There was a time when simply having a bachelor’s degree was enough to land you a good-paying job in an up-and-coming company. But ever since being a college graduate became the norm to start a professional career in the corporate world, the bar quickly got higher and higher until only a few people could reach it.
Add to that the fact that there are still glass ceilings to break in the workplace, which means that not everyone enjoys the same opportunities as others even though they are eligible for them. Nowadays, climbing the corporate ladder is close to becoming an impossible task. But you can still change that.
You might be lacking in being innovative and showing initiative. Your superiors won’t see you as a leader if all you give is the bare minimum, which is doing what you’re supposed to and nothing more. If you want to be seen as a force to be reckoned with, here are three ways to achieve it:
Earn a Post-graduate Degree
You must understand that you’re living in a fast-paced and ever-evolving world. Every day, there are discoveries, breakthroughs, and trends making huge impacts in their respective fields, which means you can’t stay unchanging. If you don’t keep up with what’s happening around you, your relevant skills and knowledge of your industry will remain outdated.
Imagine that you first entered your job five years ago after graduating from college. Since then, you’ve been in the same position in your company, doing the same things over and over again except for a few alterations to your routine. If you’ve stopped learning new things altogether, then you won’t be able to offer something new to the table.
The times are changing, so it’s only right that you change along with it. If you’re still determined to pursue your career path, you can apply for a non-thesis master’s degree to gain a competitive edge over your peers. With a post-graduate degree under your belt, you’ll have a bigger chance to widen your horizons.
And you won’t even have to let go of your full-time job to earn your degree. There are plenty of universities that offer remote study to working professionals so that they’ll have much better control over their time. Take advantage of this opportunity to increase your existing skillsets and build your credibility.
Use Online Learning Platforms
Aside from traditional learning institutions, you can sharpen your mental acuity and skills by using online learning platforms. Unlike the classes in a post-graduate program, the courses offered in these learning platforms are shorter and more focused on specific topics, which are helpful if you want to learn something new, such as social media marketing or how to code in python.
There are hundreds upon hundreds of free modules, classes, and courses you can enroll in on these online learning platforms. But if you want a more in-depth focus on the topics you’ve chosen to learn about, you have to pay a small fee to access the learning resources and materials for them.
The best thing about using these online learning platforms is that you hold your own time. You won’t have to adhere to a strict schedule or work on a deadline because you’re in charge of when and where you learn. Plus, because everything is online, all you’ll need to learn is a stable internet connection and a mobile device.
Pursue Lifelong Learning
If you prefer a less structured method to help you advance your career, you can also try lifelong learning. This sounds like a heavy burden to bear, but actually, lifelong learning means that you’re choosing to develop your skills and abilities through self-mediated study. So, it’s learning at your own pace.
Lifelong learning removes the pressures often associated with formal education because it’s something you choose to do rather than forced upon you. Through lifelong learning, you can enjoy the process of gaining new skills, improving your existing knowledge, and pursuing your personal growth but without the burden of getting good grades because you’re not doing it for anyone other than yourself.
If you think that you’re not being given growth opportunities in the workplace, you should create them yourself. Show them that you’re an indispensable asset to the company and that they will regret losing a hard worker like you because you can just as easily find another employer who will value your contributions.
But before you jump ship, make sure that you have exhausted all the options in your current company. You might think that your boss is simply giving you the cold shoulder despite all your efforts, but it’s also possible that they’re just waiting for you to ask for a raise or a promotion. So, try those methods first; when all else fails, don’t be afraid to pursue another opportunity.
