Do you have a job but need a change? Do you know the difference between a job and career? OfficeVibe has an awesome infographic that shows you the difference.
One way to grow a career is to always be looking to improve your current situation. Do you have a job you like? Good, but it will not be the same in the near future. Why? Things change. It’s inevitable.
Talk to anyone and ask them if they have been doing the same exact job for more than say, 5 years. If so, they may be doing something wrong.
The following scripts are little guides to get you from one point to the next by laying out steps to follow to attain a goal. The goal is the same.
Increase your responsibility to grow your income.
In any profession, anywhere in the world, there are levels of employment that can be described the same way
- Entry level
- Experienced
- Management.
That’s it. Guess who gets paid the most? Entry level or Management? That’s right, Management. That’s because they have gained skills and experience and have the responsibility to manage teams of experienced employees. If you want to grow your income, you have to work to get out of entry level jobs and advance to experienced or management jobs.
Working hard at your current job is the absolute minimum. There should be no question that you can do your current work well enough to consider advancing to the next level.
Below are 4 scripts to follow when you finally decide to make the change. The scripts are easy but require some work.
- Grow within a job
- Get a promotion
- Switch jobs with industry
- Switch industries
Each script will give you steps to take that will allow you to attain the goal of increasing your responsibility and growing your income.
Grow Within a Job – Start Small
This one is the easiest to do because it only requires local action on your part and may involve only a few people. If your job allows you to take on more responsibility voluntarily, do so without letting your main job function lapse. Make sure that this is visible, appropriate, and valuable for the company. Create value for the company, and you create more opportunity for yourself.
By creating value for the company, you are showing you can go beyond your current level. This will get noticed and, if the company is paying attention, should be looking to reward your work. If not, you should look to switch jobs that will allow you to grow.
Get a Promotion – Get to the Next Level
A promotion, in this context, is attaining the next job title. Going from Job Title I, to Job Title II. Medium to Large size companies will have a formal job matrix that shows all job titles and responsibilities. Find out what yours is, study it, and make sure you know your title and responsibilities Then, start doing the job of the next level. Don’t ask permission, just start doing the things that the next level up would do. This shows that you already have the skills to do the job that is one level above your title. Then, start telling your boss that you are working towards a promotion. Once the boss sees your extra effort, evaluates your performance according to the next level, you will be on the right path.
Switch Jobs Within Your Industry – Go to the Department Where Things Happen
Now we get a little more difficult. In order to switch jobs within your industry, you need to be in an industry that has multiple functions that will allow you to switch. For example, from finance department to marketing or the other way. The goal here is to get to the department where things happen.
First, select the target move you want to make. Research the skills and experience needed to get the job. Take inventory of your skills and experience and see what matches and where there are holes. Prepare to make the move by talking to people in the position you want. Learn what they do day to day and evaluate if you can do the job. If you determine you can do the job, find out if there is an open position and apply. Some companies allow for job transfers while others have open jobs where inside and outside applicants are treated the same. Find out from the HR department and start the process.
Switch Industries – Go Big or Go Home
This is the most difficult but can be the most worth it. (Link here) If you are in a dying or no growth industry, you need to get into an industry with potential to grow. The steps here are the same as switching within your industry except that you have to get out of your current environment in order to connect with another industry. After selecting the target industry, researching skills and experience, taking inventory of your skills, you need to get out and make some contacts in the target industry. Here is a great how to on switching industries from Forbes.
Nerd Zest is about working hard to live the best life you can. Learning how to increase your job responsibilities to grow your income is a life skill that will serve you until you die. Learn to do this one thing well and you will have no limit to how high your career can go.