Keys To A Successfull Career
“Anyone can become successful in America by working hard.” This long-standing mantra has an element of truth, but it's not the whole story. Career success depends on many other things: competence, social skills, support and – sometimes -- just plain luck. Even the best of luck, however, won't help you if you haven't taken the necessary steps to build a successful career.
Become Competent
No matter what your career or industry, competence will take you far. Learn everything you can, practice your skills and take on challenges that will help you grow. This does not mean you should become expert in everything; you can't. What you can do is learn transferable skills that you can take with you to another level or job. For example, learning how to research an issue, influence other people or build a team are skills that can be applied in almost every field.
Try Lots of Things
When you're starting out, you're still learning who you are and what you can do. Every experience builds new skills and knowledge that can be used in another position or job. Many people have a series of careers in different fields these days. You might start out a lawyer and wind up writing books, open a bakery or start a non-legal business. Even if you stay within the same field or industry, a broad base of knowledge makes you more marketable than a narrow specialization.
Find Support
A mentor can help you get ahead in any field. Having more than one supporter, however, allows you to choose among people with different skills and experience. Sometimes the most supportive person might not have any particular level of expertise; she or he just makes you feel better about yourself. In other cases, your supporter might work in a different field but can teach you basic skills that apply in any field or help you problem-solve a particular situation.
Work Smart
It's rare to have career success without working hard, but working smart means you focus on the most important things. Direct your attention to the high-priority projects your boss wants completed, not just the ones you enjoy. If you make a mistake, learn from it rather than trying to sweep it under the rug.
Building a successful career is a worthy goal, but don't ever forget that work is only part of your life. Take time for yourself and try to maintain a reasonable balance between work and life. Treat people well as you move up the career ladder; not only is it the right thing to do, it makes you feel better about yourself, and you never know who might help you move to the next rung.