Moving Up and Off a Career Plateau

Have you given yourself a career check up lately? Are you spending too much time on your job at the expense of your career? With stiff competition in the job market and the downsizing of big corporations, many people's careers are stalling at the lowest level. So what do you do when you're running fast -- and going nowhere? How can you rejuvenate your career when you feel trapped in the same old job? Here are a few tactics to give your career a jump start.

• Be clear on where you want to be. Ask yourself where you want to be in one, three or five years, visualize where you want to work and your pay expectation. This way, you'll have a goal in mind. Mark Edwards, chairman of Compensia, a San Jose consulting firm, said, "You have to know where you want to be to have any real hope of getting there."
• Excel in your work. Be passionate about your job. Find a way to let your unique abilities shine. Open yourself to innovative possibilities. Everybody responds to good performance and results. Volunteer for a difficult, unpopular or high risk assignments. If they work, you are in a position to bargain for a new title, a raise or even a promotion.
• Market yourself. If you are doing an outstanding job, and your efforts go unnoticed, perhaps you are not stepping up to the plate and talking about yourself. There is truth in the saying, "Out of sight, out of mind." Don't be taken for granted. Regularly ask for feedback. Another way of heightening your visibility is to get involved in community or business projects. Seize the opportunity when asked to write an article or give a speech. These activities help you be known outside your workplace.
• Develop relationships with new people. This is just another term for networking. If you make a commitment to have one lunch and one dinner one month with a professional organization or new contact, that would give you 24 great opportunities to network. Taking part in a professional group provides many benefits, from staying abreast of developments in your industry to being noticed by recruiters, who often join as associate members and attend functions to meet prospective candidates.
• Fortify yourself with fresh skills. Mr. Stybel, the Boston career coach, recommends that employees carefully assess and compare their skills to the ones required in jobs they covet. "Look at the jobs you might want to do next and find out what skills and experience you need to acquire to move ahead," he says. Learn the foreign language if your company is opening a new branch in that country.

Remember, if opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.

~ Coach Nick Matyas © 2005

Email comments and feedback to Coach Nick Matyas at: nick@C2A1.com.
Visit our website: www.C2A1.com. Nick Matyas has over 25 years experience in the transportation industry. His firm provides expertise in pre-employment screenings, workforce and workplace assessments, training seminars and performance coaching.