Career development is something that is a never-ending thing. We all know how it goes, and none of it starts with just landing the job of your dreams, and then boom, you’re all done. From one thing to another, the opportunities that you will have will help you to grow, and there are certain skills that you will need to brush up on, to make yourself more employable. So making sure that you’re able to brush up on those skills will really help you to give yourself the best chance for professional growth. Some of the things that you might need to work on can be things that will be taught on the job, but there are plenty of things that you can be doing to make sure that you are ready for the job that you want when it comes along. So here are some more things to be thinking about, as you plan your job hunting and your career.
Communication
From being able to make sure that you are able to verbally communicate with those around you, as well as well as to your management, to then being able to communicate in a nonverbal way, through body language. The way that you interact with people at your work is a really important part of being part of the team and getting the job done. And therefore as a result, it is part of how employable you are. So when you think about how you say things to others, and how to get your message across to other people, or what you say on a call or in an email, it is really important.
As well as what you write and say, it is also a good idea to listen to others as well. Make sure that you are aware of the body language that you use, as well as the tone of voice that you use when you are clarifying things with them or repeating things back to them. It really is a skill, so look for ways to improve and learn as you go, in all walks of life.
Learning
Learning is something that is never done, no matter your age or where you are in your career and life. There will be plenty of things that you will be learning on the job, so part of being a good employee is being open to the learning. If you want to go for a promotion that might mean learning some new skills, for example, then what do you go ahead and do? For this kind of thing, you will want to stand out from the crowd and make sure that you are able to demonstrate those skills, or a willingness to learn. You could check out local colleges for evening classes on certain things, or look for online courses that you can do to improve the things that you need to. There are even blogs and things online that you can read to help you brush up your knowledge, from how to open zip files on Mac, to how to design a website. So whatever you will need to know or demonstrate, you will be able to find a way to learn it, qet qualified, and to know it.
Initiative
Being able to make improvements where you work, and being able to speak up about it, without being prompted to do so (such as being asked for feedback), then it is something that is a great skill. It is a skill that can help you to stop things from happening before they happen or become too much of a problem. When you use your initiative, you can bring things to others attention, before they had even thought about it. So it can help you to be a valuable colleague in the workplace. But how can you make sure that this is a skill that you are looking to do at work. One of the first things that you can look to improve on is to suggest things in meetings; do you keep quiet or do you speak up and make suggestions? Do you just ask for help with problems, or do you approach people, like managers, with a way to solve the problem that you have? Some of this can, of course, come down to confidence and feeling able to speak freely with your line management. But it is something that will make a difference, and practice really can make perfect.
Self-management
It is totally OK to ask for someone to clarify something when you need that clarification. There are times when you will need more direction, such as when you start out at a new job. But really, an employee who is able to manage their time themselves, and it able to manage their workload and tasks without having to be supervised all of the time, is a colleague that is going to be highly regarded. So being able to get yourself to that point, will help you to be a better employee and a better option for jobs.
Technology
Technology is something that is constantly evolving, and if you have been out of work for a little while, then it can be something that you need to stay on top of, or you might find it a shock when you come back to work. So no matter what field of work you are working in (or looking for work in), keeping abreast of the technological changes and advancements in that area will help you a lot as you can stay relevant and keep up with what is going on. There may be some training that you’ll get on the job, but being one step ahead is always a good thing.
As you can see, these are not tricky things that will take a lot of time to do. These things can all be done, whether you are working or not, and it will stand you in good stead for when the right job that you want comes along.
