A topic that I deal with internally and externally is on how I can advance my career. Being a professional in the risk advisory world for about 7 years I have seen quite a bit about the do’s and don’ts of a working professional. I have realized that everyday is sort of like an interview with people meticulously assessing your work as well as your behaviors. I remember being in meetings where I heard comments about how a certain individual acted at say a company sponsored event or how certain individuals come into work late yet always leave early. It appears that little nuances in our behaviors that may seem insignificant to us may be viewed totally different by others. Soft skills I have noted are an increasingly focused element to career development. The ability to deliver an effective speech to senior management gets vital as people move up the ranks in management. All this said how can we as business professionals move up in a cut-throat business culture that may not always be driven by performance?
I have realized that a good amount of professionals choose to be the best at what they do be it more on a technical level or more on a management level. Each individual usually tries to highlight on their strengths and not their weaknesses. However I believe that to truly become excellent professionals we have to hone in on our weaknesses and strive to develop them into strengths. The issue I have realized is that most people are usually pushed to deliver on their strengths and not vise versa and hence the problem of creating developmental opportunities arises. Even though we may acknowledge this, how can we ensure that we find these opportunities to develop ourselves? Even though most companies talk about strong mentoring networks, only the select few through whatever reasons are developed into roles within senior management. I have realized that it is not enough to just have ambition…everyone needs to find a way to advance their careers when they see potential roadblocks. The question is how can we effectively do this?
I have realized that a good amount of professionals choose to be the best at what they do be it more on a technical level or more on a management level. Each individual usually tries to highlight on their strengths and not their weaknesses. However I believe that to truly become excellent professionals we have to hone in on our weaknesses and strive to develop them into strengths. The issue I have realized is that most people are usually pushed to deliver on their strengths and not vise versa and hence the problem of creating developmental opportunities arises. Even though we may acknowledge this, how can we ensure that we find these opportunities to develop ourselves? Even though most companies talk about strong mentoring networks, only the select few through whatever reasons are developed into roles within senior management. I have realized that it is not enough to just have ambition…everyone needs to find a way to advance their careers when they see potential roadblocks. The question is how can we effectively do this?
Tips for career advancement: http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers-career-development/11128-1.html
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