The only way you’re going to get ahead in your career is if you’re continuously advancing your skills. It’s a competitive world out there, and you are unmotivated to do better, others are likely to surpass you quickly.
Keep in mind that you may need to invest some time and money into some of the following ideas while others won’t require as much effort. At the end of the day, it’s in your hands how much hard work you want to put in to furthering your career and improving yourself. Enjoy the process of learning and growing and watching yourself transform into an even better worker and employee.
1. Set Goals
If you wish to sharpen your professional skills, then you should start by setting a few goals. Doing so will help you to know what to focus on as you strive to advance your abilities. It’ll be easier to track your progress and see how you’re doing when you write down exactly where you see yourself in five and ten years down the road. Come up with a mix of both short-term and long-term objectives that will keep you busy and help you to improve in a couple of specific areas. Trying to strengthen your professional skills with no direction will likely leave you feeling lost and confused.
2. Go Back to School
You can also sharpen your professional skills by choosing to go back to school. You can visit this site for a list of online Masters programs in Canada you can take from the comfort of your own home. This way you don’t have to quit your day job and can take classes and coursework around your schedule. Obtaining a Masters degree is one way to set yourself apart from the competition and prove to your employer you’re serious about your job and career.
3. Take A Specialized Course
There are a wide variety of both online courses and in-person seminars and conferences covering specialized topics andan assortment of subject matters. For example, maybe you wish to focus on your selling skills or get better at working on the computer such as using Excel. You can sharpen your professional skills by committing to working on increasing your knowledge and experience in areas you find the most challenging in your free time. Check with your employer about any benefits they offer foryou furthering your education because it’s possible they’ll even pay for the class you choose to take.
4. Find A New Job
One reason you may be falling behind in your career or feel unsatisfied in your position is because you aren’t being challenged. Another way to sharpen your professional skills is to work on finding a new job that’s a better fit for you. It’s never a bad idea to keep your options open and explore new opportunities that might be out there if you’re unhappy at your current job. All you may need if you want to improve your skills is to be given a chance to prove yourself and take on extra and different responsibilities. It’s possible you wish to be a manager but that your present employer isn’t giving you the opportunity to do so. Therefore, go elsewhere and begin to work on developing your talents further with a new employer.
5. Seek Feedback from Others
Sometimes you don’t know what your strengths and weaknesses are until someone else points them out to you. It’s easy to put on the blinders or make assumptions about yourself and think that you’re doing well in areas where others instead see you falling short. It’s in your best interest to proactively seek feedback from coworkers and business partners and figure out what it is you could be doing better and working on. Doing this will help you to make sure you’re spending your time and money wisely when it comes to sharpening your professional skills versus wasting your time on matters that aren’t going to help you improve your ways.
6. Create Opportunities for Yourself
Keep in mind that your future is in your control and it’s up to you to create better days ahead. You can also sharpen your professional skills by stepping up and formulating opportunities for yourself. For example, apply for promotions or take on additional responsibilities at your current company.In addition, maybe you notice there are improvements to be made at work or a position you wish to create and believe it necessary for your team to have, somake the suggestion to your boss.Sitting around waiting for people to notice you or come to you with options may not be in your best interest because it could take awhile or not be what you’re looking for.
7. Hire A Consultant
You can also sharpen your professional skills by hiring an outside consultant or career coach. Finding a specialized and individual trainer can help you to truly focus in on a few areas that are specific to you. For example, hire someone who can train you in:
- Public speaking
- Computer skills
- Sales
- Budgeting
All it may take for you to advance your abilities is to work with someone one-on-one and to truly zero in on where you’re falling short. This person is highly skilled to assist people like you and will likely produce the results you desire in a reasonable amount of time.
8. Read or Listen to A Podcast
Another option for how you can sharpen your professional skills is to read a blog, book or magazine or listen to a podcast. There are plenty of experts out there to help you find ways for how you can brush up on your skills and improve in certain areas. There’s nothing wrong with teaching yourself and sifting through information on your own. In fact, this may be one of the best and most practical ways to learn and take in new knowledge. There are also self-guided exercises available within these types of resources that you should consider taking advantage of.
