C A R E E R
What
Accountants And Professional People Need To Move Forward In Their Career
As
an accountant by profession and through working exclusively with professional
people at Goals and Achievements, I see a lot of people who are fantastic
within their area of professional expertise but really struggle to get ahead in
their career.
It
would be easy to say that it is simply a case of mastering the interview
process and all will be different. The reality, from working with clients and
having personally climbed the career ladder from £30 a week Payments Clerk to
Finance Director of a major organisation, is very different.
So
here is my list of what I see as key to moving forward in your career and
achieving the results and success you desire:
Ability
To Manage A Team
Many
professional people get promoted on the basis of their technical competence.
They then find themselves managing a team, projects, processes and systems and
often find it a struggle. It is easy to dismiss this as the soft and fluffy
stuff but in my experience being able to manage is not optional.
Ability
To Lead
By that I
mean the ability to drive things forward, get buy-in and support and contribute
beyond your area of direct expertise.
Ability
To Build Relationships
These days
it is key to build relationships within your own area, across the wider
organisation and even with people in client or partner organisations.
Ability
To Make The Complex Simple
This is
essentially about providing expert advice in plain and simple ways to the lay
person.
Strong
Communication Skills
Successful
professional people can get their message across easily verbally and in
writing. They also are great listeners too.
Ability
To Work With People At All Levels
You need to
be able to get your message across and create relationships with people at all
levels across the organisation.
Be
Able To Run and Lead Projects
These might
be related to a new system implementation or integrating an acquisition.
Able
To Influence
Quite often
that means being able to adapt their style to fit the person or the situation
they are dealing with.
Create
and Deliver Change
Challenging
economic times necessitates innovation from everyone, including professional
people.
Build
And Maintain A Network
A network is
not just a source of job opportunities but a group you can call on for advice
and support or simply to bounce ideas off.
Selling
Skills
Vitally
important if you are working in a professional services firm that makes its
money selling services to clients.
IT
Skills
How to
utilise IT to facilitate efficiency, effectiveness and cost reduction.
Market
Yourself
In
particular, create a CV or résumé that gets you noticed.
Interview
Skills
Whether
people like it or not, a lot of the decision about recruiting comes down to how
well people perform in interviews.
A
Good Understanding Of Business
You don’t
need to be an expert in every area of business, but you do need to have a good
understanding of different areas of the business and the dependencies.
Confidence
And Self-Belief
This is what
will ultimately drive you forward even when the going gets tough.
The
Bottom Line: Being highly competent in your professional field is no
longer a guarantee of long term success in your career.
Sometimes
as we climb the careeer ladder we get so involved in work that we forget about
everything else.
In
this short video I am sharing 10 tips designed to help you to maintain some
balance as you progress your career.
If
you have additional tips of your own, please add a comment.
If
you are a professional person you know that you are pretty good at what you do.
More than likely you will have gained some advanced level qualifications. So
without doubt you will have the potential to be successful in your career. Yet
in reality many professional people in my experience fail to fulfil their
potential. Why is this and what can you do differently to realise your
potential and the rewards you desire?
Problem
1: You Don’t Know What You Want
Sometimes
when I ask people to define what they want or what would be their ideal, they
tell me all the things they don’t want. Eventually we get to there but if you
want success you need clarity about what you want.
Solution: Write down
all the things you want from your career. Don’t just restrict it to the
tangibles like salary and benefits. Consider intangibles too like the type of
work, type of organisation, type of people, types of challenges to name just a
few.
Problem
2: People Are Passive
If
you are like many, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that your boss
or HR will take charge of your career for. If so, think again. A passive
approach leads to progress in some cases but not optimal results.
Solution: Take
control and be proactive with your career. Find out about more senior roles and
what it takes to be successful. Read the biographies of successful people.
Problem
3: People Don’t Package Themselves Effectively
Maybe
this is a British thing but we are not always the best at positively promoting
what we have to offer. This is not just in interviews but also in CV’s, resumes
and application forms.
Solution: Make time
to discover what your best skills and qualities are and then make sure you
promote them effectively.
