6 questions to ask yourself regularly to monitor your career growth
Do you still remember what you say said when an interviewer asked you “where do you see yourself in 10 years”? It was a moment when you publicly declared your career goals.
If you have been working in your field for a few years, it seems you have had enough time to become a professional. But have you done everything possible to get closer to your career goals? Have you taken your skills to the next level?
If you still want to accomplish your 10-year goals, you should continuously monitor your career growth. This is the only way to spot your mistakes and to improve your strategy. Let’s check a list of questions to ask yourself in order to track your actual progress.
Do you find your work challenging?
If you are feeling challenged about work at least 60% of the time, you are heading in the right direction. The more barriers you overcome, the better professional you become.
Kaylee Connelly, student career advisor for EssaySupply.com says: “You should never be afraid to accept sophisticated tasks. Working harder day by day, you master new skills and reveal your hidden talents”.
Are you productive enough?
If you are the best worker in your department, it still doesn’t mean that your productivity is high enough. You shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Instead, you should focus exclusively on your achievements.
As a famous saying goes, the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday. Strive for excellence in everything you do, and then nothing will stop you from being successful.
Are you still feeling excited about what you do?
If one day you feel stuck in your career rut, you should get out of this dangerous situation as soon as possible. There is a high risk that a routine will kill your creativity.
Krystal Hale, HR manager for Onlinewritersrating encourages employees to take more responsibilities: “If you are fed up with monotonous work, ask your boss to assign you with new challenging tasks. Show your wiliness to take risks and accept responsibilities. It will help you to keep growing as a professional.”
Have you recently read any useful books and articles?
As Oscar Wilde said, “you can never be overdressed and overeducated”. So, you should keep absorbing new knowledge no matter how intelligent you are.
You should read at least one book a month and at least one article a week. It will allow you to stay up to date with the news and trends. You may use this information to improve your career strategy and accelerate your professional growth.
Have you attended any events this year?
If you genuinely want to become an expert in your niche, you should visit conferences, workshops, association meetings, exhibitions, and other events. Firstly, it will help you to understand where the industry is heading.
Secondly, you will be able to practice your networking skills.
Thirdly, if you participate in the events as a speaker, you will establish yourself as an expert in your field.
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What lessons have you learned from your recent mistakes?
Failure happens to everyone, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. If you have made a big mistake this month, just make sure that you will never make it again. Moreover, it might be worth mentioning when you write your resume. Of course, you’ll need to briefly explain how you solved this problem and what you have learned from it.
In case you believe that you have made no errors, you should take a closer look at your work. It’s highly likely that you don’t want to admit your failure. But if you truly want to succeed, you have to.
In conclusion
Answer these questions every month, and you will effectively monitor your career growth. This approach will help you to spot your weaknesses and find a way to boost your productivity.
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