Career Advice for Advancing Your Professional Growth

I spent too many years thinking my boss was responsible for my career. Or the company. Or a magical fairy godmother. I thought it was everyone else’s job to advocate for me. To push me. To help me advance and grow. And I completely missed the fact that it was me. It was always ME. Our job is to be the biggest advocate for our careers. We are in the driver’s seat. And we can’t take a back seat and expect someone else to do the driving. Here are ten ways to start advocating for your career not tomorrow, TODAY: 1️⃣ Take a seat at front of the table, not at the back of the room. Be visible. Log onto that Zoom early, make sure people know you are there. Don’t shrink to the corner of the screen or room. 2️⃣ Raise your hand 🙋🏾♀️ Ask that question. Show you’re engaged and thoughtful and there to contribute. I always ask a question early on in the meeting to build my confidence to contribute more later. 3️⃣ Ask to be put on that assignment Make sure you are working on assignments that are priorities for the company. Especially in this market. 4️⃣ Coach your peers on their work You don’t have to have direct reports to have influence. Guide peers who ask for your help: position yourself for the next level by acting like you are at the next level. 5️⃣ Build a career development plan If your boss won’t help you do this, ask a colleague to be a sounding boarding or a friend outside of work. Understand what your goals are this year and what you want your next two roles to be. 6️⃣ Focus on one new skill you want to build What’s one new skill you want to learn that can help with your career growth? Pick it and commit to it. Block 30 minutes on your calendar daily to work on it. Make this time non negotiable. 7️⃣ Take credit for your work Even if they won’t let you in that meeting, share what you are working on with others. Whether that’s it in 1:1 conversations or in team meetings, make sure you let others know the impact you are making. 8️⃣ Get meaningful feedback If your boss keeps saying you’re killing it or avoids giving your feedback, ask others. Show up with what you think your strengths are and areas of opportunity to get their reactions. 9️⃣ Keep a track of your wins Start a Google doc or grab a notebook, and down all of your wins and the end of every month. This makes it easier to do your self evaluation during performance review time and update your resume. 🔟 Always have your resume ready Whether you are looking for internal or external, always have your resume ready. And make sure it’s not saved on your work lap, especially in this market where layoffs are happening every day. How do you advocate for yourself at work? #leadership #culture #inclusion #MitaMallick

Throughout my career placing professionals across organizational levels, I've observed a counterintuitive pattern: the most productive employees often experience slower advancement than their more strategically visible counterparts.   This disconnect occurs because organizations promote based on perceived value rather than task completion volume.   The Visibility Gap: Most daily work remains invisible to decision-makers who determine advancement opportunities. Being exceptionally busy often signals poor prioritization rather than exceptional value.   Strategic Positioning Over Task Execution: Advancement requires demonstrating impact on organizational priorities rather than individual productivity metrics.   Cross-Functional Relationship Building: Promotion decisions often involve input from multiple stakeholders beyond immediate supervisors, making broader organizational visibility crucial.   Solution-Oriented Communication: Contributing meaningfully to strategic discussions and problem-solving initiatives creates more advancement opportunities than silent execution of assigned tasks.   The professionals who advance most rapidly understand that career growth requires intentional visibility management alongside excellent performance.   This doesn't diminish the importance of quality work, but recognizes that career advancement operates on different metrics than productivity optimization.   For those feeling stuck despite strong performance, the solution often lies in shifting focus from task completion to strategic contribution and ensuring that value creation is visible to advancement decision-makers.   What strategies have you found most effective for translating excellent work into career advancement opportunities?   Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju   #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #promotion #promotions #careeradvancement #careerstrategist

I see it time and again, humble, hardworking leaders are often overlooked for the opportunities they want. They hoped their work would speak for themselves, but it didn't. It bears repeating that we have to stop waiting to be picked and advocate for our goals and desires. But your leader should "just know" right? I know it's tempting to think that other people are thinking of us and what we want, but they aren't. As it's famously said, "people are too busy worrying about themselves." Stop waiting to be picked and invest in yourself! Here are three simple ways you can take charge of your own career so you can be a key player in the talent pipeline: 1️⃣ Own your talents and experience. As a former HR leader, I can attest to the fact that men will apply to jobs that excite them (whether they were qualified or not), while women will talk themselves out of it, citing doubt, imposter feelings or “not feeling qualified yet.” ➡️ Try this: Update your resume and use this as an opportunity to own your wins. Use this evidence to give you a little confidence boost, but remember, you can apply and interview for your next-level job while also feeling doubtful. 2️⃣ Share your goals. People are horrible guessers and if they don't know what your goals are they can't help you, advocate for you or choose you. ➡️ Try this: Add a “professional goals and progress” section to your regular check in with your leader. 3️⃣ Ask for support. It used to be that the majority of coaching in the business world was for senior executives (read: male c-suite leaders). But now, as coaching and training programs have become more accessible to leaders of all levels, what are you doing to invest in and ready yourself to grow professionally? ➡️ Try this: Find a professional development program that excites you and ask your leader to cover some or all of the cost. In this ask, you can state the program goals and at least three ways the employer will benefit from your learnings and growth! Remember, at the end of the day your career is too important to leave it up others, hoping they'll notice your hard work and good intentions. Who have you shared your goals and aspirations with recently?