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Career Planning

How to climb the ladder

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:55

Establish yourself as someone with leadership potential and you could be well on your way to securing one of the higher rungs on your very own corporate ladder. And the good news is that the great heights you wish to reach are not entirely out of your hands. With a successful career planning strategy you too can get to where you want to go.

“The secret behind effective career planning lies in how often one embarks on this exercise. If we consider how frequently many people change jobs in this day and age, it makes sense that we should all return to the drawing board on a regular basis to ensure we’re on track to reach our higher goals and ambitions,” says leading comprehensive staffing specialist, Kelly’s managing director, Lawrence Wordon.

Indeed, experts advise that those serious about acquiring leadership positions should set aside time at least once a year to establish what they want from their careers and how they’re going to get there. During this session it is also a good idea to map the path your career has taken thus far, so that you can learn from your past to shape your future.

Career coach and head of Executive People Development Solutions, Lorraine Ingram agrees and the advice she gives is candid: “Have a vision and a ‘to do list’ consisting of what you need to do to get where you want to go. And remember to include ‘the how’ and more importantly, the ‘by when’ date. You must also be driven and passionate in executing your plan, and consider appointing a coach to help you on your journey and keep you focused.”

“Play an active role in your career and don’t sit back and wait for those promotions to come to you. Reflect on your likes, dislikes and hobbies to ensure you are in a job that remains close to your heart. Only when you do what you love will you excel. Make constant notes of all your accomplishments, both big and small, so that when the time comes to search for a new position in the interest of furthering your career, you have all the information at your fingertips to pen a powerful CV,” advises Wordon.

He goes on to add, “Establish a roadmap for your career featuring short, medium and long-term goals. Research the various routes you can take to get to where you want to go. And finally, seek out training and educational opportunities that will give you the skills-set you need to secure your dream position.”

“An important step securing a higher position within your company is to have a strong self-belief system. As Russian short-story writer, Anton Chekhov said, ‘Man is what he believes.’ Have patience to succeed and up-skill yourself as this is an on-going journey and entirely your responsibility. Communicate your aspirations to your line manager and ask for feedback and help in your development plan. Also remember, Rome was not built in a day,” adds Ingram.

And while competition for a position may be fierce, it is still possible to handle rivalry with the grace and dignity of a born leader. “Keep your composure! And learn to wait for the right time to make decisions and take action. Remember competition keeps you ahead of your game and can motivate you to reflect on whether you are a real team player. Never bad mouth your competition and give credit where credit is due. And above all, learn from the achievements of others,” says Ingram.

“Get in the driving seat of your working life today by establishing an effective career planning strategy. With hard work and determination, the rung on the corporate ladder that you’ve had your eye on will be yours before you know it,” concludes Wordon.