by Tracy Collingwood, ’94, Director of Career Development
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to find success in their careers?
Obviously, they did not obtain success merely through luck or a magical formula. They met with success because they planned an effective career development strategy, stuck to it and worked their way up. Behind success is always hard work. These days, one cannot afford to waste valuable time waiting for success to happen.
With a proactive career action plan, you will be able to successfully navigate and manage your career. To succeed, you need to plan a career strategy and follow some essential guidelines.
The following tips are essential to ensuring and sustaining success:
- Identify your targets. A proactive approach is required for career advancement. After you have set your long-term goals, your next step is to create a strategic plan to achieve your targets.
- Set your priorities (and realistic expectations). There will never be enough time to do everything you want to do, and it is easy to get distracted by urgent but ultimately unimportant activities. Deadlines come and go, and important new projects land in your lap constantly. Review your priority list weekly to reflect the changing demands on your time and focus on what is important today.
- Underpromise and overdeliver. Every single interaction is an opportunity to add value and solidify your professional reputation. Do what you say you will do and exceed expectations whenever possible. Go the extra mile – it’s worth it.
- Invest in yourself. Keep on learning and growing. In today’s job market, if you are not improving your knowledge and skill base, you will be out-of-date in a matter of months. Once in the job, you must restart the cycle of adapting to your new environment and continually improving yourself by adding new skills and qualifications.
- Give thanks every day. Nothing says more about you than being genuine. Make it a point to send a handwritten thank you note or phone call every day. This is essential for maintaining your professional network and for acknowledging the people who have helped you along the way. The more grateful you are for what you have, the more fans and opportunities you will attract.
- Believe in yourself. This is the most essential – and sometime hardest – element of achieving success. All of those people who have achieved great success had the courage to believe in themselves and take calculated risks at some level.
If you have a clear vision of your career goals, and if you focus on these strategies every day, success will come. The first step can be daunting, but with practice, these strategies will become a way of life. Take action every day, commit to success and stay persistent. The path to success is full of ups and downs.
The key is to keep moving forward and never give up.
If you need assistance developing your career strategy at any point in your career – whether you’re about to graduate or a seasoned alum – contact the Career Development Office at 716-673-3327 or schedule an appointment online here>>
We start with an in-depth conversation with you, either in person or by phone, arranged by appointment. Our relationship continues as long as you need it – at no cost – no matter what stage of your career you are in, because you are a Fredonian, for life.
Best wishes in 2012!
