Achieve your career personal best

Achieve your career personal best How To Achieve Your Career Personal BestPosted July 30, 2012, by Molly Wiltshire-BridleTheres never been a better time to reflect on your own performance your career performance, that is. Are you fighting fit and achieving your goals, or have you lapsed into professional complacency? Are you performing at your best, and do you have a plan to get where you want to be? Any elite athlete will tell you that only a small proportion of what they do relies on natural talent and ability the majority of their achievements result from pure hard work, determination and discipline. The rest of us may not be destined for the podium, but we can still aspire to be the best we can be within our chosen arena. That means setting goals, striving for excellence and continual training. Whether youre on the starting blocks of your career or are already well on your way, these helpful tips will ensure youre on track for professional success.Set your goalsEver feel as though youre trudging along with no real purpose or direction? Its a truism to say that if you dont set goals for yourself, youre never going to get anywhere. Many people experience a sense of career disillusionment at some point in their lives.Goal setting can serve to recalibrate your focus and remind you of your original career aspirations. For top-level athletes and successful geschftsleben people alike, setting out a clearly defined goal and plan of attack can help you pole vault your way to the top. Whether its to one day sit in the leather upholstered CEOs chair, complete that arts degreeor do that fitness courseso you can change careers, setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. schauplatz your goal is the first step then its just a matter of mapping out the steps to achieve that goal. No matter how big or small, organising your time and resources around a series of objectives will help boost your self-confidence as you see your progress and edge closer to achieving your personal best. If visualising your career 10 years down the track seems all too daunting, it might be useful to break your goals down into smaller targets. A good place to start is with the SMART mnemonic, often recommended by sports psychologists. S specific M measurable A attainable R rewarding T trackable Setting your goals around these five basic principles will help you remain focused, positive and realistic. Its also important to remember to periodically review your goals to ensure you remain on course. If youve ticked off gain my Six Sigma Black Beltcertification, then its time to think about whats next. In no time at all, youll find yourself tearing ahead of the competition.Do the training and get fitIt goes without saying, but practice makes perfect. Whilst elite athletes devote countless hours to physical fitness and technique, there are several less gruelling ways that you can get ahead in your career. Some form of initial trainin g and qualification will kick-start your career, but dont think it ends there. Ongoing professional training and developmentwill supplement your experience-based knowledge, broaden your skillset and propel your professional advancement. Education is the key to unlocking your potential and refining your expertise. Think of it as a chance to rehydrate in the marathon pursuit of career success. Regardless of your field, nothing could be mora important than keeping up-to-date with evolving industry practices and standards. This entails continual professional development in the form of in-house training, workshops and seminars, completing a diplomaor perhaps doing postgraduate study. Thanks to the convenience of angeschlossen study, you can now do many courses and degrees by distance, so you can upskill and retrain while maintaining your full-time job. Is it time for you to step up and take on board a leadership role within your organisation? Then consider enrolling in one of the man y project management courses on offer. Or perhaps youre looking to ascend that little bit further up the corporate ladder? An Executive MBAwill help you on your way. Whatever your industry, continual self-assessment, training and a healthy dose of perseverance will keep you on track to achieving your best.Find a coachThey say that behind every great sportsperson is an even better coach, and the same can often be said for career high achievers. Coaches can take various forms. An experienced industry leader can be an invaluable source of guidance, insight and first-hand knowledge. Take the time to foster a professional relationship with a career mentor, and youll be racing off the blocks. Your mentor could be your boss or other senior personnel at work, or someone you meet at an industry networking event. It could be a LinkedIn contact who you can email for advice, or even a personal friend or family member who you can bounce your ideas off, who can provide wise counsel. It could a lso be a professional career coach whose job is to train people for success. Beyond providing unparalleled expertise and inspiration, a career mentor can act as a conduit for reaching out to new contacts and expanding your networks. A conference invitation here and a few handshakes there, and before you know it youll have a bank of valuable contacts to call upon all of whom have the potential to help guide you through the sometimes tricky obstacle course of your career. Just remember to return the favour whenever you have the chance. Many universities now recognise the value of career mentoring, and have established programs to nurture professional affiliations while you study. It can also be worthwhile asking whether your employer has in place any mentoring programs, as many organisations are more than happy to pair you with a senior employee/mentor. They might dish out a bit of tough love every now and again, but a well-utilised career coach will have you clearing every hurd le on the way to achieving your personal best.Go for itIf youve noticed career fatigue starting to kick in, then following this simple regimen will have you kicking goals in no time. Using a combination of realistic goal setting, persistent training and the occasional helping hand, you, too, can reach your personal best and achieve more than you ever thought possible. You just have to go for it The final key to fulfilling your potential will be to make sure that youre not the only one who knows your worth dont hide your light under a bushel Whatever your achievements, you wont get the job you deserve unless you can showcase those achievements and present yourself in the best possible light. That means youll need an impressive resume that highlights your track record and all the great skills and qualities you have to offer. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resou rces OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchescareer researchhow to become a personal trainer in australiacareer objective for finance resumecareer advice websitescareer finder sites CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire erreichbar Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineMolly Wiltshire-BridleRelated ArticlesBrowse moreCareer progressionUniversityPostgraduate Study... Whats It All About?Whether you do it to advance in your chosen field, jump in at a higher level, change to a completely different career, or just out of sheer interest and passion, postgraduate studies can be a more than worthwhile pursuit.Gig EconomyUnusual jobs10 Gig Economy GigsA flexible schedule, setting your own rates and working from home are big benefits of the gig economy. Could it work for y ou too? Check out these 10 gig economy jobs.Career progressionNetworkingHow To Follow Up With A New Networking Contact An Email TemplateNetworking is all about the follow-up. But theres no denying that it can be pretty awkward reaching out to someone youve met only once. So, if youve struck gold and found someone you want to keep in touch with, heres how to reach out to them.

