Getting a good job at the start of your career is one of life’s great feelings, but that’s just the start, and if you want to make sure that a comfortable life is ahead of you, getting up the career ladder is vitally important. Here are a few tips to help you get ahead.
First of all, never be ashamed to switch jobs, if you’re in sales, keep a regular eye on the sales jobs pages with companies like Reed. It’s a well known fact that some jobs are more desirable than others, whether that be due to location, pay, or any other factor, so by being prepared to move around a bit, you can advance through the levels surprisingly quickly.

Climbing the Career Ladder
Linked to that, don’t be afraid to take a sideways step to get onto something like a grad scheme. Grad schemes offer rapid advancement and good, on the job, training, and you don’t have to be newly graduated to get a place on one, in fact, you can get them even when you’re in your late twenties. If you’ve come to a career road block, a grad scheme is a good option for you.
Take good care of your own professional development. Most people get swept into the 9 to 5 and forget to continue pushing forwards. There are loads of courses and qualifications you can do that will make you better at your job, and give you the proof that you are better at the job, and if you’re lucky your company will support some, or all of the course. Talk to your line manager about CPD (continual professional development) and see how much they’re willing to help. Look for the chartered bodies for your profession, so, for example, if you’re in administration, take a look at the qualifications on offer with IAM.
Take up other interests, people who are committed to their job are great, but people who get too obsessed with it can come up against solid walls. If you’ve got a problem at work, take some time out, a new idea might come to you when you’re not expecting it, or a solution might arrive from a different direction. Make sure that you continue doing other things in your life, if nothing else it will help should you ever come to an interview.
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, or to take on additional responsibility. It’s very easy to retreat into your area of expertise, but try new things and you never really know where you’ll end up.
Last of all, keep trying, and keep smiling, your managers are the most important people for your career, so providing you get along with them and you make sure you’re pleasant to work with, you’ve got a good chance of moving up through the grades.
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