Don’t just sit back and wait for your career to take off. only you can make things happen, says Jessica Rolph, and here’s how you do it
1. Think What are the next steps I would like to take in my career? Are there any particular skills, qualifications or experience I will need if I want to be doing that kind of job? What are my options in terms of how to gain experience or develop skills?

2. Talk If you’re not sure what your next step should be, identify two or more people who are senior to you, ask to see them, and discuss with them what they identify as your personal qualities and where you would be best suited to work. This will demonstrate your commitment to making your next move and will arm you with their experience and objectivity.

3. ASK Once you have some firm ideas about some career goals and the types of skills you need to develop, have a constructive conversation with your manager/employer about different options for training and development. Show how the training and your subsequent development will benefit your employer as well as yourself. Are there areas where you are keen to develop where there is also a lack of skills in the company?

4. Act The best means of developing new skills is through practice and experience. Look for opportunities. Apply for a short-term job beyond the remit of your everyday activities (e.g. taking on-board some responsibilities when someone is ill or on maternity leave), volunteer for project work or to help out on a task being carried out by a more senior colleague. A proactive approach to your own career will mark you out as ambitious and keen to develop.

5. Listen ask people to honestly identify your strengths and your weaknesses and use this information to establish exactly where your skills lie and in what aspect of work you will be happiest. A realistic and objective appraisal will ensure that your efforts are not wasted in applying or working towards unsuitable career paths. To quote Aristotle – ‘Where the needs of the world and your own ambitions meet, there lies your destiny.’

Source

Construction Manager

Postscript

Jessica Rolph is an adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)