Problem
4: They Give Up Too Quickly
People
tell me that there are too many people chasing each opportunity. Without doubt
there are more candidates chasing each opportunity at the moment so you are
going to get a few rejections. Reality is too many will give up too quickly.
Solution: Ask for
feedback on your applications and incorporate it into how you package yourself
in the future.
Problem
5: People Don’t Focus On The Long Term
A
career is for the long term. Despite this people often take poor short term
decisions.
Solution: Take
decisions about roles, applications and job moves with the long term goal or
goals in mind.
The
Bottom Line: Career success does not happen by chance. You need to take
control if you want to get results.
Many
professional people start off their career with high hopes and big aspirations.
Perhaps they sail through their professional exams and look forward to a highly
successful career. For some, things shape up as expected but many others get
stuck in a rut and never fulfil their real potential.
So
what are 8 secrets to accelerating your career and getting the results that you
know you can?
Secret
1: Know Yourself
Before you
can move anywhere it is vital to know where you are starting from. In my
experience that involves investing some serious time in assessing what you excel
at, what needs developing and what really fires you up, to name just a few.
Secret
2: Have A Career Strategy
Maybe the
idea of a career strategy sounds grand, complex and really difficult to do. Yet
it does not have to be any of these things. At its most basic level it is about
getting clear about where you want to get to and then having a plan or route
map to get there.
Secret
3: Start Becoming A Learning Machine
There is a
saying that goes along the lines of ‘what got you here won’t get you there’.
The essence of this statement is that you need to keep growing and developing.
The more you learn, the more you can contribute and the more you can contribute
the more likely it is that you stand out from the crowd.
Secret
4: Become An Expert Listener
Listening is
often lost under the umbrella of communication. Yet in truth, if you become an
expert listener you are always on the lookout for that opportunity to get that
additional experience, training or whatever else it is that will get you to the
next level.
Secret
5: Be Enthusiastic
Getting
ahead in your career is not going to be a trouble free ride. There are going to
be bumps and obstacles along the way. It is how you respond that matters.
Secret
6: Help The Boss And They Will Help You
Your boss
wants to be successful just as much as you do. Sometimes people wrongly believe
that trying to outsmart the boss is the best way forward. However, remember
when your boss moves up he or she is going to be looking for their trusted
people to work alongside them. Helping the boss succeed can actually be a huge
win-win.
Secret
7: Become A Great Team Player
The more
senior you become, the more important it is to become a great team player.
Develop a habit of collaborating rather than competing. Work with and not
against others.
Secret
8: Be Responsive
Don’t wait
to be asked; be proactive and make things happen. Make sure that you deliver on
the promises you make.
The
Bottom Line: Moving forward in your career does take time but some
simple changes can often yield big results.
Some
people are happy and content at the level they are at and have no aspirations
to go further. On the other hand there are many who have a real desire to go
further but are struggling to move forward. So why is this? Here are 10 reasons
why you might be struggling.
Reason 1: You Don’t
Really Want It Enough
Everyone
wants the rewards that go with climbing the career ladder. At the same time,
many don’t want to put in place the work to make it happen. Wishing is not
enough; you have to have real desire.
Reason 2: You Don’t
Invest The Time
If you were
going to make a major purchase, I am pretty sure like most of us you would put
in the time and energy to do your research before you bought. Deciding to hire
someone is a major buying decision. If you are not willing to put the time in
to find the right role, why should you be given a chance?
Reason 3: You Don’t
Know Yourself
What I mean
by this is that you don’t have at your fingertips real insights into what you
do really well and what you need to develop to become even better. The truth is
it is not difficult to do and is the way to unlock your hidden gems.
Reason 4: You
Underestimate Your Achievements
People often
in resumes and CVs fail to include achievements because they feel they are not
big enough. If they are relevant, include them.
Reason 5: Your Written
Materials Are Passive
When I was
working in big organisations, and even today when working with my clients on
their written materials, I often come across CVs and Resumes that are simply
too passive and don’t grab my attention.
Reason 6: You Don’t
Invest In Yourself
If you look
at what differentiates successful from the less successful, the chances are
that you will notice that those who get the best results invest in themselves.
