9 Tactics to Achieve Long Term Career Success

You’ve got a Six Figure Asset sitting between your ears...

just waiting for you to leverage it to it’s maximum potential.

If you want a better life, a better career, more money and higher job satisfaction, then consider how you will tick each of these boxes off your checklist:

Future Proof Your Career  - Change is a constant in the workplace.

This means that what we are doing now will be different in the future.

Developing skills for your future as well as for today.  Keep in mind that technology and a changing market will require different skills from you in the future.  It’s your job to keep aware of what types of new jobs and opportunities are surfacing, and for you to tailor your career path to follow the needs of your target industry.

Career Proofing Kit

1. Take the Initiative to Continually Develop Your Skills, Knowledge and Experience – Invest in your self by completing a major course every 2 years that is going to help you get into the next level of your career. Concentrate on the big important factors, like improving your Leadership, communication, innovation and interpersonal skills (just to name a few).

2.  Find a company that Supports Professional Development.  Getting into a company that is renowned in its industry for developing its people is definitely a smart move. Traditional examples are the large organisations such as the banks, the big 4 Accounting companies, and international brands. When you work for this kind of company, you are enrolled in a continuous development program that goes well beyond the technical skills you need for your current role. This forms a great foundation for a successful career.

3.  Get and remain tech-savvy.  Much of the change we see has to do with new technology.  Keep your technical skills current, otherwise you’ll look like a dinosaur when people read your resume. If that means learning how to participate in a Webinar, use Linkedin or Facebook (for business purposes), or create your own blogging site, then do it. There are enough FREE YouTube tutorials on these topics for you to teach yourself one night after dinner. 

4.  Think global.  In many industries, geographical barriers to business are getting less and less relevant. Your co-workers, clients and stakeholders now and in the future can be from anywhere in the world. The more experience you get, the more confidence you will have when working in the global marketplace. This will make you much more attractive to employers of the future.

5.  Create and maintain a success journal.  The time to start thinking about your achievements and skills is not when you are looking for a new job. You have to be proactive and take continuous inventory of what you do really well, the accolades you have been given and the noteworthy results you've been responsible for. Employers want to know what you will do for them. When you have a ready list of things you have done, it is much easier to recall your most relevant rewards and skills.

• Track your duties, projects and results.
• Keep a list of professional development activities you've participated in.
• List the training you've completed.
• Note your volunteer work.
• File your performance reviews and the written letters and emails you receive that note your performance.

6.  Build and maintain a professional network. You should be developing relationships with people both within and outside your organization....(PS. Get Onto Linkedin as a quick and easy way to develop your industry network).   Your network of contacts will be invaluable as the landscape of work changes. They can bring you along with them as they weather the changes and can provide opportunities when your current position looks a bit uncertain. When you add a mentor or two to your network, you have the added bonus of learning new skills, technologies and strategies that will help you move your career in the direction you want.

• Join Linkedin and get previous colleagues to publically recommend your work
• Collect business cards and keep in touch every 2 or 3 months
• Keep track of former bosses and colleagues
• Join professional networking associations
• Build relationships beyond your current career or industry

7.  Scan the environment. Be aware of changes and trends in the economy, your profession and the industry you are in. No one can accurately predict the future; however, stay ahead of the crowd by keeping yourself informed and choosing to work in industries and for employers that have long-term sustainability.

Overall, avoid industries and companies that are on a downward slide. Being an expert in a dying field may provide a niche strategy into the medium term; however, you will eventually have to leave. It is better to prepare now.

8.  Keep a clear career path open. You may be fortunate enough to be in an organization where there's a clear and attractive career path ahead of you. For many, this will not be the case.

This may not be a problem if you're in a fast growth industry ? if you're good at what you do, opportunities will most-likely appear with alarming regularity. However if you're in a slow growth industry or are one in decline, then this is a problem: There may be no onward path, and development may be blocked, however hard you work. This will lead to frustration, boredom and, in the long term, failure to achieve your potential.

This is where you need to review your options and take action to unblock your career, even if it means a job- or career-change.

9.  Develop resilience. Because the future is uncertain, you will probably encounter setbacks no matter how much you prepare and plan. People who will emerge successful are those with the ability to bounce back and consider such setbacks as learning experiences.

ACTION STEP - Write down Your Answer to this Question 

What should you be doing now to make sure you don't find yourself facing a dead end in your career,

with no opportunity to change direction without crashing?