The world of work is rife with challenge, with opportunity and reward. It’s like walking through an orchard where every branch is laden with ripe, delicious looking fruit. The problem? Those branches always seem just out of your reach. If you had better contacts, better resources and more skills you’d be able to scale those trees, cut down those branches or rig up some kind of device to drop that tasty fruit right into your lap… But you don’t. So all you can do is stare longingly at that fruit that’s forever just out of your reach?
Who’s to blame for this? If your career is stagnating and you feel like that lone wanderer slowly starving amidst a bounteous orchard, it’s time to stop falling asleep at the wheel, get proactive and start taking control of your life and career. The first step, is deciding which proverbial tree we should be barking up.
Your boss?
Your boss is in many ways the custodian of your career. They oversee your daily duties and it’s up to them to create a supportive, yet stimulating and challenging working environment for you. But if your boss overlooks your efforts especially when you go above and beyond the call of duty. If they pass you up for promotion time after time. If they seem happy to watch you stagnate at your desk, perhaps you need to have a frank discussion with them. If that doesn’t work, it may even be worth going over their head or requesting a transfer to another department.
Your company?
It’s worth remembering that your boss is not the sole gatekeeper when it comes to career progression. Your boss may see great potential in you and express a strong desire to progress in your career and reach the heights that you deserve… Yet they will be hamstrung by the corporate culture they inhabit. In a climate where companies deliberately repress the pay and opportunities of their employees to insulate their profits it can be hard to buck a trend that likes keeping employees where you are. If your boss appears to be doing their best for you but isn’t afforded the resources or opportunity they need to help you progress by the company you both work for, don’t be afraid to take your talents elsewhere.
Your colleagues?
Your colleagues can be what makes a tough job bearable, what makes a rough day tolerable and what makes a boring task fun. But while your colleagues can elevate day to day life at work they can also hold you back in your career. They may distract, misinform or mislead you deliberately or purposefully. It makes little difference to your career.
You?
Let’s face it, the buck stops here. If you feel like you’re stagnating in your job or your career, only you have the power to do anything about it. The great thing is that the digital realm puts so many means of empowerment at your disposal. You can do online degrees in anything from an online FNP program to a course in law enforcement or an MA in social work. There are myriad open days, networking events, career days and taster sessions that you need only book a day’s leave to attend.
While others may influence your behavior at work and the opportunities presented to you, only you have the power to transform your career!