The inevitability of career success to those who "move" for it. A commentary.

It's simple: It's inevitable for a person who recognises what he wants in the future, knows his career expectations all well, sees seminar opportunities as career assets, and has a deep understanding of his immediate superior to achieve career success. Are you looking for ways to move your career forward? Ask yourself these questions:

-Where do you want to be in the future?
-Do you wish to make more or is your current salary already okay?
-What do you think of taking on outside assignments?
-How do you see training programmes? Do you find them relevant to your career?
-What do you think of your current job responsibilities? Do you want to reduce them or add more?
-Are you aware of the latest happenings in your field?
-How is your relationship with your boss?

Those with goals are more likely to succeed than those without for the simple reason that goals keep schedules intact and organized. Having goals denote surety and organization -- two things that bosses have at the top of their "Like" lists. In today's unpredictable corporate world, employees who are not afraid of what lies ahead are the "assets". Question number one hints to this.

We're not denying that more people use salary than the thought of being able to experience genuine office camaraderie as the deciding factor in accepting job offers. That's why we've asked number two. Will a higher salary increase your productivity? If it's a yes (and we're assuming that it's for a good cause), then don't hesitate to send a request to your boss. But of course, you'll have to show first that you're qualified for it. You know what we're talking about.


Versatility is an employee plus point as well -- this is what number three denotes. But we're not suggesting you to force-open your schedule for out-of-town tasks for the sake of career advancement. If your schedule allows such tasks, then good for you. If not, then find alternatives that can also show your boss you're versatile. One suggestion is being more active in meetings.

We blog about everything, really, but there's just no denying that we have an uncanny penchant for career change and skills training for career growth. So, what do you think of career seminars? JobsDB.com Singapore believes that being a patron of seminar opportunities awards you an express lane pass to promotion boulevard. This will get you ahead in your company's skills race, actually. More often such events come with a heavy price tag, but you'll get your money's worth in the long run.

We've said it already: versatility is "a key". Being always ready to accept new tasks will show your boss that you have initiative, need we say more? But we're not suggesting you rush on to your current pending tasks to be able to this. Quality is also important here. A balance between quality and versatility is what we want you to aim to have. Find a way to make your current assignments orderly before taking on new ones.

Here's a good career tip: make it a habit to read the news. We've written sometime before in this blog that periodicals are a great career resource (the whole headlines that matter project came from this idea, actually). Doing this will cue you on when is the right time to do certain career moves e.g. salary talks, career change, and promotion request. This will also help you formulate sound (and reasonable) suggestions for meetings.

Yes, you're responsible for your own career, but your boss has something to do about it too. How is your relationship with your boss? If it needs improvement, you know what we want you to do: Talk to him. Now. Frequent communication, although may sound a bit too pushy, is actually one of the oldest entries in the book when it comes to career development.

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