How to Turn Your Temp Job Into a Full-Time Job - The Muse

How to Turn Your Temp Job Into a Full-Time Job - The MuseHow to Turn Your Temp Job Into a Full-Time Job You nabbed a spot at a company youve been coveting for months. The work is great, and the people are some of the best and brightest youve ever worked with. You could really see yourself growing there, moving up the chain of command, and having a strong impact on the companys success.Theres just one tiny problem. You were hired as a short-term employee. Your contract expires in three, four, or six months. No one has approached you about a full-time job, and youre starting to worry its notlage going to happen. Well, push that concern aside (and yes, you might have to do this mora than once), and remember how awesome you are. Of course, in addition to that pep talk you give yourself, youll need to take action as well. Below are three things you can do to help turn this into a full-fledged position, no matter the situation. Follow these tips, and your best holiday gift might just be th at job offer youve been hoping for (with, wait for it, benefits). 1. Make Yourself IndispensableThis may seem rather obvious, but youd be surprised by how many temp workers- yes, even ones who really, really long to be one of the full-timers- dont think about how being readily available and enthusiastic about whatever work theyre given can boost their prospect of being hired beyond the contracts end date. This isnt to say that you need to work 16-hour days to get an offer, but this is absolutely the time to request extra work and offer to help a co-worker. Aim to tackle every task (mundane or not) with unbridled enthusiasm. Demonstrate your professional work ethic and strong skill set with every thing that is expected of you. Keep an eye out for what tasks people hate doing, and then offer to do them. Long story short Do work thatll make your supervisor and your team wonder how they ever functioned without you. 2. Go Above and Beyond the Job DescriptionAs a short-term employee hop ing to stay on longer, learning the ropes and doing whats expected of you is simply not going to cut it. Once you have a handle on your day-to-day responsibilities, make a point to find some work thats not necessarily in your job description, but that youre comfortable tackling. This is not the time to do the bare minimum this is the time to over-perform. Step up your professional game and show this new job why it cant afford to lose you. If theres no more work to do on your team, reach out to someone on another one. Over coffee, inquire about areas you might be able to lend a hand. If youre not comfortable doing that or arent sure that youre up to the task of performing within another department, brainstorm innovative ways you can add to your own teams projects. That might mean compiling data in a spreadsheet, organizing client files, or researching customer service approaches- really anything that your co-workers dont have time to do. 3. Communicate Your Desire to Join the Company Full-TimeThis one might sound too straightforward, but a surprising amount of people forget to have this key conversation. So, if you jumped at the short-term opportunity because it was a way to get your foot in the door, but you never actually expressed interest in being there in a more official capacity, nows the time to speak up and sell yourself. Have a conversation with your manager and emphasize how much youre enjoying your work. Dont be afraid to directly ask about potential long-term positions, as well as what steps youd need to take to get hired. Clearly stating your desire to continue working with the company is a move you shouldnt take for granted.Even if your boss responds that theres no budget to hire you now, take advantage of this one-on-one conversation by using it as an informal review. Ask for feedback on your performance so far, as well as what you could be doing better. Inquire as to whether theres anything you can take off his or her plate. Because, to go back to tip number one, the more indispensable you make yourself, the more your manager will make an effort to find money in the budget.Because you dont know if the company brought you on short-term as a test of sorts- are you the right fit? Do you have the skills needed to succeed in the role?- you dont want to underestimate the impression youre making and whos taking notes. Do everything you can to prove yourself in the short-term, and you just might land a full-time gig. Photo of woman working courtesy of Shutterstock.