How to Challenge Yourself Throughout Your Career
It is easy for people to become stuck in a rut in their careers. Professionals may know a role like the back of their hand, or they might allow their lack of education or experience to hold them back.
If you are tired of performing the same tasks each day or enjoy a more varied working life, there are actions you can take to improve your professional life. Don’t sit back and wait for your life to change. Find out how to challenge yourself throughout your career.
Embrace Projects Outside Your Role
If you have mastered every task at work, it might be time to embrace new projects or opportunities you don’t expect in your current role. Put yourself forward for a challenge at work, as it will test your strengths and push you outside your comfort zone.
Ask your manager if there are projects you can lead or pitch them a creative idea. Even if a manager doesn’t have a task for you right now, they might consider you if one crops up in the future.
Build on Your Weaknesses
Professionals at every level will have various weaknesses that can impact their performance and confidence. Rather than allowing them to hold you back, identify your shortcomings and then build on them. If you are unsure what they are, ask your loved ones, colleagues, and employer for feedback on your personality, attitude, or performance.
For example, if you have a fear of delivering pitches or presentations, you could grow in confidence and ability with a public speaking course. While turning a weakness into a strength might not be easy, it could transform your confidence, ability, and performance at work.
Grow Your Education
It is never too late to grow your education, and there is always a course available to increase your knowledge and skills. For example, if you have trained as a registered nurse, you could grow in the profession by enrolling in an online nursing degree, such as an MSN to FNP. Click here to find a respected university and enhance your skills, as it will provide a fresh challenge and help you excel in your career.
The sky is the limit for education, as there are paths and courses available for most fields. You can complete any academic course through hard work, perseverance, and dedication. The only thing that will hold you back is yourself. Create a roadmap to professional success and then take every possible step to make it a reality.
Continue to Set Goals Throughout Your Career
Once you have achieved one goal, set another, and so on. By doing so, you could climb the ladder quickly and exceed your initial career expectations. First, however, you must establish realistic goals and avoid restricting yourself to strict deadlines to avoid disappointment.
If a goal seems too unrealistic, break it down into smaller, more achievable steps. For example, if the thought of completing a university degree is daunting, enrolling in a program is the first step, and then completing a semester is the second step. Before you know it, you will have achieved your academic goals and improved your career prospects. Also, breaking long-term goals into smaller steps will provide a regular sense of success, which can boost your confidence and ambition.
Build a Rapport with Hardworking Colleagues
Your environment can determine your work ethic, performance, and mindset. For example, if you spend much of your working day with lazy, negative, or unambitious co-workers, their attitude might rub off on you each day.
To avoid following in their footsteps, try to surround yourself with more motivated, intelligent, and hardworking colleagues. Their ambitious, positive attitude and energy levels could inspire you to work harder in your role. Plus, you could learn from their good time management skills, leadership, communication style, or professional strengths.
While building a rapport with co-workers might not feel easy, it could create a happier, more productive working environment. Plus, you can learn from them to grow your skills, and they could even influence your career in the future.
Get to know your colleagues by:
- Greeting them each day
- Taking an interest in their lives
- Lend a helping hand
- Send an interesting article they might like
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Vulnerable
Many ambitious professionals are guilty of holding themselves back in their careers due to a fear of appearing vulnerable, which can prevent them from reaching their full potential. For example, they might fear networking with strangers, slipping up during a business presentation, or facing rejection after applying for a promotion.
However, if you are tired of completing the same tasks each day or want to advance your career, you must not fear vulnerability. Even if you fail, you will be glad you pushed yourself outside your comfort zone, and the experience will allow you to learn from your mistakes. So, stop fearing failure, or you will never enjoy success.
Find a New Position at Another Company
If your current role no longer brings you joy, and you believe you have reached the ceiling in a business, you might need to seek employment elsewhere to enjoy a fresh challenge. A new organization will more than likely have different processes and paths compared to your current employer. Therefore, you could enjoy a different pace, new opportunities, and find more ways to advance your career.
If you secure an interview, ask about the typical duties you can expect to complete in the role each day to identify if it differs from your current position. Also, learn more about the company’s career opportunities and training programs to ensure you can continue to build on your skillset.
Secure In-Demand Industry Skills
Some skills could improve your career prospects, annual salary, and respect at work. In addition to enrolling in university courses, you could build on various in-demand professional skills.
For example, if you are a web developer, you could become a company asset by mastering front-end and back-end development, JavaScript, and search engine optimization. Don’t forget to pay close attention to emerging sought-after skills in your industry, as they could help you gain a competitive advantage when applying for a role.
Stop Relying on Others for Help
It might feel easier to ask an expert to complete a task on your behalf but doing so can prevent you from expanding your knowledge and skills. Rather than delegating tasks to others in the business, attempt to tackle the challenge without assistance.
While you might make a few mistakes along the way, completing a project independently will allow you to become more self-sufficient and grow your expertise. In addition, it could improve your confidence in your role, impress your employer, and increase your chances of a promotion. Remember, you can do anything you put your mind to each day.
Read as Often as Possible
Reading books, articles, research studies, and textbooks is one of the best ways to challenge your opinions, learn new skills, and make more informed decisions in your career. Make it your mission to read at least one book related to your field per month and stay updated on the latest news, publications, and blogs. It can help you understand alternative viewpoints, complex topics and gain a broader knowledge of your industry.
Lend a Helping Hand to Your Colleagues
Lending a helping hand cannot only strengthen relationships with your co-workers, but it could increase your industry knowledge. If you have the time available, offer to help a colleague on a big project. By participating in projects outside of your everyday duties, you can learn new skills, improve your business knowledge, and view the industry from a new perspective. You never know; the experience could feed into your own job, which could improve your performance and increase your likelihood of a promotion, pay raise, or annual bonus.
Start a Side Project in Your Spare Time
If you are dissatisfied with your current job, a side project could provide more satisfaction. For example, put your extensive knowledge and experience to good use by writing an industry blog, launching a podcast, taking on freelance projects, or starting a small business. The side projects don’t need to make money, but you can generate an extra or full-time income from the above options.
Conclusion
No one should settle for a job that brings them little joy. There are options available to improve your career satisfaction, prospects, and income. If you are tired of performing the same tasks day after day or you want to embrace a brand-new career, flesh out a roadmap to professional success.
Enrolling in a degree program, starting a side project, or applying for a new position could change your life and happiness at work. While the prospect of embracing one or more challenges might feel daunting, breaking them down into smaller steps can make them feel more achievable.
If you believe in yourself, push yourself outside your comfort zone, and work hard, you can tick every career goal off your list and surpass your expectations.