How to take control of your career
By
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If you’ve ever asked a child what they want to be when they grow up, you’ve probably heard all sorts of weird, wonderful, and sometimes entirely practical answers – doctor, firefighter, astronaut, cowboy, Ruler of the Universe.

Chances are these dreams will change as they get older, and most of us go through life not being entirely sure about what we’re actually going to do post-school, college or university. Oftentimes the roles we choose aren’t actually what we spent years studying.

This isn’t a bad thing! You’ve got a bunch of transferable skills, a hunger to learn, and a willingness to put in the work to be the best at what you do. But what happens when your current role isn’t fulfilling you like it used to?

This is when it’s time to become the ‘Ruler of Your Own Universe’, take control of your career, and consider your options when it comes to your career path and progression.

Some key things to think about are:

•Are you at a company that will accommodate your desire for more responsibility?

•Is there an opportunity within your company that you’d prefer over your current role?

•Is your manager going to support your ambition, or stifle it?

The answer to these questions will determine your next steps. If there is an opportunity internally that you want, or management is open to considering changes and adjustments to your current role that will bring it in line with your aspirations, then great! Without further ado, here’s some excellent ways to take control of your career.

Taking control of your career – External projects

Arrange a few chats internally with stakeholders that could arrange projects, activities or responsibilities outside of your current remit. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your skills and knowledge, and to shine outside of your usual day-to-day.

Look into additional training opportunities

Identify opportunities to expand your skills and knowledge through training – is there a scheme in place that you feel you would benefit from, or an external course that would be beneficial? Build and present your case to your management team – justify the time and spend, and communicate how and why this would be a good opportunity for both parties.

If your employer is not prepared to invest in this sort of training, then you wouldn’t be alone in feeling dissatisfied. Access to training and development is hugely important to today’s workforce, with LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report showing that a whopping 93% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers.

Find a mentor

In order to fully take control of your career, it’s crucial that you find a mentor. Ask any successful person whether they had someone who inspired, motivated, and helped them to achieve what they’ve managed to, and it’s likely the answer will be yes. In fact, in one university survey of 3000 people, 76% of people stated that they believed mentors were important to success.

Consider your colleagues – is there someone internally you admire, or that you would like to learn more from? If so, reach out – even if you just grab a coffee once a month, this person could help you get where you want to be, and offer useful advice when you’re feeling despondent or just an ear when you need it.

Consider your transferable skills

It can sometimes feel as if your ambition outweighs your ability, especially in circumstances where what you want to do seems like a far cry from your current role. This is when it’s time to consider your work history and experience, and draw out the transferable skills that you bring to the table.

For example, you may want to move into a more senior post where you’d need to manage people, but have no experience. Think outside of work – sports teams, events you’ve been part of or planned, friendship groups – and plan examples of situations where you’ve shown leadership, listening, and motivational skills.

Consider your option

Ultimately, you may find that once you’ve exhausted your options, you still feel like opportunities for you to build upon your role are limited. In this case, to truly to take control of your career, it’s time to look elsewhere. At WR, we’ll help you find a role where you can pursue your ambitions, innovate, and grow.

Looking for your next role? Contact us today and we’ll connect you with one of our specialist consultants from our four divisions (Health, Engineering, HVACR, and Logistics). We’ll understand your goals, ambitions, and help you take control of your career.

Call us today on 0330 333 5074!