When we think about developing our career, career opportunities are the holy grail – you can kiss a successful career goodbye if your environment does not offer you relevant career opportunities. It sounds easy in theory, but in practice, career opportunities are so much more than scoring a promotion. Building your career requires you to actively spot and leverage career opportunities that your employer is offering. So, how do you identify these opportunities? How can you take advantage of them? And what can you do if your organization does not offer you any career opportunities? To find answers and tips to these questions, keep on reading!
What are career opportunities?
This one is straightforward. Career opportunities are the extent to which your current employer offers you various opportunities to advance your career according to your wishes. This can include promotions and the increased responsibility, status, and salary that are inherent to them. But it can extend further to include the possibility to switch within the company to a job that is more meaningful or interesting to you. Or, it may include opportunities to develop a CV that will allow you to take the next career step in a different organization.
The benefits of surrounding yourself with career opportunities are plenty! For one, you have a better chance to climb the corporate ladder and enjoy a bigger salary check at the end of every month. But it goes further than material benefits. Having and taking advantage of career opportunities means that you are more likely to score the job you always wanted. And this in turn means that you will be more satisfied with your job and your career in general.
Does your employer offer you career opportunities?
Okay, it’s time to find out whether your current employer is offering you the career opportunities you need to reach your dream career. These two questions can help you reflect on whether you are satisfied with the career opportunities available to you:
- Does the organization I currently work for offer me interesting career opportunities?
- Does my employer hold various interesting positions for my future career?
Take some time to reflect on these questions. Is your answer an enthusiastic “YES” to both of them? Awesome! Now what you need to do is to learn how to actively take advantage of these opportunities! If your answer to these questions is a disappointed “No” – don’t despair, we got you! Keep reading for how you can turn things around.
How to take advantage of career opportunities
1. Actively look out for opportunities.
Here’s the thing – if you have a goal and you want to reach it, you have to become proactive. Waiting around does not help, it will only waste your time. It is in your hand to see opportunities and go for them – it is one of those things where you have control (how great is that!). So, here are a few things you could do.
Think about which job position or project you would like to work on within the next two years. Be specific and think about which topics this project should include, the responsibilities a job position should offer you, and the skills you want to master during that time. Okay, now think about whether your organization offers such positions or projects. Identify what requirements you would have to fulfill to be considered for such job position or project. Do you maybe have to become more of an expert in a field , or do you have to build connections with certain people within the organization? Once you have identified these next steps, work towards them!
2. Consider joining multiple teams.
Joining a second (or third) team next to your main team can be a great opportunity to spot and take advantage of career opportunities. You could for example join a project team that focuses on topics that you would like to work with more in the future, but that are not very prevalent in your current job position.
Besides working on something you are passionate about, when working in multiple teams you will also form new connections with colleagues within the organization. This is great for your career development, because the more people you talk to from different teams and departments, the more likely you are to hear about new career opportunities. Is joining multiple teams something you would like to give a go? Then talk to your supervisor about such possibilities.
3. If all else fails – look for opportunities outside.
If your organization does not offer you with any interesting career opportunities, then it might be time to look for the other fish in the sea. Do some research on organizations that are in line with your interests and your values. Maybe ask your network about career opportunities within the organizations they work in that might be interesting to you. And once you have found a better deal, consider to quit your current job. We understand that this can be a difficult decision, especially when you like your colleagues and don’t necessarily hate your job. However, depending on how important your career advancement is to you, it may be better in the long-term to leave an organization that does not offer you the opportunity to realize your career dreams.
This concludes Career Resource 5. If you want to know more about how to be successful, make sure to read our Ultimate Career Guide!
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February 26, 2022This post is based on the following sources and academic articles:
Hirschi, A., Nagy, N., Baumeler, F., Johnston, C. S., & Spurk, D. (2018). Assessing key predictors of career success: Development and validation of the career resources questionnaire. Journal of Career Assessment, 26(2)
Margolis, J. (2020). Multiple team membership: An integrative review. Small Group Research, 51(1), 48–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496419883702
Ng, T. W. H., & Feldman, D. C. (2014). Subjective career success: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85(2), 169–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.06.001
Photo Credits: Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
