For many people nowadays, career growth and career development are necessary for fulfilling personal and professional expectations. They are necessary for anyone who strives to climb the corporate ladder, achieve set goals, and reach top-rated positions. The desire to improve personal and professional perspectives has drastically increased within the last year, as the pandemic changed the way people developed professionally.
Many jobs were lost, yet, new career prospects emerged, enough to emphasize the importance of developing new skills, changing careers or jobs, getting hired, or being promoted. Found at a professional crossroads, many individuals are seeking effective ways to enhance their employability and develop their skills (read more on the job vs career). One powerful approach is to identify and leverage personal strengths.
The HIGH5 strengths test offers a comprehensive assessment that helps individuals uncover their unique talents, providing a solid foundation for career growth and development. By understanding their innate strengths, professionals can make more informed decisions about their career paths and focus on roles that align with their natural abilities. In this article, we will distinguish career growth and career development and discuss different ways to increase your chances for promotion and success.
What is career growth?
What is career growth? Career growth in its essence means strategic effort to climb the corporate ladder, focusing on pre-established goals. It is quantitative, and it can be measured, i.e., you can see yourself going from a lower to a higher position. But, career growth also includes aspects slightly different from just being promoted, i.e., it involves all the factors needed to reach the corporate summit.
These factors involve:
- Acquiring and utilizing new skills to help you gain professional achievement or recognition
- Being employed by an industry leader can provide opportunities for professional advancement. This is usually a reciprocal process since everything that you have acquired can be used to promote the company, develop new products or ideas, and/or make an impact.
- Having an opportunity to overcome challenges successfully, handle new responsibilities, recognize and work on breakthrough concepts, and stand for and defend major decisions.
Having said this, one could see career growth based solely on merits and the ability to prove oneself worth having a promotion and better position. It means more responsibility, more personal involvement, and more reward. But, it could also depend on subjective opinions that might not always align with objective merits and achievements.
Corporate environments happen to be biased, and not anyone who deserves a promotion and a better position has the chance to get it. Therefore, it is crucial to know how to make yourself visible to the management and how to make an impact that will eventually lead to getting a well-deserved position.
Importance and benefits of career growth for employees
Career growth gives employees a sense of purpose and motivation, leading to higher job satisfaction. It helps them build new skills, advance professionally, and increase their earning potential. Growth opportunities also improve employee engagement and retention.
Importance and benefits of career growth for employers
Employers benefit from career growth by fostering a highly skilled and motivated workforce, reducing turnover rates, and increasing productivity. Career growth paths attract top talent and help companies cultivate future leaders from within the organization. This investment also promotes loyalty and long-term organizational success.
Step-by-step guide for career growth
The following steps will help you develop a clear path to achieve long-term career goals.
Set clear goals
The first step in career growth is setting specific, measurable, and achievable career goals. These should align with your long-term vision and can range from obtaining a particular job title to developing expertise in a niche area. Breaking down larger goals into smaller, actionable steps helps maintain focus and track progress more effectively. When setting goals, use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to ensure they are clearly defined and practical.
Assess current skills
Once goals are set, evaluate your current skills to understand where you stand in relation to your career objectives. This involves a thorough assessment of both your hard skills (technical expertise) and soft skills (communication, leadership, etc.). Identify any gaps in skills that could prevent you from advancing, and seek feedback from peers, mentors, or supervisors to get a well-rounded view of areas for improvement.
Seek learning opportunities
To bridge the gap between your current skill set and your career goals, pursue relevant learning opportunities. This can include formal education such as certifications, workshops, or degree programs, as well as informal learning like attending webinars, reading industry-specific materials, or participating in on-the-job training. Continuous learning ensures you stay current with industry trends and technological advancements, making you more competitive in the job market.
Network and find mentorship
Networking is a critical component of career growth, as building relationships with industry professionals can open doors to new opportunities. Attend industry events, join professional organizations, and engage with others on platforms like LinkedIn to expand your professional circle. Additionally, seek out a mentor – someone who has experience in your field and can offer advice, feedback, and support. Mentorship can provide valuable insights into overcoming career challenges and achieving your objectives more efficiently.
Track progress
Regularly tracking your progress is essential to ensure you stay on course toward achieving your career goals. Periodically review the milestones you’ve set, and assess whether your actions are yielding the desired results. Adjust your strategies as needed, whether that means setting new goals, developing additional skills, or seeking new networking opportunities. By consistently monitoring your development, you can maintain momentum and make informed decisions about your career trajectory.
