The appeal of popular television series Downton Abbey lies in the fascination of early twentieth century bureaucracy, the sumptuous lifestyle of wealthy estate owners, and of course, the suspense of tangled relationships among both the rich and those who serve the rich.
However, one thing is certain. The show’s ratings have nothing to do with viewers watching from home, biting their nails, wondering which maid or butler will get the next raise or leave to own his own estate sometime soon. Ladder climbing and career advancement wasn’t exactly a discussion topic back then — your family’s social and financial status told your story for you.
Thankfully, the 21st century brings a host of options before today’s business people and both rich and poor can choose to climb the corporate ladder — and prepare accordingly.
Gain Inspiration
Moving up requires more than just mental prowess; it requires heart motivation, too. Prepare yourself at every level by picking the brains of experienced colleagues, studying your family tree (what successes or failures run in your family — how can you keep the momentum or change things up?), and reading success stories and inspiring tales from others. Kathy Caprino, writing for Forbes Magazines, recommends William Bridges’ book Transitions to those seeking outside advice as they seek to move from one career to another or one phase to the next. As you seek the advice of those around you, you’ll find more good reads to keep you inspired for your journey.
Choose a post-graduate degree.
One of the most obvious ways to prepare you for career growth is to gain the education necessary for the next level. It’s never too early to start your post-graduate degree, so make an educational plan now. To determine the most ideal degree for your path, ask upper management what they recommend or what they studied and do your research. Look at local colleges and online courses of study. Your employer may include higher education benefits so include those as you work out your budget. Ideally, one class a semester will move you at the ideal speed to the next rung on the ladder.
Develop personal discipline.
Career advancement is like a marathon in many ways, requiring focus, discipline and ever-increasing skill development. Just like a marathon runner plots his course and makes running a part of every day, you should also incorporate personal discipline in each day. Plan to go to work early, and leave late — whatever you need to do to get the job done. Schedule time to learn as well as perform. Perhaps the hardest personal discipline to master, however, is rest. To avoid early burn-out and to increase your personal job satisfaction, schedule time for yourself, too. Get rest and create boundaries. That may mean certain “not available” hours or it could mean an extra long lunch.
Start a mentoring relationship.
Attempting to grow professionally in a vacuum never works. Take the advice of those who have gone before and start a mentoring relationship. Choose a mentor who is where you want to be 10 years from now and ask her if she will be your mentor. Schedule weekly, bi-weekly or monthly meetings with her and use that time to ask questions and let her ask you questions, too. Ask her to introduce you to successful people and offer her something in return, too, like free lunches, tickets to professional events or simple networking and relationship-building opportunities. Over time, consider mentoring someone else to pay it forward.
Perform an envy check.
Leader Glenn Llopis encourages ladder climbers to avoid envy at all costs in order to move up. While a competitive spirit may prove healthy most of the time, when competition stems from envy, it’s likely you’ll lose your necessary focus and grow bitter and more dissatisfied than ever. Furthermore, you can lose confidence and quickly become defined by your bad attitude. Combat envy with a grateful spirit, disciplining yourself to see the good of everyone around you.
Move over.
If you see ladder climbing as mostly a straight-up activity, think again. Robin Maddell writing for The Ladders — a job search website — suggests that leaders stuck in a “hold” position should climb in a zig-zag pattern instead. Just like you might detour on an earlier exit than you would like when trapped in traffic, you can do this in your career, too. Your next position might not be higher up but it could lead upward quicker than your current position. When thinking about how to change career paths, think laterally and you could move faster than you are now.