What do you do if you're a mid-career professional in Creative Strategy and want to advance your career?

1 Assess your strengths and gaps

The first step to advancing your career in Creative Strategy is to evaluate your current skills and competencies, and identify your areas of strength and improvement. You can use self-assessment tools, feedback from peers and managers, or online courses and certifications to measure your proficiency in various aspects of Creative Strategy, such as research, ideation, prototyping, testing, presentation, and implementation. You should also consider your personal and professional goals, and how they align with the needs and opportunities of the market. By doing this, you can create a realistic and actionable plan to develop and showcase your skills, and to pursue the projects and roles that interest you.

3 Embrace new challenges and opportunities

A third way to advance your career in Creative Strategy is to embrace new challenges and opportunities that can stretch your skills and expand your horizons. Creative Strategy is a dynamic and evolving field, and you need to keep up with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices. You can do this by taking on new projects and tasks, either within your current role or by seeking new roles or assignments. You can also look for opportunities to work in different industries, sectors, or contexts, where you can apply your Creative Strategy skills to new problems and audiences. By doing this, you can demonstrate your versatility and adaptability, and gain new insights and perspectives.

4 Develop your leadership and influence

A fourth way to advance your career in Creative Strategy is to develop your leadership and influence skills, which can help you lead teams, projects, and initiatives, as well as inspire and persuade others. Leadership and influence are not only about having a formal position or authority, but also about having a clear vision, a strong voice, and a collaborative mindset. You can develop these skills by taking on more responsibility and ownership of your work, by mentoring and coaching others, by communicating effectively and confidently, and by fostering a culture of innovation and experimentation. By doing this, you can increase your impact and value, and position yourself as a trusted and respected expert and advisor.

5 Explore entrepreneurship and freelancing

A fifth and final way to advance your career in Creative Strategy is to explore entrepreneurship and freelancing, which can give you more autonomy, flexibility, and creativity. Entrepreneurship and freelancing can allow you to pursue your own ideas and passions, to work on diverse and exciting projects, and to set your own terms and goals. However, they also come with challenges and risks, such as finding and retaining clients, managing finances and legal issues, and balancing work and life. You can explore these options by starting small and gradually, by testing and validating your ideas and services, by building a strong brand and reputation, and by leveraging your network and resources.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?