{"id":179,"date":"2015-07-26T11:57:21","date_gmt":"2015-07-26T15:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/?p=179"},"modified":"2018-04-17T14:41:18","modified_gmt":"2018-04-17T18:41:18","slug":"spearhead-your-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/?p=179","title":{"rendered":"Spearhead Your Career"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who\u2019s in charge of your life?\u00a0 When it comes to decisions around your house, with your family, your finances and free time, who is the decision maker?\u00a0 YOU are (at least that\u2019s what I hope you answered.)<\/p>\n

Next question; who is in charge of your career?\u00a0 Is it your manager, your company, your co-worker, your college (if you\u2019re getting your degree or going back for one)?\u00a0 NO!\u00a0 It\u2019s none of those entities.\u00a0 Just like you are in charge of your life, YOU are in charge of your career.<\/p>\n

So how is your career going?\u00a0 Do you have an end-game in mind with a vision, goals set to achieve your vision, and a plan to reach those goals?\u00a0 Have you even given this any thought, or are you just waiting for your co-workers, manager or upper management to notice how hard you work, and either recommend you for, or give you, a promotion?\u00a0 If you aren\u2019t focused on your career advancement, and only working hard on what\u2019s right in front of you, you can count on staying in exactly that same place for a long time.<\/p>\n

The 21st<\/sup> century business world is very different from the one our parents worked in.\u00a0 Holding a 25 or 30-year career in the same company is a thing of the past.\u00a0 According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics news release in May of this year, the baby boomers (born 1957-1964) have held an average of 11.7 jobs in their lifetime.<\/p>\n

This means that you cannot expect your employer to be loyal or faithful to you because you have seniority.\u00a0 Workers that expect loyalty from a company because they have \u2018put their time in\u2019, or because it\u2019s \u2018fair\u2019 are positioning themselves to be dis-empowered.\u00a0 These same individuals typically take on a victim mentality when things don\u2019t go as they expect.\u00a0 This mentality expects \u2018the boss\u2019 to take care of them.\u00a0 Employers are now used to a transient workforce, and only reward skilled employees who possess strong leadership skills and greatness, and who have the ability to bring out those same qualities in others.\u00a0 The competitive economic and business environment of our times forces companies to continually seek efficient streamlined processes and the best talent.\u00a0 So \u2018working hard\u2019 and seniority in and of themselves don\u2019t cut it anymore.<\/p>\n

So, how do<\/em> you get ahead?\u00a0 Instead of thinking like a \u2018worker\u2019, think of yourself as a \u2018free agent\u2019 or a \u2018freelancer\u2019 who wants to bring just as much value to your \u2018client\u2019 (employer) as you do to improving yourself, your skill set and your career.\u00a0 This mindset positions you for building your own personal \u2018brand\u2019, which consists of your abilities, leadership skills and unique things that you bring to the table.\u00a0 Here are a few ways to spearhead your career and build your personal brand at the same time.<\/p>\n

1. Don’t expect the workplace to do it for you<\/strong>.\u00a0 Treat your career advancement like other areas of your personal life, where you take control and spearhead the situation because you are seeking a desired outcome.\u00a0 For example, if you want to develop better sleep or eating habits, you don\u2019t wait for someone to tell you when to go to bed, or what to eat.\u00a0 Likewise, your savings and investments aren\u2019t going to manage and grow by themselves, you need to keep abreast of them and fine tune along the way to ensure good returns.<\/p>\n

Be self-responsible all the way around by not only doing your required work, but making sure it aligns with both your company\u2019s goals and your personal goals.\u00a0 One way to do this is publicize completed projects and achievements to your manager by outlining the strategies and skills used, and demonstrating how it helped the company.\u00a0 This can be done via a simple power point or in an email, and is an effective way to showcase your abilities versus just submitting the project or report upon completion.<\/p>\n

For example, instead of just submitting a completed marketing ROI report showing dollars spent versus new customers or sales, go a step further.\u00a0 If you taught yourself how to use pivot tables in Excel to analyze the data, tell your manager \u2013 especially if you shared the knowledge with a co-worker.\u00a0 This demonstrates your ability to seek and learn new things as well as leadership skills.\u00a0 To add value, augment the report by suggesting where the money could be spent more effectively, or how if funds were increased in a new area, it would result in a more significant ROI.\u00a0 This framework can be applied to any area of business within a company, and demonstrates your greatness.<\/p>\n

2. Identify what you want<\/strong> \u2013 for yourself, and then to your employer.\u00a0 If you are currently in an entry level or middle management position, have you envisioned where you want to go next?\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s with the same company, or in a completely different industry, it\u2019s important to be working with that next step in mind.\u00a0 Today, workers have many projects to manage and juggle.\u00a0 If you know where you want to go next, it makes it easier to prioritize and publicize important projects and their outcomes.<\/p>\n

Using the same example, perhaps you want to become the next marketing manager at your company.\u00a0 Prioritize and execute with excellence the projects that showcase your skills, and keep details records of your accomplishments.\u00a0 During your review, or sooner if the time is right, share your collective accomplishments and state your desired goal to your manager (or upper management if appropriate).\u00a0 You will get an immediate sense if your vision can take shape with your current company, or if you need to go down another path to accomplish it.<\/p>\n

This is where spearheading comes into play again.\u00a0 If your dream is realistic where you currently work, forge down the path with continued passion and commitment.\u00a0 If after a reasonable amount of time, your sense is that your goals will not be realized, gather your accomplishments and seek another company where your vision can come to life.\u00a0 In both scenarios, you are spearheading the outcome and in control of your destiny \u2013 not your employer.<\/p>\n

3. Continually educate.\u00a0 <\/strong>Whether it\u2019s teaching yourself a simple new trick in PowerPoint, or pursuing your MBA, continual skill and knowledge development is one of the strongest ways to spearhead your career.\u00a0 Below are some additional forms of education that will build your personal brand:<\/p>\n