Six ways to fast-track career development in 2022
The coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a standstill during its several waves that hit the world one after the other.
However, as life returns to normalcy, with many states moving towards achieving their vaccination targets and the advent of new treatment options, economies are slowly recovering.
Some economies that slowed down during the critical phases of the pandemic are aiming for heavy growth in 2022.
Businesses that were shut down due to the subsequent lockdowns are opening their doors, and in some cases, new entrants in the market are replacing them.
This signals an opportunity for those beginning their professional career and those already in the middle of it, added Michael Clements Windward. He attended Georgia Institute of Technology, graduating with his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2003. He would continue his education in 2012 at Georgia State University, studying for his MBA and graduating in 2014. During his MBA studies, he also received his Adaptive Leadership Certificate from the United States Marine Corps in 2013. Since 2021, he has served as the President for Windward Engineers & Consultants in Atlanta, Georgia.
Considering how the world has changed during these past couple of years, there is a need for people to adapt to these changes.
Times have changed, and those failing to make the required adjustments are likely to suffer from stagnancy, which would hinder their growth and leave their true potential untapped.
Therefore, knowing when and how to make the necessary changes is important for success in today’s world.
With that said, we have prepared a guide to help you through this process. Aiming to help you fast-track your career development in 2022, this guide will take you through the need for changes and how you can make those changes.
It will also help you reflect on your trajectory to see whether there are changes that you can make to boost your career or whether there are some ways around to do things you are already doing in a better way.
1) Educate yourself:
A general mba degree can introduce you to various tenets of business operations, and you can only do it well if you have the aptitude for it.
Similarly, various other modes of learning can be done independently. The key here is the desire to educate yourself.
You need to develop this mindset if you are delving into any new task, whether business or education.
Your mindset would dictate whether you would be able to make anything out of it or not, so the first thing you need to do is to build in yourself a desire to learn and be more receptive to information coming your way.
2) Evaluate your situation:
As mentioned above, the world has changed, and things may not be as they once were. With certain sectors doing better than others, you may want to make the switch now.
This especially applies to developing states where the information technology sector performs exceptionally better than others, considering how it is a vehicle for foreign exchange and removes the hurdles surrounding the depreciating foreign exchange.
So, you need to evaluate whether there are prospects in your sector and if the industry is likely to recover or grow in the future, and would the benefits surrounding it be worthwhile.
3) Analyze the market:
You need to understand the market to enhance your career prospects. You need to know which sectors are doing better and the requirements they are pushing for recruits.
Moreover, a thorough market analysis would also enable you to gauge competition and understand employment patterns. This would also allow you to see ways to help you decide which direction to pursue and how to approach it.
Here, you would have to do a lot of self-reflection to enhance your prospects. Only by being honest with yourself with keen determination will you be able to make the right decision.
Ask yourself whether you have certain skills and whether you would be able to develop them.
4) Learn a skill:
If you have decided to make the shift, it is time to learn a new skill. You can enroll yourself in various online courses to learn from professionals.
Moreover, if you do not want to pay for it, you can find free courses or learn from YouTube videos. You may want to practice your skills to be competitive enough for the market to reach a milestone.
Considering how many employers value skills over degrees these days, your skills will be the foundation of your career. Therefore, you need to pay attention to how you perform certain tasks.
In the absence of a relevant degree, you need to impress employers with your skills in interviews.
5) Build a good resume:
While resumes are mainly a short introduction of oneself, you need to put in the right information. There are many guides on building a good resume, and by following them, you can get the right information out there.
Similarly, you can also hire the services of professionals to do this with you. This would allow for self-examination and you would find areas that you need to work on for personal and professional growth.
However, it is recommended that you still try to do things independently.
So, build a resume that makes prospective employers want to call you immediately once it lands in their hands. Think of it as your first introduction.
6) Build your network:
One of the perks of the digital age is the ease of building your network. You can use LinkedIn to make connections and to find new opportunities.
These networking spaces are built for professionals trying to make the most out of their skills; therefore, they are also more receptive to queries.
An enabling environment can be crucial for your personal growth. Therefore, connect with professionals and observe how they navigate the markets. Similarly, LinkedIn also allows you to apply to jobs more quickly.
So, every time a company advertises a vacancy, if they are active on LinkedIn, you would find the posting there.
It barely takes a minute to apply to these companies through the networking website.
Conclusion:
There are many ways to fast-track career development, and some tips are mentioned in this piece.
Determination, consistency, and hard work are the keys to progress, and you need to develop these traits within yourself.
By having the right set of traits and the right approaches to career development, you can improve your career prospects and land high-paying jobs.
