5 CAREER TIPS YOU CAN PUT INTO ACTION THIS WEEK

. 5 TIPS EVERY CAREER GIRL SHOULD PUT INTO ACTION THIS WEEK .

I’m sure most of us are career driven, ambitious and wanting to succeed in work, whether thats your own business or working for a company, but with the demanding & pressurising environments work can bring, it’s often easy to forget our ambitions, dreams & goals in favouring of tackling the jobs in hand. But the most successful people always have their own goals at heart, they’re always working towards something & don’t lose check of their dreams in and amongst the stress that everyday work brings. So today I wanted to take a step back, and acknowledge a few little things that I think will help us all on our journey to career, and life success … specifically 5 things that we can put into action this week, that’ll help us, our careers & our ambitions in the long run!

#1 SET YOURSELF A GOAL

First things first, I don’t think any ambitious or driven person is motivated by ‘coasting’, coasting through life, coasting through work & coasting through your career. When it comes to pushing your career, progressing and expanding your skill set, 90% of the work is required by you, if not 100%. Yes others may offer training, or opportunities, but these will be based on your work, your passion, and your drive to achieve something … the potential they see in you. If you haven’t worked out that ‘something’, this week is the time do it. What is your next goal, what is it you’re working to achieve, what is it that you want to succeed with.

It could be super short term, for example to ace a presentation or deliver a great piece of work, or it could be longer time like learn a new skill set, get a promotion, prove you deserve a pay-rise or even work into a new role. Whatever it is, make it your goal, and once you know what it is you’re working toward, focus on your plan of action to get there.

I find having some goals to work towards highly motivating!

#2 ASK FOR FEEDBACK

No career girl (or man) is ever going to get anywhere without a little constructive feedback and coaching. It’s not really within the ‘British’ culture to ask for feedback, and take it on board, but if you want to succeed, develop, progress, and be a success then feedback is critical. Whether it’s asking for a formal review with your line manager, or simply asking for quick bit of feedback after a meeting, or a piece of work that has been delivered. It’s always great to ask for feedback, “what is it i’ve done well” or “where could I improve for next time”, not only because it allows you to develop but also it sets a great precedent for everyone around you too … it really shows you care about your career and your work.

#3 EVALUATE & PRIORITISE

As a driven person, more often than not I find myself with too much on. I work hard, and I will never deliver anything but 100%, but sometimes with this attitude you can find yourself drowning in the sheer volume of tasks in hand. The only way to deliver great work, consistently, and ultimately progress your career, is to become a good time and work load manager. Having the ability to evaluate deliverables, prioritise work streams, delegate effectively and ultimately as a result deliver great work consistently, efficiently and effectively, is the key to success & progression.

Saying yes to everything isn’t the answer … managing expectations, work loads & time is!

#4 WORK LIFE (RE)BALANCE

And with evaluation and prioritisation comes work life balance. Success isn’t just about a job title and a salary pack, success is life happiness, wellbeing & that feeling of content. Often driven people like myself can let the balance swing out of sync every now and then, and before long you realise your every living moment is spent thinking about or doing work … this isn’t good for you, your relationships or your happiness, so taking a moment to check and realign your work life balance is key.

Sorting out this balance, ultimately will affect positively on your work too, happy, content and relaxed minds deliver better work, more efficiently and generally are more productive. It’s often hard to see this when you’re stressed out and busy … but it’s true and if you want to do well, you have to remember it.

#5 KNOW YOUR PLAN

If you want to feel happy about work, the time you’re putting in and the effort your committing to the job, then you have to know it’s working towards your end goal. Yes short term goals are great for keeping you ticking over and continually learning and developing, but actually having a point of view on your overall career plan is key. You don’t have to know what you want to be when you ‘grow up’, but where do you want to be in 12 months, 18 months or even 24 months time? Do you want to be doing the same thing? Probably not, you probably want to have progressed a little, taken on some new projects, maybe even shifted into your ‘dream role’.

Don’t ignore the pipe dream … have a dream, and make a plan to achieve it.

I’d love to know if you put any of these tips into action this week, or if you’re already doing them? Let me know your best career tips too?