How to use an opportunity

Opportunities don't come knocking twice so if you are looking for career growth you need to know when to grab the right one. The key to seizing the right opportunity is to keep your eyes and ears open. At the same time, you need to be highly focused on your job.

Set goals

You need to set goals and objectives for yourself. Know what you want out of your job and if it is capable of giving it to you. If you are working for a company that promises no growth, then you might as well start looking elsewhere.

Build a strategy

You need to begin planning for the future. Once your targets are in mind and you have set out to achieve them, you need to take things one by one. Build a strategy and prioritise your goals.

Look out for opportunities

The moment you see a good opportunity, make a go for it. Use it to your advantage. Promotions are not given automatically. When employees progress along specific career paths they are given a raise in terms of their designation and status. In today's business environment you may need to make a lateral move to position yourself for a later vertical move.

Develop mentoring relationships

If you are looking for a promotion, develop a mentoring relationship with influential people in your organisation. Never badmouth your seniors and always be optimistic. Some organisations have mentoring plans but if your organisation does not have one, you can always find ways to build a good rapport with your seniors. This helps you in career guidance, as well as fast tracks your promotion.

Promote yourself

You need to brand and promote yourself. If those around you are unaware of your capabilities and skills, you simply won't be able to get ahead. You need to highlight your major accomplishments and make sure people know about them. You need to sell yourself in order to succeed.

Bond with your boss

Be loyal to your boss and show him that you are capable. Tell him what he wants to hear and develop a good relationship with him. An additional push from your boss will definitely make the promotion process a lot easier. Experts suggest that building a rapport with your boss by learning more about him on a personal level has great advantages for your career.

Keep acquiring new knowledge and skills

Expand your knowledge and skills in the areas critical to the organisation. This will not only increase your performance but will also keep you marketable.

Be the expert

Growth is all about your bosses knowing that you are the best in a field. You need to show expertise in the area of your work and subtly present your strengths to the management. Create a need for yourself in a field. Prove to the organisation that it can't do without your services.

Take on more responsibilities

Increase your value within an organisation by volunteering to work for other departments.

Build your network

Build a network within the organisation so that when you need someone to back you, lots of hands go up. Co-workers vouching for your reliability is a huge endorsement for success.

Be professional

Be dependable, professional and cooperative. Be a problem solver. In a crisis act accordingly and reason out all the possibilities. Try to solve the problem and try to stay away from those who are likely to create issues.

Be a team player

Work and function as part of a team. Avoid pointing your finger in the direction of failures. Be a sport and show how much the success of your team means to you.

— The writer is a freelancer based in India