Professional growth: 10 practical tips

Let those who never wanted to grow in their career throw the first stone and fight daily to develop themselves personally and professionally. And anyone who thinks that growing professionally is only related to a job change is terribly wrong! This development is the result of a change of attitude and the taking of some decisions. Therefore, we separate in this content 10 practical and specific tips to help you in your professional growth. 

However, it is worth remembering that professional growth does not happen overnight. On the contrary, it requires a lot of planning, dedication and persistence. So, if you're new and at the beginning of graduation or your career, but you already know what you want to do for the rest of your life, even better. Yeah, the sooner you start, the better and faster you'll reach your goals. It is also worth remembering that it is never too late to start over, and if you are thinking of changing careers, for example, and do it with dedication and a lot of planning, you also have a great chance of achieving the much-desired professional growth within what you chose. to live.

1. Exercise self-knowledge for professional growth

The first step is to define what you want and where you want to go. Without this, it is very difficult to draw up a professional growth plan. Thus, exercising self-knowledge is of fundamental importance for those who wish to develop personally and professionally. In this sense, some points are fundamental. Check out:

Know what your values 

To start creating success in your career, you first need to understand what your principles are. They are the basis of your conduct, so the more your career aligns with your principles, the greater satisfaction you will have. But what are my values? In short, they are what you consider most important in your life. It's those attitudes and behaviors that will guide your decisions. For example, if you grew up understanding that honesty is one of the principles for a fair relationship, then you might get easily irritated when someone is dishonest with you and tries to outsmart you in some way. To help you define your values, ask yourself:

• What is important to me in life?

• What types of behaviors, attitudes, or stories tend to motivate me? And the opposite, which ones make me angry?

• And finally, what am I most proud of?

Identify your strengths and weaknesses

The second step involves identifying your strengths and weaknesses. So, make a list of the 5 strengths you want to use to your advantage. And identify 5 weaknesses. Do these weaknesses need to be improved for a successful career? From there, you can define which paths you should take to reach your professional goals.

Use your skills

After defining your strengths, it's time to understand how to use them. That is, what do you consider yourself good at? What moments did your skills put you in the spotlight? To get more clarity on what your skills are, ask those you trust to list the key skills they find strength in you. Then take stock of what you consider to be your favorite skills and see how you can apply them in your career.

Assess how much money you want and need

A successful career isn't just about passion and recognition. Money is the basis, after all, without it, we cannot meet basic and physiological needs. In addition, anyone who enters the job market or is considering a career change should do a financial analysis. So make a budget and think realistically about the lifestyle you have, or the lifestyle you want to have. So, do the math and assess how much money, approximately, you will need to receive to support this lifestyle.

Plan

It's time to combine your skills, knowledge, and lifestyle expectations into a career plan. First, you need to do some research into different career scenarios that match your values, strengths, and skills. And from that, list the careers that apply to that scenario. To help, ask yourself:

• What will my routine be like?

• Who will my co-workers be?

• What do I want to achieve?

• What are the main areas of my interest?

If necessary, talk to some professionals in your areas of interest to align expectations and reality. Finally, do long-term career planning, setting weekly, monthly, and even annual goals.

2. Invest in education for your professional growth

Now that you know where you want to go, you need to invest in your education. The current job market greatly values ‚ the investment made in education, knowledge and improvement of your skills. Therefore, it is worth focusing on graduation and, depending on your chosen area, on specializations. Whenever possible, invest in courses that are short in duration and that are timely to build skills. The more prepared you are, the better your professional development will be. In addition, constant study does not only involve technical knowledge. So-called soft skills, which are your behavioral skills, are very important for good role performance, and for good teamwork. We'll talk a little more about them in the next tip. Continuous learning and in-depth knowledge in your career area will set you apart from other professionals in the market. So study whenever you have the opportunity. And never settle or think you ‚Äúknow too much‚Äù. Remember that the market changes very quickly, mainly thanks to new technologies, and those who do not seek to improve their techniques are left behind.

