This is a contributed post.
It’s the message we’ve been hearing so much for years: if we push ourselves and work hard, we’ll get anything we want, whatever career field we wish to progress in, whether it’s childminding or quantum mechanics. The American dream has filtered down over the years that we just need to knuckle down, sleeves up and “crack on” – but the big problem that we’ve all seen over the last few years is we end up giving a lot of ourselves to those who may or may not necessarily care about our best interests, particularly in terms of careers.
When you’re starting out in the world of work or climbing the career ladder, it’s vital that, for your sake, you don’t take yourself for granted and not just see yourself as a cog in the machine or feel that you need to push yourself to burnout for the sake of potential career gains. Here are some key strategies to ensure that, wherever you are on your career journey, you maintain the most important thing: your self-value.
Table of Contents
Work Smart, Not Hard
If there’s one rule to live by, and one that anyone starting (or restarting) their career needs to consider, is that there’s a wealth of ways to work smarter instead of harder. We cannot make the assumption that it’s all about working hard and we’ll then get untold riches and platitudes; because we now have to work multiple jobs, particularly in creative sectors, and have a portfolio career. This is why upskilling should be the very core of our professional progress.
Thankfully, there’s a number of ways to do this. AI, for better or worse, can help us learn skills or lessons quickly. A source like Skillfusion can give you an entryway into a world of AI tools that ensure you work smarter rather than harder. If you’re working two jobs or have to split your time between a number of endeavours, it’s tough to even dedicate yourself properly, but needs must, and we should learn that fine art of cutting the right corners. It’s not cheating, but it’s a necessary cheat code.
Work-Life Balance
We must establish clear boundaries between our work and our personal time and if we learn this lesson early on, it will pay dividends when there’s more important things in life, whether it’s children or relationships.
When we’re in our 20s, work can easily be everything, but that’s because we have the time to burn, but slowly, over time, other things become far more important, and we need to learn this lesson as soon as possible. Prioritise looking after yourself, have more hobbies, and focus on outside relationships, as these will all prevent burnout, which is far more common than you think!
Actively Seek Constructive Feedback
We should always remember that if we try the best we can, that’s good enough. And if we’re doing our best, we should look for validation to ensure we are pushing in the right direction. When we start at the very bottom of a career ladder, it is easy to not rock the boat or be the patsy for other people who think that the best way to progress their careers is to treat those beneath them as doormats.
Seek feedback, but make sure you’re getting it from the right people, whether it’s supervisors or mentors. You need to demonstrate that you are committed to growth, but this means identifying the areas you can improve on. If you are working in an organisation that does not give regular one-to-ones or supervisions, you may need to ask yourself if you are actually going to progress in the right ways.
Advocate for Yourself
We should proactively seek opportunities for advancement and ensure that our contributions are recognised. There’s a reason HR laws are in place- to ensure that you can feel like you are a valuable part of your organisation without the worry that you’re speaking out of line.
While the career choice you’ve currently made might not be forever in your mind, you can always maintain a strong sense of self-worth wherever you are. If you are starting out in an organisation where you understand that you are just as important as the top brass, this mindset will translate to other careers.
From tech to tactics, climbing up the career ladder requires a number of approaches; but it’s essential to remember that it is only one aspect of our existence, and it can be easy to take ourselves for granted or just not value ourselves. You are absolutely worth it!