback to cover your blind spots. In addition to finding a good mentor, consider finding a good mentee as well. In most cases, taking that next step in your career means you may have to manage people. The best way to practice is to mentor somebody else.
2. Raise your hands for new challenges
When new opportunities come up, go for them. If there is something in the company you want to learn to do and you see an opportunity to learn those skills in a special project or a new assignment, raise your hands. Go the extra mile to learn new skills. You should consider reaching for a new opportunity as this is helpful, useful, and valuable.
3. Read and become a problem solver
Dig deep into everything there is to know about your company and its competitors. Know the company goals and unique selling points of your company. Become an expert in these things and be able to talk about them. Think about some solutions to the company’s major challenges.
4. Network
New skills are usually outside your department or area of influence and responsibility. You can overcome this by networking internally. Getting to know people in other divisions, other offices, and on other teams. opens up several opportunities to grow. Learn everything you can about their job and their skills.
5. Find learning opportunities internally
Many companies have some sort of internal learning system. Go talk to your benefits team. Find out about training opportunities available to you. Learn about any tuition reimbursement benefits you may have. Talk with your HR team about what you want to learn and how it can help the company.