Whether you have decided to stick with your current field or are currently seeking to reinvent yourself, it is wise to have a career path in mind. After all, setting your sights on a desired career trajectory will make it easier to achieve your goals. Of course, selecting your preferred path isn’t enough on its own to make things happen. Instead, you have to be willing to put in some hard work, along with following proven techniques that could make the difference between getting that next promotion or remaining stuck in your current position.

1. Sign Up for Training Courses

Are you working in an entry level position but trying to become knowledgeable and skilled enough to make the next move up the career ladder? Or perhaps you’ve attained a medium-level position, but you want to make the leap to management? Showcasing proficiency in your current job is the first step, but you should also sign up for any applicable training courses that will help prepare you for career advancement.
Keep in mind that a lack of training causes 40 percent of employees to quit their job in less than one year. By seeking out the training you need, you can set yourself apart from the rest of the pack and make sure that you truly want your target position.

2. Utilize Networking

The saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” is extremely accurate, which means that you need to make networking a priority. However, you may not know who in your professional and personal network is best equipped to help you with your career. This is especially true if you are looking to move to a new company or industry.
Fortunately, networking options such as Covve and LinkedIn can help. For example, Covve allows you to search your network for individuals who are connected to industry leaders. This means that you can quickly discover who is in the best position to help you make potentially career altering connections. By using this process, you can save yourself a lot of time and energy during your job hunt.

3. Request a Cross-Functional Project

One thing that companies often look for when making an internal promotion is which employees have demonstrated that they can work well in a team environment. Additionally, workers who have picked up skills from various departments and learned to apply them with reasonable competence will typically be viewed as more promotable than those that only specialize in one specific department or role. If you are not being offered cross-functional work, be sure to request it.

4. Create the Right Online Reputation

Everyone has something in their past that they would rather keep hidden from their current or potential employer. This is the Internet Age, though, which makes it harder than ever to keep your proverbial skeletons locked firmly in a closet. Because there truly is no such thing as privacy on the Internet, you must clean up or even delete any social media profiles that could make you look like an undesirable candidate.
At the same time, don’t become unsearchable because this will seem very suspicious. Instead, present the type of social media image that is best suited for your chosen career path. Also, always remember that 18 percent of companies have fired someone for a social media post, and this number continues to grow each year.

5. Consider Getting a Mentor

The information that you can learn from a mentor is invaluable, and they may also end up being the person to recommend you for a promotion or a new job. Therefore, it makes good sense to seek out someone who has already achieved the type of career success that you are aiming for. Be sure to listen carefully to all of their advice and ask them questions that can help you conquer your fears and other stumbling blocks. Having a mentor will increase your chances of succeeding, and you will also acquire access to a new network of potential future colleagues and employers.

6. Determine Your Strengths and Work with Them

Perhaps you want to change your career path because you are unhappy in your current line of work. You may also have become bored with your position and want to be promoted so that you can take on a new challenge. Before you can figure out which career path will be truly satisfying, it is necessary to determine your personal strengths and interests.
For instance, if you aren’t very organized and don’t have a love for numbers, it doesn’t make sense to look for a career in the bookkeeping field. However, if you have a love for socializing and creating eye-catching imagery, this could make you a natural fit for a marketing or sales position. By tapping into your inner strengths, you can get a clearer image of how to structure your career.

7. Seek Out Honest Feedback

Some people truly aren’t aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and this may make them believe they are qualified for a promotion when they truly aren’t ready yet. Asking your coworkers and supervisors to offer you honest, constructive feedback may not be easy, especially if they point out some weaknesses you don’t know about. In the long run, though, this is one of the best ways to determine your strengths and to have the opportunity to improve your weaknesses. As an added bonus, taking this type of initiative for personal growth may impress your supervisors enough to help you land the next available promotion.

8. Pick a Path and Stick with It

Obviously, everyone needs to make enough money to take care of their basic needs, so you may need to keep a job you don’t enjoy for a while. When it comes to getting a promotion or switching fields, though, it is vital to choose what you want and target all of your efforts toward achieving it. Therefore, if you want to work as the HR leader of a non-profit organization, tailor all of your training and networking toward that specific goal and field. Otherwise, it will be way too easy to end up needlessly spinning your wheels in multiple directions.

9. Read about Your Chosen Field

There are countless websites and blogs that can keep you updated about your desired field and position. However, reading books is one of the best ways to truly absorb a lot of new information that can be put to good use during your daily work tasks or in an interview. Reading has also been proven to make people better thinkers, and this is a quality that many employers are looking for. Although you should also make sure to read something just for fun from time to time, selecting books about your chosen field can help you jumpstart your career.
By putting all of these tips into action, you can have a big impact on the trajectory of your career path. If a new field or company is in the cards, be sure to take full advantage of smartphone apps for job hunters.