How ambitious professionals get a few steps closer to “making a career”.
The right career choice
The cornerstone for a successful and, above all, fulfilling career is laid with the right career choice. Only when you are 100 percent convinced that you enjoy your chosen job day in and day out can you get off to a good start in working life.
Accordingly, the question should be asked whether the desired career matches one’s own ideas, values, interests, skills and personality. “Today we know that people are particularly good and successful at what they do when it is what they really want,” reveals management consultant Karin Lausch in an interview with SPIEGEL.
Forward-looking focus
In most cases, professional life can be compared to a rollercoaster ride: there are ups and downs. Failure can often not be avoided, which is why it is all the more important how each individual deals with setbacks.
In order to keep your career as straight as possible, past failures should actually remain in the past and you should look to the future. The expert Thomas Egenter told SPIEGEL that you should always set new goals and always seize new opportunities. The energy should be invested accordingly in the further course of the career and not in struggling with setbacks.
Perfection through Help
Very good performance on the job is a prerequisite for moving up the hierarchy in the company. However, it is important to differentiate when perfectionism is appropriate and when it is not. In addition, there is no shame in asking for help and support on the way to a very good result. As Business Insider reports, as early as 1994, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs described asking for help as an important secret of success.
This means that not every project or every sub-step has to be worked out brilliantly, the key to success is to focus on the aspects that are actually important. If you falter or are stuck, help should always be accepted.
take initiative
Taking the initiative can be worthwhile: These can be projects and tasks that no other colleague dares to take on or shys away from due to the high level of effort involved. This shows outstanding commitment, which does not go unnoticed by superiors and can help for the further course of a career.
However, that doesn’t mean that colleagues can skip every tedious task.
Listen, but object at the right moment
Concentrated listening is the basis for being able to process what is said appropriately and to understand the background. According to the billionaire and investor Mark Cuban, this basic rule is an important property, as reported by Merkur.de. This is not only a sign of respect, but also helps to be able to implement any tasks as desired.
If one disagrees with what has been said, or if any objections arise, one should not hesitate to express it in an appropriate manner.
networking
It is also essential to have a large network within a company. If you draw attention to yourself with good performance, you only get half the battle. Managers and colleagues should know the person behind the success in order to be able to link the achievements with the top performer in the long term.
A social business network should be set up accordingly. The contacts made could then prove useful again in the future, for example when you meet former colleagues when you have new job offers.
Tenacity trumps ease
Those who rest on their laurels run the risk of stalling their careers and not developing professionally despite recent successes. Consistent high-quality work is the key to long-term success.
Innovative, independent thinking and perseverance ensure impressive results. Believing in yourself and your own ideas helps to convince colleagues and superiors.
answering the question of meaning
In most cases, long-term motivation and job satisfaction can only be maintained if the work has a deeper meaning from a personal point of view. Answering the question, “Why am I even doing this job?” should be answered emotionally and honestly.
If no answer to the question can be found, it is advisable to structure your daily work in such a way that this question can be answered. For example, colleagues can be supported, or one can raise awareness of how work can help others or make life easier. “I think you’ve had a successful career when you’ve managed to be of outstanding use to other people and you’re doing something that you’re really good at,” said Armin Trost, Professor at Furtwangen University, in an interview with the MIRROR.
The career should therefore be given a deeper meaning.
Henry Ely / Editor finanzen.net
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