To Take Before Your Move To Next Career Level

By Virginia Foster


If you are ambitious and serious about getting ahead in the workplace, you have your work cut out for you. Many women believe they can't achieve their highest goals because of gender bias and invisible barriers like the glass ceiling. These obstacles are real, but there are things you can do to minimize the effects. If you want to move to next career level, but aren't sure how to go about it, experts have some common sense advice you should follow.

Before you make any moves, you need to take stock of what it is you really want. You might have a great job with a dedicated staff, but dream about stepping up into international business. This might require working abroad or moving into an area that includes international responsibilities. Another woman may have global experience and but really wants to move into a sphere where she is managing a bigger team or crossing over into another division.

You need to be careful about who you confide in. Your boss may be really supportive of your dreams and ready to help you with introductions and extra responsibilities. It is just as likely that this person will see your ambitions as a threat or as an indication that you're in your current position only temporarily.

You need to prepare for the move you want to make. You could volunteer for projects that will give you some needed experience. You might benefit by taking some classes at a community college to brush up on your skills or learn new ones that will be beneficial to your ambitions. It is sometimes possible to cross over into other areas of the company without leaving your current position.

Stepping up the ladder means you have to hold your own with corporate executives and others who will become your professional peers. If you haven't assessed your executive presence yet, it is time for you to do so. One of the best ways to evaluate your communication skills and verbal sharpness is to record yourself. You might tape business oriented questions and record your responses.

Finding a sponsor who has already achieved the status you want for yourself can be very important. This should be a person who can introduce you to executives you need to know and can assist you with career opportunities. If you don't already know someone who fits this profile, you might have to do some research, seek a candidate out, and introduce yourself to him or her.

You might get so focused on your ambitions you think they are obvious to everyone else. This is almost never true. If you want people to give you opportunities, you have to let them know you are eager to accept them. Sitting back and waiting for the opportunities to fall in your lap is a bad plan.

Women who are serious about their careers have to make choices. Creating a game plan is the best way to realize your goals. It will take perseverance, strategic thinking, the guidance of a sponsor, and a little luck.




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