Careers are no longer purely linear. The times when the position in the company’s hierarchy was directly proportional to the number of years spent in the company are long gone. There are many routes to the top and there are many detours on the way. Regardless of which route you take, avoid making the following unnecessary mistakes on it:
Do not forget to build your contact network even when you currently have a job that suits you
Jus because you have a good job today does not mean that you’ll have it forever. You should be constantly building your contact network with the people from your field, whether it’s at conferences and other more or less formal meetings. You can use social networks as well.
Don’t assume that your employer will manage your career for you
The employer can provide you with the needed resources and contacts, but it’s up to you whether you are able to ask for them and use them. Do not be afraid to ask for new challenges.
Do not forget to keep records of your successes
Nobody else will do it for you. It should not happen to you that you will not remember the projects that you worked on when the time comes to present them in order to back up your desired career progression.
Don’t wait for a promotion to come all by itself
Even if you work really hard, it may be of no use to you if you do not demonstrate your interest in moving up and if you do not back it up with facts.
Do not ignore lateral career development opportunities
Also take into account the possibility of transferring to another position at the same level. This experience may increase your odds of getting a higher level position in the future.
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