Top 10 Steps to Catapult your Career up the Corporate Ladder

Every career success story is unique.  While there isn’t a magic answer for taking your career to the top, following these ten steps will get you headed up the corporate ladder.   

1. Reassess your career.  Is your career path well aligned with your priorities and interest?  Do you posses, or can you acquire, the experience and education to be successful?  If not, consider a lateral move and work your way up from there. 

2. Clearly define your career goals.  Only when you know exactly where it is you want to go, will you be able to map out your plan to get there. 

3. Create a development plan.  Determine the steps you need to take for your next promotion.  Include resources and due dates.  Schedule these activities in your planner and follow through. 

4. Communicate your career goals with management.  If you work in an organization that promotes employee development, communicate your goals with your manager and ask for his or her support.  If you are concerned about resistance, find a mentor within the organization that you can trust. 

5. Volunteer to spearhead a new project.  This shows initiative, puts you in a visible position, and builds new skills.  It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your leadership skills.

6. Stay current in your field.  Read industry publications and reports.  Be aware of changing trends and position yourself accordingly.

7. Take classes or obtain a certification.  Use your industry knowledge to your advantage.  Take a course in an up and coming area or a specialty that will benefit your organization and give you an edge over the competition. 

8. Assume a leadership role.  Offer to mentor a junior associate in your organization, apply for a position on a local board, or chair a committee for a nonprofit organization. 

9. Network, Network, Network.  Within your organization and within the community.  Increasing your visibility and gaining contacts are vital to your success when climbing the corporate ladder.  No one ever got to the top alone. 

10. Excel in your current position.  Exceptional performance speaks for itself.  You won’t get ahead with mediocre performance, regardless of how many other steps you implement. 

Are you ready to put your career on the fast-track?  Learn how to go from cubicle to corner office with my guide, 8 Simple Steps.  It's available as an instant download so you can start planning your next promotion today. 

Comments

[Superman]

I completely agree with this post where you say that networking is the key to great success (point nine) due to the exposure that is unavoidable. The internet is massive and there is no dark corner on this earth that has not been tickled by the tentacles of the web. It is a great tool for meeting people and making contacts. The possibilities are endless and the right people can be contacted within a few minutes. This is the positive aspect of “It’s not what you know, but who you know”. There is however a negative side of this phenomenon: there are those who know more than anyone else but are still not getting rewarded for their knowledge or know-how. I find it unfair and feel that there is no justice because it is inevitable that many of the people who have the contacts are possibly going to jump on the band wagon and go for a free ride to the top. Whereas those who have the knowledge are never going climb any corporate ladder because they are left without contacts and forced to use their own devices which are seldom sufficient. In an ideal world, we as humans would be able to strike that balance of knowing people and knowing content. Until then, we can only hope justice prevails.
Superman
www.gspotinformer.blogspot.com

[Morren]

Excellent presentation. I do agree with your post. Having a clear career plan will leads to good benefits... Really useful to the readers. Many thanks.