Gone are the days where people start a job right out of college, or high school, and stay in the position or with the company until it’s time to retire. 

Some people are more goal-oriented and look to advance their career, moving up the corporate ladder and reach for higher titles — and pay! — in order to provide a better life for themselves and their loved ones. 

If you’ve been in your job for a while and want to move up, here are a few actions you can take to help raise your profile and get yourself well-situated for a new position. 

• Learn new skills. Continuing your education and learning new skills, or building on the skills you have in order to stay on top of your field, is a great way to help impress your managers and show that you’re committed to keeping your abilities sharp. It’s also ambitious to try and improve yourself and your knowledge while still working as it shows good time management skills and the ability to maintain a larger workload. 

• Work with a mentor. Is there someone in your department or company that you admire and respect, someone who has a job you’d like to take on? Is there someone whose advice you have trusted and turned to? It might be a great opportunity to ask them to be a mentor, helping you learn more about the company and offering insight and support. A mentor is a great sounding board as you go about earning your promotion or new position and can help speak up on your behalf as well. 

• Show leadership in several ways. Leaders are those who others come to for advice, who offer ideas and take chances. They also raise their hand and offer to help out when big projects are introduced and new opportunities are presented to take on more responsibilities. Leaders are also the ones who are quick to admit mistakes when something goes awry and are the first to congratulate and compliment members of their team for jobs well done. Being more vocal, in general, will draw more attention to you and your work while gaining the respect and admiration of others. 

• Be flexible. Yes, it’s frustrating when you’re working on something and suddenly receive new instructions for the same work. It’s also distracting when things divert from your normal routine. But the willingness to be flexible and roll with the changes shows maturity and adaptability, very important qualities for people in higher positions and who have more responsibilities. Being flexible also means being willing to try new things and innovate new solutions to problems, which can be very impressive for showing ambition. 

• Expand and use your network. When was the last time you joined a group for professionals in your field? Making connections with people in your line of work, both inside your company and in your city, can help you learn about new opportunities from people who know your background and skills. Maybe a friend in a different company knows of a great position opening in their company and thinks you’d be a great fit, plus the position would be a step up in your field — that’s the kind of benefit that comes from a large network in which you are an active participant. Plus ,making friends as an adult can be tricky, but boosting your networking skills can help there too!

If you want to get ahead in your job, it takes a little creativity and a little forward thinking. But you can do it! The more you show up, the more you take on, the more you’re proving yourself every day. It will all pay off! 

If you think an overall change might be better and you’d like to move up in a different environment, contact Davis Staffing. We’re working with our clients to help fill their open positions and one might be just what you’re looking for! Contact Davis Staffing today and let’s see where your future begins.