Survive or 'Thrive' in your career?

In today’s world, where the pandemic and several external factors have forced hundreds of thousands of people to lose their jobs or basic sources of income, yet the question remains, what type of job or business engagement one should get into that can excite us and compels us to jump out of the bed and work passionately. 

Holding down a job with some degree of success is something that most people can do without really putting much thought or consideration into the process. However, there is a big difference between simply ‘surviving’ within a job role, and turning your chosen career into a ‘thriving’ career where you can flourish and grow in expertise and standing. In order to really strive for success within your industry, you need to start thinking like an independent entrepreneur, and use skills such as innovative thinking, and out-of-the-box solutions to carve out a place for yourself within your chosen business sector.

If you are unsure of what other skills you will need to develop in order to succeed in your career, then here are some ways you can follow to obtain greater achievements in the corporate world:

1. Being Adaptable 

One of the biggest mistakes that people can make within a job or a business is becoming stuck in the mindset of wanting to stick to a traditional way of working. People easily form patterns and habits that they are used to following, and this can create a reluctance to move forward and grow alongside your industry. If you want to move forward with your career, then you need to be willing to move with the times and be adaptable to any changes within a company, whether those changes are technological, organizational, creative, or personal.

If you don’t feel as though you are constantly learning in order to keep up with your job role, then it is likely that you are falling behind.

2. Being competitive

Success is very rarely just handed to you, which is why you need to have the ability to go out and obtain it for yourself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with forming friendships with your colleagues within your company, but you shouldn’t let this detract from your competitive nature. While too much rivalry within an organisation can be detrimental to the working environment, having a healthy balance of competitiveness is important for separating those who are happy just to get by, from those who are ambitious to rise and shine.

Remember that competitiveness without goals often results in wasted energy, time and effort, so make sure that you are always setting yourself new targets that you want to achieve, and that you are following a clear and linear plan of action in order to see your goals into fruition.

3. Being a Leader

It takes more to lead a team than simply being able to hand out orders. An effective leader is someone who their team can look up to and turn to during times when they need support. Skills such as good communication are vital for being able to work efficiently and concisely with others, and the ability to delegate tasks is fundamental if you hope to lead a team towards success. Some leadership skills may come more naturally to some than others, so to truly understand how to make your mark as a part of the leadership team, you may want to consider attending to a proper leadership course to give you an edge over the competition.

If you want to start advancing in your career, then you need to show that you have the necessary leaderships skills long before you obtain a managerial role. For instance, you could start with taking initiative when working with colleagues by volunteering to help, coordinate and oversee any projects. While it is true that the more responsibility you take on, the more accountable you are should things go wrong, you will find that within an organisation, there is very often no reward without risk.

4. Being Contented

While being able to lead others is vital for being successful at the managerial cadre within an organisation, so too is teamwork. Being able to create effective and productive working relationships is vital for building trust and efficiency within a workplace. It is true that being able to work alone without help is important, however you will find that collaboration often leads to much more innovative outcomes, so, as long as you are able to compromise on ideas. Effective teamwork is also important for building morale within a workplace, as it is essential for people to feel as though their voices and opinions are being heard and respected. The more that you can facilitate these types of cohesive working environments, the better for your own career, and the success of the organisation as a whole.

5. Being Self-driven

No matter how good you are at your job, or how well you feel your career is developing, you should always be striving for more if you want to highlight yourself to be an asset to your company and to your team. Showing that you are willing to always going beyond your call of duty is the key to showing your colleagues that you are not someone who shies away from success. Make sure to always be going above and beyond what is expected of you as a leader, such as supporting your team or offering new business ideas at the meetings, rather than just facilitating the work of others.

Final Word

Jim Rohn once said: “Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” We spend so much of our life at and for work, it makes sense that we should enjoy it, but many of us consider themselves not that lucky.

People work in jobs they dislike or for people who make them unhappy. Perhaps they don’t get the meaning of their jobs or are caught up in the corporate rat race. Yet, they stay back and don’t quit because it’s not that easy. They have bills to pay, kids to feed, or things they need the money for. All they need to learn to strike the balance and learn the secret to thriving at work. We all learned it the hard way. Just recap the article above and review the above five ways suggested and think about it before going to bed tonight. I hope you would find it of some benefit for yourselves and your colleagues. 

Learn how sometimes smaller things in our lives make huge impact and you can take some learnings on a personal and professional level by following me on LinkedIn and on our official website. Also follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Muhammad Sajwani is the Founder and Managing Director of Evolve HR which aims at transforming, enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan, At Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders. As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.