Don't let obstacles stop your career advancement

We have certainly seen a lot of obstacles in our careers over the past year. The pandemic has altered the way many of us go to work, communicate with our peers, lead our teams and conduct a job search. With so many obstacles, it can be easy to become stagnant in our careers and focus on just getting by. However, when we become stagnant, this leads to a lack of overall fulfillment in our careers. How can we overcome these obstacles in order to get to the next level?

We work with mid-career professionals like you every day and have helped them successfully overcome challenges. We want to share three tips that can help you get started today.

Write down your obstacles. Writing down all your current obstacles and looking at them on paper can help you view your obstacles more objectively. You may find that some don't seem so bad when they are written out. Next, you can order them by complexity.

Brainstorm solutions. Identify some of your smaller obstacles and think about what you can do to resolve them. It may not be as difficult as you think. For example, if your obstacle is that you haven't mastered the new technology for your remote position, could you do some research online, take an online course or ask a co-worker to help you? Identify two action steps you can take this week to start to resolve your smallest obstacles. When you have resolved one, move on to the next. By resolving the smaller obstacles, you will alleviate some stress and be able to focus on your bigger obstacles.

Create a career plan. We recommend that all professionals have and actively use a strategic career plan. This can help you keep the big picture in mind and set small, tangible goals for yourself to keep moving forward. This can also help you to anticipate possible obstacles and create a plan to overcome them in advance. For example, if you don't have a certain skill required for the job position you want in the future, you can start working on cultivating that skill now. Volunteer to work on tasks that will help you develop that skill.

Work with a career coach. One great way to overcome obstacles is by working with a career coach. A career coach provides you with greater accountability and can help you stay focused on your long-term goals.

We can't control the obstacles that will come up throughout our professional careers, but we can take control of our reactions. The truth is that you can thrive instead of just survive career challenges and successfully overcome them.

Let's talk about how we can help you overcome your career challenges. Schedule a consult today.