As the years pass in your work-life, your skills and abilities change.
Some changes come with experience and getting expertise and familiarity in your work.
Other changes come through on the job training and taking courses and training programs.
Additional changes come through a growing mindset.
These changes create the need for career advancement.
You might become an expert in understanding common and uncommon problems in your line of work and how to resolve them.
You might develop leadership skills and the ability to supervise and guide others.
Your experiences might give you the ability to provide consultation and advice to staff, management, or clients.
You may become an expert in critical thinking and making important decisions for the success of your organization.
The time it takes for a person to develop expertise and competence can range from a few years to more than 10 years.
And with greater skills mastery comes the opportunity for greater compensation. For this reason also, it’s important to identify opportunities for career change so your income can be in line with your skills.
Because of the career development that occurs naturally through work experience, if you’ve been in the same job for many years, doing the same work as when you started, your job may no longer be right for you.
Even if you’ve changed jobs but held work that is largely similar, you still might need a career change.
As your skills and expertise change, some signs might indicate it’s time for career advancement.
Three signs to look for to help you decide when it’s time for a career change:
- Your skills have grown and your current responsibilities or salary doesn’t match them.
- You get bored at your job and the work doesn’t fulfill you, which could indicate they are below your skill level.
- You are taking on greater responsibilities than outlined in your job description.
When you’ve decided that your job is no longer right for you and a career change is needed, an organized exit from your current job into a new job or career line is the next step. This may include applying for a job elsewhere or getting a promotion or job transfer / department transfer at your current company. It may also entail additional preparation like getting formal training or certification in the new career line, identifying and highlighting necessary skills, and optimizing your resume and job portfolio. The steps you take and how you plan your career change can make the difference between a satisfactory and unsatisfactory transition.
