Give your career an edge and undertake a qualification in 2014! Read our 3 Steps to Success below…
Many people start the New Year with resolutions to accomplish great achievements in both their personal and professional lives. When it comes to your career you often want to check that you’re heading in the right direction and that you’re undertaking the necessary steps to guarantee that you’re on the correct path. But when it comes down to the crunch it can seem a tad daunting, even the task of deciding what steps need to occur first and in what order, can overwhelm you. To help you find clarity, these 3 Steps to Success will help position you towards finding the right career path for 2014!
1. What are your objectives for 2014?
A simple question that can open many doors when you take the time to list the goals that you would like to achieve in your professional life. A good place to start when listing these goals is to use the S.M.A.R.T. acronym – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. Being realistic when writing your list will ensure you don’t feel defeated come year end. Take the time and think what is a realistic goal and what will give you a sense of accomplishment.
Questions you can consider is whether you want to enhance your career and move into Program Management field or become a Business Analyst. Or maybe you need to further understand what the Agile approach entails in order to successfully roll-out upcoming projects. Being specific is what goal setting is all about.
2. Don’t get left behind.
If getting ahead is your focus, take a moment to research and understand what qualifications may be required that you undertake in order to reach your objectives.
In current findings released in the Australian Government 2013 annual The Australian Jobs report, evidence supports that jobs being created within the Australian workforce are trending towards the skilled sector, further highlighting the importance of gaining qualifications. The report goes on to state that “Australians who hold a bachelor degree or higher qualification have the lowest unemployment rate and the highest labour force participation rate.” Seek.com further support this statement, with 46% of the 11,000 Project Management jobs currently advertised requesting formal qualifications as an essential prerequisite.
3. Keep up-to-date with trends.
These days you can’t escape the social media train and it’s arguably the easiest platform to safeguard staying current with all the latest trends within your professional field or expertise. Ensuring that you’re plugged into LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ as well as any relevant Project Management industry blogs is an easy place to start with. If anything, subscribe to topics that are of interest to you and that will continue to build a vault of information that eventually may give you more career focus around your next steps. Fundamentally being knowledgeable within your field will better your position for further career development. Get started by following PM-Partners group on LinkedIn today!
It’s also important to attend industry conferences and forums to not only understand the latest trends but to take part in venues that promote networking. Building a strong network of clients and meeting fellow peers within your field can lead to numerous career ventures. PM-Partners group run quarterly seminars presented by our expert facilitators and consultants – best of all they are free!
If you’re having trouble understanding what next steps to take in moving forward with your career, speak to one of our qualified Professional Development Consultants. They will be able to review your current skill level and propose a suitable learning pathway moving forward. PM-Partners has numerous development pathways and we guarantee that we will be able to tailor a plan for your specific needs. Call 1300 70 13 14 today to find out more.
PM-Partners group is Australia’s most highly accredited project and PMO partner. We are the trusted service provider to Australia’s leading and emerging companies, deliver over $1.5B of projects each year and have helped 1000s of practitioners achieve their professional development goals.
Call us on 1300 70 13 14 further information.
Career Focus: how to put your best foot forward