10 Actions You Can Take to Advance Your Career

You've finally decided you're ready to get ahead. But now you wonder what it takes. For anyone looking to move their career to the next level, here are the top ten things to do in order to get a promotion.

Take Time to Build a Track Record

To get a promotion you have to be willing to take on projects and complete them successfully both within and outside the department. This means leading teams in accomplishing goals by staying on target and keeping everyone in the loop. Or consider volunteering for cross-functional teams and reporting the results in order to gain visibility. When you actively participate in company events you show your commitment. Remember: promotions are often given to those who have proven their ability to lead.

Be Willing to Continuously Learn

Continuous learning is the backbone to success. Because the world around us is constantly changing - new technology, new ideas, new methods of doing business - so should we. To get ahead in your career take company sponsored classes that will provide new skills especially if they are management training classes. Take external courses not only related to business, but those that challenge and bring insight. Remember: a college degree never hurts. Read about the industry, but don't forget to learn about the business.

Ask All the Right Questions

You want to get that promotion? Ask about individual performance as well as company performance. From an individual standpoint, it is important to get performance feedback because it is the only way for someone to know if they are doing well. In addition, ask questions about how to get on the management track. From a company standpoint, learn about broader issues and corporate strategies. Gain insight about all operations. Take an active interest in the business as well as in how departments inter-depend on each other.

Be Willing to Adapt and Change

Along with continuously learning and asking for individual performance feedback, the way to a promotion is to be flexible. This means adapting personal style as well as methods of working to fit the current environment. Leaders understand the need to adapt to economic, social, marketplace and organizational changes.

Observe and Use Open Communication

While open communication, a vital soft skill, is important in order to practice performance feedback, it is also means the ability to listen objectively and consider all options. To be promotable, learn and practice active listening skills and keep those who need to be in the know in the loop.

Find a Great Mentor

If you want to get ahead in your career, find a coach. Not a direct supervisor, but rather someone who will take an active interest in providing career guidance from an outside, objective standpoint. Think of a mentor as a personal business coach. This is the person who guides an employee along the bumpy path to success by helping them avoid sand traps in the corporate world.

Develop Great Work Relationships

That old adage of "It's not what you know, it's who you know," is often true. Developing good relationships will go a long way in winning future promotions. It is a known fact that organizations are social entities and developing good relationship-building skills is vital to future growth opportunities. Be a good team mate - someone others know they can depend on. Acknowledge and congratulate others for a job well done.

Act the Part

The only way to gain a promotion is to be promotable. This means not only having the talent, but having the look. A professional appearance along with appropriate work behavior will go a long way toward career success.

Practice Self-Promotion

Braggarts need not apply. However, getting noticed for a job well done is not a crime. Make sure to clearly communicate career goals in order to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

Make a Commitment to Success

Seeking career growth and a promotion cannot be done in a half-hearted way. For the individual who truly wants to climb the ladder of career success it is important to identify and commit to a plan, this way when promotional opportunities become available they will be prepared to accept the challenge.