Stuck waiting for Promotion? How to take Control and Stay Relevant
Big Picture
Many of us crave a challenge in our careers to stay engaged. But what happens when you find yourself stuck in a comfortable routine without any opportunities to grow? This is what a friend was complaining about, 1 year after joining an admired company in his industry.?
Why should you care?
Do you feel stuck doing the same things with no promotion in the horizon? It is a mistake to be lulled by an easy job, waiting for the company to promote you. Your skills may become obsolete and find yourself older and unemployable.?
Case in point
For a long time, a friend was frustrated by his job where the manager was shrewd and possibly incompetent. The manager got my friend to do both their jobs, and shrewdly took credit when things went well but blamed my friend when things went wrong.?
As you can imagine, my friend had it up to his neck, often taking work home. However, the boss was not stupid; my friend often got very good salary increases. One day his dream came true, a company he admired offered him a position for a slightly junior position, but higher salary.?
He quickly mastered his new job, due to his experience, but no promotions were coming. His new mantra became, "I'm here to watch my beautiful brain die". What could you have done in such a situation??
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Lesson
It is a mistake to be lulled by an easy job, waiting for the company to promote you. Remember all those excellent typists of the 90s whose 100 words per minute typing speed could not get them an interview for anything. In fact my uncle who was a bank teller in the 90s was forced to accept menial jobs when ATMs got him retrenched.?
You need to always have your mind on improving your skills. Do you need a degree, MBA or professional certification to improve your credentials? Go for it! A friend became a phenomenal presenter when she started using storytelling techniques she learnt from a Udemy course.?
Remember "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn" (Alvin Toffler, Future Shock, 1970).?
Bottom line
The world is changing relatively fast, but your career might not provide opportunities to improve your skills. What are you doing to stay ahead of the curve, sharpening your skills to stay relevant for an unknown future??
Quote:
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn" Alvin Toffler, Future Shock, 1970