8 additional ways and tactics for career growth
In addition to setting goals, assessing skills, learning, networking, and tracking progress, here are five more strategies that can accelerate your career growth:
Embrace feedback and continuous improvement
Regularly seeking feedback from supervisors, colleagues, and mentors is crucial for career growth. Constructive criticism helps you understand areas for improvement that you may not have noticed on your own. Being open to feedback and proactively acting on it demonstrates a commitment to personal development. Make a habit of reflecting on feedback and adjusting your approach, whether it relates to work habits, communication, or leadership.
Develop leadership skills
Leadership abilities are highly valued in many organizations, even if you’re not in a formal leadership role. By cultivating skills like decision-making, conflict resolution, and team management, you prepare yourself for future roles that require greater responsibility. Look for opportunities to lead projects, volunteer for leadership positions, or mentor others within your organization. Even small steps toward demonstrating leadership can position you for promotions and greater influence.
Build a personal brand
In today’s digital age, creating a strong personal brand is essential for career growth. This includes curating a professional online presence, sharing thought leadership content, and showcasing your expertise through platforms like LinkedIn, blogs, or industry forums. A well-developed personal brand helps distinguish you from others in your field and can attract new career opportunities, collaborations, or clients. Ensure that your online profiles reflect your professional goals and accomplishments.
Take on stretch assignments
Stretch assignments are tasks or projects that push you beyond your current skill level or comfort zone. By taking on these challenges, you not only learn new skills but also demonstrate to your organization that you are adaptable and capable of handling greater responsibilities. Volunteering for cross-functional projects, international assignments, or high-visibility tasks can broaden your experience and make you stand out to decision-makers in your company.
Cultivate emotional intelligence (EQ)
Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions as well as the emotions of others. High EQ is linked to better leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution, all of which are critical for career advancement. By developing skills like empathy, self-awareness, and effective communication, you can build stronger relationships with colleagues, handle workplace challenges more gracefully, and position yourself as a trusted leader in your organization.
Speak up when an opportunity arises
We’ve often heard that patience is a virtue, and more or less, that’s a pearl of life wisdom. However, when it comes to your career growth, you’ll need to know where and when you’ll draw a line between waiting for your managers to realize that you deserve something more and standing up for yourself. If we lived in an ideal world, then we’d probably arm ourselves with virtues and wait to get our reward.
But we don’t! So, some of the biggest corporate wisdom is to know how to take a stand for yourself. You surely don’t have to take advantage of everything that gets along the way or try to diminish other team members. When the opportunity arises, just say that it is what you hope to get. Make it clear that you aspire to a higher position and are committed to contributing to the company’s success.
To strengthen your case, consider taking the HIGH5 strengths test. This assessment can provide valuable insights into your unique talents, allowing you to articulate your strengths more effectively to management. By demonstrating a deep understanding of your capabilities and how they align with the company’s needs, you position yourself as a strong candidate for advancement. The HIGH5 test results can serve as a powerful tool in these conversations, helping you showcase your potential and readiness for new challenges.
If you don’t be open about your career expectations and don’t bring it forth to the management, they can’t see you as a serious candidate. If there is competition for a higher position, consider what your advantage is over the other candidates, and make it clear when asked. Emphasize any skills that you might have, but the management is not aware of and provides a vision of how you can make the company grow using your skills. Remember, the management must be sure that you are ready to overtake more challenges and have the potential to tackle them successfully.
Speak up before an opportunity arises
What’s even more recommended is to state your career expectations even before any possibilities arise (learn more about career planning). There are different ways you could do this, depending on your role in the company and the status you have there. You might have made that clear when you had your initial job interview or when your position was reviewed, but you must have realized that this information is usually ignored or seldom taken for granted.
Inform your manager that you are ready and willing to take up more responsibilities or that you expect to get that promotion. It won’t hurt anyone if you deliver a monthly report of all your completed projects, including a note of your expectations. However, be careful not to make yourself too imposing or rude in expressing your growth determination.
Find out what training you need and pursue it
If you have a specific position in mind, then find out what additional qualifications you’ll need for that job. Sometimes, it takes mentorship from a more experienced person, so if there’s someone you can look up to, talk to that person and learn from him/her. Never hesitate to ask questions and clear out everything that confuses you. First-hand learning is always best acquired when observed and guided.
While some positions may require formal qualifications like MBAs or new degrees, it’s equally important to focus on developing your innate strengths. The HIGH5 strengths test can be an invaluable tool in this process. By identifying your top strengths, you can target training and development opportunities that align with your natural talents. This strengths-based approach to skill development not only enhances your existing capabilities but also helps you stand out in your field.