3. Develop People Skills

In the previous tip, we commented on the importance of interpersonal skills. And yet, it is the combination of technical and behavioral skills that will shape an increasingly complete professional to work in the job market. In this sense, if you aim for professional growth, we advise you to consider some aspects. Such as:

• creativity;

• broad business vision;

• empathy and ability to listen;

• patience and resilience;

• organization;

• responsibility;

• collaborative attitude;

• objectivity and clarity;

• ability to resolve conflicts and make decisions;

• and assertive communication.

4. Develop assertive communication

It doesn't matter what area of your life we are talking about, because those who know how to communicate properly are more likely to develop a successful career. In other words, being a professional who expresses himself well makes all the difference in a work environment, such as in meetings, negotiations, feedback, presentations of ideas, and projects, for example. That's because your power of persuasion and oratory will help you to be heard carefully and positively. Communication also helps in the cooperation and engagement of all involved. Therefore, develop assertive communication and try to communicate with clarity, objectivity, respect, and empathy. And that's our number 4 tip for you looking for professional growth.

5. Invest in emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence requires learning to control your emotions and seeking to use them in favor of your professional growth. This intelligence must be developed from childhood. But, it is also possible to improve from the analysis of events and learning to deal with negative emotions. In that sense, don't get carried away by negative feelings like anger, envy and sadness, for example. It's okay to feel these emotions, as long as they don't influence your decision-making.

6. Believe in the power of networking for your professional growth

The word networking may sound strange to those who are still looking for their first opportunity in the market. However, this word has great power in the market and can help you a lot in your professional growth, from the first steps in your career. That is, your network of contacts can start to be built from an early age, and everywhere you go. In the classroom with your classmates or establishing a good relationship with professors, in your internship, in academic activities and even during happy hours at work. Any event can become a great opportunity to make promising contacts. Also, if you haven't yet developed the ability to connect personally with people, a good way to establish connections is the virtual environment, through LinkedIn, for example. What's not worth it is to stay closed in your own bubble, waiting for professional success to knock on your door.

7. Learn to give and receive feedback

Without a doubt, feedback is a powerful tool for professional growth. Yeah, it brings us a return on our actions, behaviors, and results. In addition to helping us recognize our strengths and points, we need to improve. Therefore, face this tool in a positive way and learn not only to receive feedback but also to give it when you deem it necessary. And if you work in a company where the feedback culture is not yet established, learn how to request feedback from your managers.

8. Professional growth: be flexible and organized

There are probably some areas you could see yourself working on. Therefore, experiment and define what your favorite area is, and dedicate yourself to it. If you are still wanting to enter the job market, a good alternative is to get involved in a young apprentice opportunity, where you will have the chance to experience different areas in the company, as a way of learning. However, if you are already working at a company, look into volunteer work or activities in different areas to find out what you like. Flexibility is important for anyone wanting to chart a successful career path. In addition to flexibility, an organized professional is well-regarded by the main managers of organizations. Well, they are those professionals who are always attentive to everyday details. Therefore, learn to plan your day, develop time management skills, and organize your routine so that all your activities can be delivered on time. In addition, to keep productivity high, try to work in an organized physical environment, thus creating a more pleasant environment.

9. Get out of your comfort zone and achieve professional growth

This tip sounds more like one of those motivational quotes you find printed on shirts, but it's the absolute truth. Yeah, it's impossible to achieve professional growth by staying comfortable and stagnant in some situation or position. So, to get out of this position, accept challenges and don't be afraid to take responsibility or explore new possibilities. For example, if you've always had a fear of public speaking, work through that issue by coping. That is, make yourself available to give training in your area, only then will you overcome this fear through constant practice.

10. Have excellent personal marketing

Finally, understand that marketing is not just for companies that want to sell their products and/or services. On the contrary, personal marketing can transform the way you show yourself to the world. For this, you need to learn how to highlight your values and the main positive characteristics. That is, the idea is to make everyone want to work with you. Personal marketing ranges from the way you dress to the way you express your opinion. And it is of fundamental importance for you who want to have a successful career. Once again, social networks have played an important role in this regard. After all, each profile works as a kind of showcase. Just don't forget to show coherence between online life and offline life.