Don’t Hold Back From Your Career Advancement

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When looking to advance in your career, don’t make excuses for your lack of development.

Don’t tell people your boss doesn’t notice you for promotion.

Don’t tell yourself that you’re not good enough to rise from where you are now.

Don’t decide to put off something you can do today until tomorrow.

Don’t assume you don’t have time to work at your career because of your work-life balance.

It’s possible that you’re not advancing in your career because you are holding yourself back!

Of course, it isn’t always your fault. If you have shown your boss you mean business, but he still doesn’t take you into account for promotion, then the blame can’t be landed on your shoulders. And if you don’t have the skills to get to where you want to be, then advancement will be slow.

However, you do need to take a long hard look at yourself and ask the essential questions.

Am I doing enough to advance my career?

Am I holding myself back from improving my chances?

Are you? Only you have the answer. But let’s consider the excuses you may have made.

My boss won’t give me a promotion

Why hasn’t your boss given you a promotion? Is it because he has overlooked you? If so, then you need to do more to prove yourself.

Stop refusing to work overtime. Don’t turn up for work late, or make excuses to leave early.

And work hard at what you do, even if you have to get your hands dirty doing things that aren’t always at your paygrade.

Don’t assume you are entitled to a promotion if you don’t deserve one. But if you feel you have done your best, then speak to your boss. Perhaps at your next performance review, sit down with him, and showcase your promotion credentials. It may be that he has been too busy to notice you before, but if you speak to him face on, he may finally sit up and realize that yes, you do deserve a promotion. Or he may tell you why you haven’t been promoted yet and give you some advice on the steps you need to take.

I’m not good enough to advance in my career

If you tell yourself you’re not good enough, then you are only damaging your sense of self-confidence. Sure, there will be some jobs you’re not adept at, but with effort and training, you may be able to gain the skills needed to hit those higher positions.

So, look for those training opportunities that will advance your skill level. Find people at work to help you overcome anything you struggle with. Research the positions you are interested in and list the talents that will stand you in good stead, instead of dwelling on those weaknesses you possess that you think will stand in your way.

Nobody’s perfect, but you don’t have to tell yourself “I’m not good enough.” If there is a way to be better at your job, whether it’s to get that promotion, or if you want to move to another company, then stop being hard on yourself, get out there, and do what needs to be done to strengthen your skill set.

I will think about it tomorrow

Don’t say “today isn’t the right time.” Don’t say “I’m too busy to think about it now.” Don’t say “I will do it tomorrow.” Why?

Because you might never get round to it. Ever!

There are always excuses as to why you should put something off until another day. While there may be the occasional good excuse, there may also be excuses that won’t hold up in court (proverbially speaking).

There are often underlying problems at the root of this excuse. Laziness is one, as it can be an effort to take steps to improve our lot in life. It’s easy to put something off because you don’t have time, or because you can’t be bothered, but when will you get round to it?

Another problem is fear. You might be putting off speaking to the boss because you lack confidence. The idea of career advancement appeals to you, but the thought of added responsibility might hold you back. Going back to school to get an added qualification may fill you with dread. Fear. It’s a terrible word, and it’s one that can place limits on us.

So, get over your lazy attitude. And try and face your fears. As the saying goes…

If you want something you have never had before, you have to do something you have never done before.

Do it today!

I don’t have time within my busy life

Now, here’s the thing. Your life may be genuinely busy. You might have family responsibilities that inhibit an advancement. You may not have time to plan. Your life may be so fraught with 101 things filling up your time, that finding time to advance, or moving onto a time-consuming higher level job may seem like an impossibility.

That may all be true. However, even if this is a valid excuse, you need to consider your future.

If you’re not at all bothered about career advancement, then fine. But if you would like to work at your career, but are struggling with your other commitments, then it might be time to make some changes.

For starters, if you feel you don’t have time to go back to school because of your busy life, then why not take a course online? Something like this online MBA can be done at home, and it may be flexible enough for you to do it around those other commitments in your life.

And you may be able to do the course, and all those other things that will help you advance, such as improving your resumé and networking with others, if you let go of any commitments that aren’t particularly beneficial to your life. If your career is important to you, then it’s about making time. And if your life is super crazy now, at least do those things that will prepare you for advancement, as you can then fast-track your ways into advancement should your life calm down eventually.

So, no more excuses. If we have related to you today, then have a rethink about your life and career. If you do want to advance…

Speak to your boss about promotion and do what is needed to prove yourself.

Find ways to improve your skill set.

Do something to help yourself today, rather than tomorrow.

And find ways to free up your busy schedule to give you more time for what you want in life.

 

Ultimately, you need to be responsible for your career advancement, without excuses that may or may not ring true.