How to Climb the Career Ladder

When it comes to climbing the career ladder, no matter what stage of your career you’re at, most of us are looking at least a few rungs ahead. And while sometimes the only thing to do is be patient, there is usually something you can do to progress.

There are all sorts of reasons as to why people want to move forward in their careers. It could be a higher salary, more responsibilities, or perhaps your main focus is recognition for your talents. The question is, how do you achieve career progression? We’ve outlined five top tips below, to help you get started!

1. Work on More Projects

One of the best things you can do to get noticed, and be seen as someone who doesn’t shy away from hard work, is to take on more tasks. Not only will you be demonstrating that you’re a dependable employee, you’ll also get more exposure to other areas of the business, and potentially pick up a few new skills. This means that you’ll be expanding your professional portfolio, and building relationships with other teams.

Overall, taking on more projects can showcase your work ethic, which is something that individuals in leadership positions will be looking for when they’re considering promotions and new roles. If the choice is between someone who simply does their job, and someone who goes above and beyond, the latter will always come out on top.

2. Consider Further Training

While you can learn a lot on the job, it can help to have formal qualifications to back up your claims of excellence! For instance, if you were applying for a trainee chef position, simply stating that you’re a great cook won’t be as impressive as having some level of catering qualification. And these don’t have to be degree level courses either – as long as you can prove your skills, certificates of this kind are great to have.

There are a number of online courses you can take if you’re looking to further your education, from short entry level courses to The Open University. Even if you’re not hoping to progress straight away, continual learning is a great thing for any professional. Training and qualifications can keep your mind sharp, expand your interests, as well as increase your knowledge.

3. Forge Strong Relationships

Creating networks can be one of the best ways to move forward in your career. You’ve undoubtedly heard the old adage ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’, and this is often true. Even if you don’t know them particularly well, someone you meet may be able to introduce you to like minded people in your industry, and maybe even your next employer.

It’s equally important to build strong relationships within your own team. If your colleagues don’t respect you, you’re unlikely to get very far within the business. This is mostly about working hard and maintaining your integrity. So you need to own up to your mistakes, and take responsibility for your actions. Blaming others when things go wrong will not only cause friction in the workplace, it will also make you an unsuitable candidate for a management position.

4. Don’t Forget to Keep Track

When you are trying for a promotion, you may need to discuss it with your boss, and give reasons as to why you deserve to progress within the company. This is tricky to do if you don’t keep track of your achievements. So make sure you take note of any projects you work on with a positive outcome, and include figures and statistics if possible. Any further training you complete should also be recorded.

Keeping track of your accomplishments isn’t just useful for progression meetings either. You can additionally use these details when you’re updating your CV and LinkedIn profile, or during a job interview.

5. Apply For New Roles

If you enjoy working for your current employer, you don’t need to apply elsewhere. But it is important to make it known that you wish to progress, and put yourself forward for more managerial roles. There is a good chance that your boss doesn’t realise you’re interested in new opportunities. They may assume that because you’re doing well in your current role, you don’t want to explore other avenues.

Even if there are not any progression opportunities being advertised, it’s not a bad idea to speak to your manager about your prospects within the company. Show them that you’re ambitious, and are looking to take the next step on the career ladder. Most managers will then try and find ways to help you move forward in your career.