Have you ever felt like you’ve been working your tail off for what seems like forever for a company but have nothing to show for it?
Perhaps, a coworker is getting all the higher paying projects and the promotions that you feel should be yours?
Not to put too fine a point on it, it stinks!
However, if this is something that keeps happening to you, it may not be your boss’ or your company’s fault. Ultimately, you might just be the thing that is holding you back from reaching your full potential.
In truth, there could be any number of reasons why you’re not getting to where you think you should be. But there are also many ways to pull yourself out of the slump. Read on to learn how you can move up in your career:
Assess Your Situation
The first thing you should do is try to figure out what your specific problem is with the company you’re working for or the customers you’re working with. While sometimes the issue can lie with you, it is important to look at every factor to decide what the real issue is.
As the old saying goes, just because you tend to be a little paranoid, that doesn’t mean somebody isn’t out to get you.
Perhaps you’re doing absolutely everything right, but you still can’t get ahead. It is important to look at the factors outside of your control. It could be as simple as the luck of the draw, that someone got picked instead of you for no particular reason. There could be practical reasons like a tightening budget or downsizing but sometimes, you just get dealt a bad hand. It’s the luck of the draw.
But even in these situations, there is still something you can do. You can adjust your expectations but continue to pursue those promotions and projects. You just never know when your hard work is going to get noticed and the boss will give you an opportunity.
Sometimes, however, you may just have to face up to the fact that the company you’re with isn’t capable of giving you what you want. Like it or not, you may just have to move on to give yourself a chance of reaching your full potential.
That said, it can be a clever idea to talk to your boss about your concerns and see what they have to say. Rather than guess what the issue is, they may just come right out and tell you.
Raise Your Game
One thing that is important to realize is talent alone is not going to get you what you want. If you’re able to complete your work in two-thirds the time of your teammate, most bosses will only see that you’re coworker is putting in more hours than you.
Rather than aiming to complete the task in less time, you have to play the game and do more work in the same amount of time. While this seems unfair – and it is – it is the way the game is played, and you need to accept that fact.
Moreover, you must also be willing to push yourself beyond where you are now. Coasting through the day only doing what is expected of you is not going to make you stand out. Never forget one simple fact: The place where you work is a business and if you want to get more than the person next to you, you must produce more than that person.
Push yourself to do more. Work harder and do more than is required. Take the initiative and go after those more challenging tasks. Manage your time wisely and eventually your numbers will speak for themselves.
Have A Plan
It is important to think strategically and to have a plan for where you want to be. Set goals that include day-to-day milestones as well as the ultimate goal you hope to achieve.
Opportunities and curveballs may push and pull you in different directions but having a plan will allow you to keep pushing forward in the right direction even on your worst days.
At some point, you may decide to your plan needs to change because it’s not getting you any closer to your ultimate goal. While this is not an ideal situation, it will at least make sure you don’t keep spinning your wheels at a company that is never going to get you where you want to go.
