Everyone likes to believe that their career is heading in the right direction. And the good news is that there are a variety of strategies to shape the direction of your future. Career progression can happen due to chance, good luck and other external factors, however, more often than not, it is a result of detailed and proactive planning.

So whether you are after a specific role, company or promotion, here are six strategies that will build your assertiveness and motivation, and have you on the road to the career of your dreams before you know it!

#1 – Go above and beyond

A great way to enhance career progression and get noticed is to build a “big picture” understanding of your organisation. This will allow you to lead, be proactive, make quick decisions and share insights and advice. An important component of this is to understand your organisation’s strategic objectives and the roles your colleagues perform. Ways you can do this include:

• Reading your organisation’s strategic plan, operational plan and annual report.
• Gaining a thorough understanding of your organisation’s vision, mission and values.
• Understanding your organisation’s target audiences and customer journeys.
• Joining key industry bodies, attending networking events and enrolling in professional development.
• Becoming a “knowledge sponge” by watching webinars and TED talks and listening to podcasts and audiobooks (to name a few).
• Contributing to problem-solving whether it’s from a colleague, manager or company perspective.
• Asking yourself, “How can I add value and solve problems by doing what I love?”

#2 – Mentor and be mentored

In terms of being mentored, it is extremely valuable if you can find an “executive sponsor” who believes in you. And it may be as simple as reaching out to a senior leader you resonate with, outlining your career aspirations and defining ways your connection may benefit both of you. Ideally, your sponsor will endorse you, coach you, advocate on your behalf and introduce you to the right people in the organisation at the right time.

One of the best ways to progress in your career is to also coach and mentor others. Understanding that we think, behave and communicate with others differently is the key. By adopting a “service” mindset, you can improve your connections and communication, establish trust, deepen relationships and build business.

#3 – Plan your career progression

To maximise your career progression potential, the first step is knowing when it’s time to move on. Having personal insight and understanding what makes you happy, sad, drained, motivated etc. can help you establish whether your current role is helping or hindering you. Facing fear and stepping outside of your comfort zone can also help you grow and move forward. Whether it’s asking your boss for more responsibility, leading a pitch to a new client or presenting your department’s quarterly objectives, you will begin to move beyond words to action.

Having a career plan in place is also a powerful way to work yourself up the career ladder and achieve your ambitions. It should involve career goals, and SMART goals are widely used among professionals as they are likely to result in successful outcomes. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-related:

• Specific: Set concrete and clear goals without ambiguity based on specifics like “who”, “where”, “when”, “why” and “what”.
• Measurable: Set goals that are measurable in terms of time. Include a quantity of “how much” and/or “how many”.
• Achievable: Goals shouldn’t be too easy, but goals that are too difficult can be discouraging — they need to be genuinely achievable.
• Realistic: Make the right judgement on how realistic your goals are which requires you to analyse them to determine the time, resources and expenses involved in achieving them.
• Time-related. Have key dates, timelines and milestones in mind when you set goals. These can motivate your efforts and prioritise tasks above other distractions.

#4 – Build professional relationships 

Positive professional relationships are essential to success and career progression. Whether it’s through internal training, industry conferences, networking events or making a new contact on LinkedIn, there are an abundance of ways we can meet new people, acquire knowledge and advance our careers.

Once connections are cemented, strong communication can also enable you to build and maintain productive relationships. Intently listening, having a constructive approach to problem solving, leading with a positive attitude, showing respect and interest, and supporting colleagues and stakeholders can all deepen professional relationships even further.

#5 – Proactively job search

Keeping your finger on the pulse of career prospects is important regardless of whether you’ve found your dream job or not. It allows you to keep up with current industry trends and identify potential opportunities in the event your job situation changes.

In terms of planning a job search, it is firstly worth identifying your career goals and the skills and experience you will need to fulfil those goals. Then identify who you want to work for and with, where you want to work, how you want to work and why you want to work towards your goals. Make sure your CV is up to date and then start to plan your outreach efforts. These can include leveraging your connections — including on LinkedIn — and reaching out to HR contacts to alert them to the fact that you are job searching.

#6 – Continue to up-skill

Probably one of the most valuable strategies you can adopt that will help with career progression is following the concept of “lifelong learning”. This is particularly important in this Information Age where the automation and digital transformation of workplaces continues to increase and evolve.

Up-skilling is also not necessarily about achieving accreditation in the most up-to-date technical skills. Businesses are increasingly looking to complement automated business models with a workforce equipped to provide strategic and human insights in terms of their soft skills. These include team work, communication skills, conflict resolution, adaptability, efficiency, leadership and problem solving skills.