How to Improve Your Career Prospects

Are you stuck in a career rut and want to shift gears? Do you have your eye on a promotion but just aren’t sure of how to get there from where you are? Feeling unsatisfied in a job is not uncommon, but in order to find a more satisfying career path or gain a promotion, you need to look at ways to improve your prospects, whether that’s undertaking further study to gain qualifications or taking a sabbatical to help reinvigorate you.

Train on the job

Take a look at the career advancement possibilities that exist in your current workplace. Perhaps there are training courses that can lead to a management position, or short courses to help you develop specific skills. If your current employer can pay for your training or qualification, you are in a good position to boost your skill set and also ask for a promotion once you have finished the course.

Make a five-year plan

Sometimes thinking about where you want to be in five years time and writing it down can help to focus your mind and get you closer to reaching your goals. Set milestones that are achievable so you can celebrate each step that takes you closer to your career goal and then you won’t be put off by feeling success is unattainable.

Volunteer

If your current role is not providing job satisfaction, but you aren’t sure where you want to go yet, then why not volunteer with a local community group? Not only can this give your skills a boost, but it can also provide a support network and new opportunities for meeting people. You never know where a casual conversation about changing career path will lead or whom you will meet.

Take a sabbatical 

When stuck in a rut a good idea can be to do something completely different and come back reinvigorated. Taking a sabbatical may feel counterintuitive in these competitive times, however, taking time off can benefit your career and help you develop new skills that will be a bonus to your current role on your return.

Study 

Gaining qualifications is a sure-fire way to improve your career prospects, and often doing an online course can cause the least disruption to the rest of your life as you won’t need to relocate, nor have huge student debts to pay off. Courses such as those offered by South Dakota online degree programs provide a flexible way to gain qualifications from an accredited and affordable university, around your current commitments. They’re a great value for money, and they mean you can study for in-demand careers without having to spend a lot of money for full-time study.

Travel

If the thought of Monday morning fills you with dread, then pack a bag and go traveling, get outside your comfort zone, and you may be surprised at the new skills you develop. Seeing the world can help put things in perspective or give you a new direction to go in. Traveling can help improve your language skills and self-confidence, as well as other transferable skills such as budget management and communication skills. The adaptability required to go traveling around the world will also ensure you are in a strong position to take on new roles in the future. You may even be inspired to learn how to become a travel nurse and incorporate both traveling and a career into one!

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