Regardless what job you hold first, there are many ways that you can set yourself apart from the crowd. By following these steps, you’ll also compound your gains and set yourself up for success later on in your career! Here are 5 tips to accelerate your career growth in your first job:
- Set clear career goals. Write down what you want to achieve, but more importantly WHY you want to achieve it. Keep it posted in a visible place. People who write down their goals and really mean it are much more likely to achieve them. This is true for your personal goals as well as for your career growth.
- Build a Value Creation Mindset. It’s not that hard. If you can provide value to others, more often than not, people are happy to return the favor. So if you build a value creation mindset today, you’ll make yourself much more hireable.
- Keep a record of your achievements. Documenting the accomplishments on your resume can help employers analyze the value you can bring to their company. Don’t just list job descriptions. Highlight the specific ways you successfully accomplished tasks, exceeded goals, and generated results.
- Expand your network. Communicate your vision with others. Don’t be afraid to express your ambitions. Be open about your goals! It allows people the opportunity to help you achieve them. You’ll never get to where you want to be if nobody is listening.
- Learn to love your job, no matter what it is. Get to know your workplace inside and out. Look for problems to solve and things to improve. Use your spare time to learn more about your industry. Think of the opportunities to prosper that lie ahead using this job as a stepping stone for future career growth.
And finally, remember this wisdom from Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs, Somebody’s Gotta Do It): “Dream Jobs are usually just that—dreams. But their imaginary existence just might keep you from exploring careers that offer a legitimate chance to perform meaningful work and develop a genuine passion for the job you already have.”
Best wishes for your successful career growth!