Career development is always top of mind for me. Whether that be professionally with my job at Sephora or personally with my blog, social channels and other endeavors. I spend everyday working towards my goals and dreams to grow with to-do lists, planning, learning and time management. I think it can be easy to forget your end goal and can also be difficult to think so long term but if not, then what are you truly working towards? If you’re looking for some ways to motivate yourself, here are 10 effective ways to further your career growth and development!
1. Find a good morning routine
I truly believe having a morning routine in place will drastically set you up for success no matter what you’re doing or what setting you’re in. It could start right when you wake up or once you get to the office, how you like to get yourself ready for your 9-5 day. I like to start my day off with a morning meditation, a healthy breakfast (with my iced coffee, duh) and a workout if I can squeeze it in. From there, I’ll get myself ready for my work day by looking at my calendar, creating my daily to-do list and blocking out time to work on projects. After that quick 5-10 minute exercise, I’ll scan my email for any urgent responses. Because I know I’m the most productive in the morning, I’ll make sure to complete projects and tasks that require more thought and effort in the morning.
2. Set small daily goals
This is crucial for me! You’ll never be able to know what you want to achieve and how to achieve your goals without strategizing. No matter what size goal I want to achieve, I always use the SMART goal method which makes it easy for strategy and achievability. Make sure that your daily goals are small steps towards your larger and more long-term goals and intentions. Remember to make them super detailed AND achievable. There’s nothing more rewarding than crossing off completed tasks from your to-do list and taking steps to further your career.
3. Utilize a planner, calendar + online project management tool
After setting your goals for the day, week, month, it’s time to write them down and get to planning. I’ve become calendar obsessed with my personal, blog and work calendars but it’s helped me SO much in balancing my time and all of the things I want and need to accomplish. Buy a planner or a memo pad and start bringing your days and weeks to life. What steps will you need to take to get there? The more detailed and meticulous you are with your to-do list, goals and calendar blocking, the more productive you’ll be. Don’t be scared to plan ahead and think long-term, it’s incredibly beneficial and keeps giving you something to work towards. All of the below should help! I also use Asana, which I can do a whole post on if you’re interested in learning more!
4. Desk Space + Organization
Productivity for me only happens when I have my shit together and I’m organized. I find it so important to have a desk, solely dedicated to work, that you can then decorate and organize with all of your work necessities. I learned this the hard way when we all had to start working from home and I didn’t have a dedicated space for work. You’ll always find my notebook, planner, iPad, headphones, Laneige Lip Glowy and Ouai Hand Creme on my desk. It’s so crucial for me to go to work every morning with a clean desk with all my papers & to-do list organized so I’m set up for a productive work day. I mean who doesn’t love an aesthetic set up and cute stationary?!
5. Getting in Flow
Finding the right music or ambient sounds is so important for me to get into a productive flow no matter what kind of work I’m doing, writing an email or analyzing sales on a multi-tab spreadsheet. If I’m not on a Zoom or conference call, I have my headphones in to help me stay focused and work on projects with no distractions. Depending on my project, I’ll put on my favorite focus or coffee shop playlist to get me going in the mornings. I also recently fallen in love with Noisli, a digital place of focus, they like to call it. It’s a free website which has all sorts of ambient background sounds to help create your perfect work environment. I’m OBSESSED with this; helps me stay on track and really get sh*t done but you only get 1.5 hrs/day if you’re on the free plan so plan accordingly!
6. Continue to Learn and Explore
This is something everyone should be doing, no matter what industry you’re in to continue to grow, develop and further your career. There are so many online classes, courses and books that you could take and read to learn something new. Whether applying it to your 9-5 job or learning something for your side hustle, keep exploring and learning new things, it’ll be rewarding in the long run! Also, don’t be afraid to explore different industries or departments in or outside of your company. I know it could be scary at first but you’ll never know if you like something until you try it!
7. Update your Resume & Cover Letter
I got this recommendation from a previous manager of mine and it’s so important. Even if you aren’t in the market to start looking for a new job or opportunity, keep your resume updated. It’s super helpful to keep all of your daily tasks, projects and achievements updated while you have them top of mind. This makes it so much easier when you do want to start exploring positions and need an up-to-date resume and cover letter. After a few years in a position or at a company, it can be hard to remember all the important roles and achievements you’ll want to highlight!
8. Ask questions & get feedback
I used to be timid about this one but you’ll never be able to grow and develop if you don’t ask questions and get constructive feedback from both managers, mentors and teammates. I always ask for constructive feedback to improve on things I should be doing or doing better to grow and develop. It’s also important to know what you are successful at doing so you can further strengthen those areas even more. Also, question everything and remember to ask yourself, ‘is this beneficial to my career growth and will this help me further my development?’. Too often we can find ourselves stuck in a mindless and stagnant cycle but always remember to stay focused, vigilant, do things and ask questions that will move the needle for your development. The only one truly looking out for your growth is yourself so make sure to keep it high on your priority list every day.
9. Network, network, network
I’ve talked about this before in another post but I can’t stress enough the importance of networking. It can feel intimidating and nerve-racking at first but there’s so much benefit to making those connections. You can meet like-minded people in your industry or even outside to become a more well-rounded person. Even if it’s someone you look up to on Instagram, send them a DM or email. Don’t be afraid to connect with people on LinkedIn and send a message about what makes you interested about them, the work they do, the industry they’re in. I wouldn’t be in the position I am now without the connections I’ve made over the years.
10. Find a mentor
This is actually one of my main goals for this year. When I was in college, I knew how important it was to shadow people and find someone who would be able to help me grow while learning all I could from them. It’s been a few years since I’ve been out of college and I feel like at this moment in my career, I could definitely benefit from having a mentor. Whether personally or professionally, this person could be someone you know or someone you look up to and decided to reach out to. Mentors are really there to help guide you through your professional career, assist and motivate you to break boundaries and be a supportive + role model figure for you. Find someone you aspire to be and reach out, it never hurts and you’ll never know what could come of it!
