For many of us, the trajectory of our career is tricky to navigate. Depending on goals and expectations, some of us skyrocket immediately. Others have steady growth over a long period of time. And others still wind up plateauing.
Trying to foster growth in a career can be more difficult than it seems. It is not just about hard work and perseverance like some would have you believe. Here are a few ways that you can grow your career.
Narrow Your Purpose
On the way to growth, some can get lost in just what they are trying to do. It does not have to be some deep or profound goal, either. It can be as simple as wanting to make more money. But finding that purpose gives you a tangible goal to strive for.
For most, it is something bigger than their role. If you are in marketing, perhaps your purpose is to actually help people rather than sell them products. Or a data scientist might be looking to find the meaning behind those numbers. Find your purpose.
Foundational Skills
Learning the basics and making them a strength may not seem like the best thing in the world. That said, those who grow their careers and become successful have a strong foundation. Skipping over groundwork can be detrimental not only in the now, but the later as well.
Having a strong foundation built on the basics is imperative. Those skills will never erode and you will likely come back to them sooner rather than later.
Embrace Failure
Far too many professionals are afraid of failure. That is not to say that you should want to fail because being successful is always the goal. But failure can be a valuable learning tool if you are willing to see the inherent value within the experience.
Most successful people have failed before and will do so again. But they learned from their failures and made changes and adaptations along the way. Those failures are sometimes the key to future successes.