The challenges are just too big these days to make continued professional and
personal development optional.
Reason 7: You Don’t Act
On Feedback
If you have
been interviewed for a role and you were unsuccessful, you can usually get
feedback. Many people might go through the motions of getting feedback. Smart
people will actively seek it out and act on it.
Reason 8: You Don’t
Have A Strategy
A strategy
is not something set in stone. Of course it needs to be flexible. At the same
time, if you have something written down and actively monitor progress you are
more likely to achieve it.
Reason 9: You Make
Short Term Decisions
So often I
see people lured by money or a quick gain into making choices that are great
short term but detrimental to long term success.
Reason 10: You Don’t
Bounce Back From Setbacks
We all get
rejected from time to time. It’s not the rejection that is the issue, it is how
you respond to it that matters. Learn to see setbacks as being part and parcel
of being more successful.
The
Bottom Line: Climbing the career ladder is a marathon, not a sprint, so
make sure you set yourself up for success.
If
you are like most people, you probably started on your career path full of hope
and enthusiasm. The early signs were positive but then you got stuck. If you
are stuck in your career, what can you do to move forward?
Set aside time to take stock
You
probably have done lots of things in your career but, if you are like most of
us, it is all too easy to lose sight of everything you have done or achieved.
Set aside a couple of hours to list all of the things you have done and
achieved. You might just surprise yourself at what you uncover.
Ask yourself what’s stopping you
You
probably have been applying for, and maybe even been interviewed for, more
senior positions but not landing the role at the next level. Think about some
of the feedback that you are getting. Is there a common theme or themes
emerging? Once you know this, you can take action to do something about it.
Give your CV or résumé a makeover
Take
out your CV or résumé and look at it as if you were a recruiter. In the 30
second scan, what does it say about you and is it saying what you want it to?
In other words, is it selling what you have to offer?
Hire A Coach or Mentor
It
may not be the first thing that comes into your head but often even a short
period with a coach or mentor can accelerate your move forward. The one to one
personal support can make the difference.
At
the end of the day, there could be many things that are keeping you stuck. The
trick is to identify these and take action to do something to address them.
Duncan
Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professionals to achieve success,
realize their professional potential and maximise their earnings. You can sign
up for his free audio masterclass here
August 31st, 2010
Most
people see their career as important yet many get stuck. So what steps can you
take immediately to accelerate your progress?
- Take some time to self assess what you do well and what needs developing.
- Get some feedback from others who you have worked with.
- Make a file of your key career achievements.
- Draw up a 90 day fast track personal development plan where you do one thing, no matter how small, each day to build your skills, knowledge or competency.
- Stop making money your motivation for progressing your career. If you deliver, money will follow.
- Step up and volunteer for special projects.
The
truth is doing some simple things can make a huge difference. So when will you
get started?
Duncan
Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to
achieve success, realize their professional potential and maximise their
earnings. If you are ready to climb the career ladder, sign up for his
free audio masterclass here
Block 1
- Clinging on to the past and refusing to move forward.
Block 2
- Treating people differently and having favourites.
Block 3
- Not listening to the feedback that you are consistently getting.
Block 4
- Not investing in your personal development and growth.
Block 5
- Not being honest with yourself.
What
else would you add to the list of 5?
Duncan
Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to
achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly
effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his
free audio e-course click here
August 4th, 2010
Habit
1
- Not knowing what to stop doing.
Habit
2
- Not pushing yourself and simply cruising.
Habit
3
- Not giving recognition to others.
Habit
4
- Making excuses more than delivering results.
Habit
5
- Passing the buck and not taking responsibility.
A
recent survey that I invited those on my mailing list to take identified that
getting promoted was a key area of importance. So if you are in this group,
what can you do to get promoted to the next level?
- Find out what it takes to succeed at the next level.
- Make a long list of all of your achievements to date in terms of your career.
- Target your applications to roles that you have the greatest chance of getting.
- Give your CV a makeover so that it really sells your achievements.
- Get your interview skills honed so that you perform exceptionally well.
- Get the support you need to get the result you want. A small investment now might just make a huge difference to the long term return that you get.
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