For instance, if the HIGH5 test reveals that one of your strengths is ‘Strategic Thinker,’ you might focus on advanced problem-solving courses or strategic management workshops to further hone this skill. Going back to school might scare you at first, but it is the only way to get the job you’ve always dreamt of. And nothing is too difficult if you truly want it, isn’t it?
Other career paths don’t impose academic achievements, so you should always know in advance what kind of development you need to be qualified for the desired position. And finally, never underestimate experience and proficiency in doing a job, since they are valuable assets when applying for a new position.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
After taking the HIGH5 strengths test, create a personalized development plan that combines formal training with strengths-based learning. For each of your top strengths, identify one professional development activity (e.g., a course, workshop, or mentorship opportunity) that will help you leverage that strength more effectively in your current or desired role. This targeted approach ensures that your professional development efforts yield maximum results.
Reach out of your comfort zone
We love our comfort zone. That’s why it is called the comfort zone first place. It’s like laying comfortably on your sofa doing nothing. But, ask yourself: “Have you ever done anything substantial while being comfortable and relaxed?” Most likely, you haven’t, and that applies to your career development as well. Getting out of your comfort zone means doing things that are either unfamiliar or challenging for you.
Things that you’d be struggling to do, things that will tempt you to give up, but that is the breaking point where your persistence and character strength will come to the surface. If you are timid and withdrawn, try to make yourself visible by offering assistance, sharing new ideas, or doing extra work. Volunteer in projects that appeal to you and make valuable points to help teams grow. Create business and personal relationships, and be friendly and helpful to your coworkers as their support and even recommendation can be invaluable at times.
5 career growth examples
Changing job roles
Transitioning to a new role at the same level within the organization to gain new skills and experiences.
Job promotions
Advancing to a higher position with increased responsibilities and compensation, reflecting career progression.
Skill development programs
Participating in training or courses to improve competencies, leading to more advanced roles.
Mentorship
Engaging in mentor-mentee relationships to gain insights, advice, and guidance for career advancement.
Cross-departmental projects
Working on projects in other departments to diversify experience and develop broader organizational knowledge.
Differences between career growth and development
Unlike career growth which is planned and strategic, career development is transformative, i.e., it defines all the changes that happen to you while you aspire to reach your goals. Career development encompasses all the knowledge, skills, and experiences you acquire on your growth journey. It profoundly impacts your personality, attitudes, problem-solving approaches, and overall professional identity. The HIGH5 strengths test plays a crucial role in this developmental process by providing a framework for understanding your innate talents.
By identifying and focusing on your top strengths, you can accelerate your career development in a way that feels authentic and energizing. For instance, if ‘Empathy’ is one of your key strengths revealed by the HIGH5 test, you might find that developing your emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills comes naturally and contributes significantly to your overall career progression.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
Integrate your HIGH5 strengths into your daily work routine. Each week, choose one of your top strengths and consciously look for opportunities to apply it in your tasks and interactions. Keep a “strengths journal” to record how you used the strength and the positive outcomes it generated. This practice will help you become more adept at leveraging your strengths and demonstrate their value in your professional context.
Career growth FAQ
What are the types of career growth?
There 4 different types of career growth opportunities:
Knowledge-based – Requires theoretical and practical knowledge you’ve gained over the years.
Skill-based – Requires specific skills and abilities that you can gain and use to perform efficiently. These can be physical, technical, or service skills.
Entrepreneur-based – Requires the ability to work on your own and solve problems based on your independent creative thinking skills.
Freelance – Organizations and employers hire freelancers for specific jobs or projects. Typical freelancing jobs include graphic design, programming, copywriting, or marketing.
What is a career growth opportunity?
If your career path provides a growth opportunity, it means that you can develop new skills, improve your abilities, and take part in new experiences in order to become a professional in your own field. Career growth opportunities are key to job satisfaction, motivation, engagement, and, therefore, great job performance. It’s crucial for everyone who wants to advance in their careers and grow professionally.
What are the 5 stages of career growth?
The five stages of career growth are exploration, establishment, mid-career, late-career, and decline/retirement. Each stage represents a phase of professional development, from learning and skill-building to leadership and eventual retirement.
How can I improve my career growth?
You can improve career growth by setting clear goals, developing new skills, networking, seeking mentorship, and consistently pursuing new challenges or opportunities. Regularly evaluating progress and staying updated with industry trends also help.
What is another word for career growth?
Another term for career growth is professional development. It refers to the ongoing process of acquiring skills, experience, and knowledge to advance in your career.
What are career growth plans?
Career growth plans are structured outlines that define an employee’s career goals and the steps needed to achieve them. These plans often include skills development, mentorship, training, and performance milestones to track progress.
