Ready to level up in your career? Here’s a tip: don’t get too attached to a plan. Chances are if you’re not where you want to be in your career, you may want to consider a new way of thinking about your journey.
Below, check out the reasons why you may not be getting ahead in your career.
You’re looking at the wrong opportunities for career advancement
Career advancement requires that you’re curious, adaptable, resourceful, and willing to experiment on your journey. Contrary to what you’ve been taught, a career path isn’t a straight line, so stop looking at fancy job titles and promotions as a measure of success. In fact, sometimes a lateral career move may be a boss move that allows you to enter new markets, expand your expertise, and gain greater exposure across the company or within your industry.
Your habits don’t align with your goals and vision for your life
Many people have dreams of landing their dream job, buying a beach house, or making a six- or seven-figure salary, but your habits must match your goals. On top of everything else, you’ll need to understand that success is not without sacrifice. So, how bad do you want it? How are you managing your distractions so you can be more productive? What financial investments are you willing to make to advance in your life and career?
A lack of confidence is preventing you from leveling up in life
Whether you need to articulate your unique value during a meeting for a job promotion, make the ask for a higher salary or simply speak up for yourself because you’re being taken advantage of at work, self-confidence is the foundation for success.
You’re so focused on making more money that you pass on more fulfilling career opportunities
If you have a desire for a happy and fulfilling career, don’t make career decisions exclusively based on a dollar amount.
You’re lacking the right professional relationships
Working hard isn’t enough; you also need relationship currency. Carla Harris, vice chairman, managing director and senior client adviser at Morgan Stanley, said it best: “Relationship currency is created by spending time with people in your organization, getting to know them, sharing ideas with them, or working with them on internal task forces and other company projects. Once you have built true relationship currency, its power will motivate people to act on your behalf and can give you the ability to: 1) request something or some action from someone else; 2) connect to other relationships; and, as we discussed with regard to performance currency, 3) recover from a mistake.”