career development plan Archives - Personal Success Factors

I came across a great article a while ago while browsing through Twitter. It talks about the six factors of career success. It was written by a Alesia Benedict, certified professional resume writer, and a job and career transition coach. She is also the president of the country’s leading resume writing firm. Do you think she is qualified to share with us a few success factors to keep us at the top of our jobs and careers? I think so!

Basic Skills

Employers, including the one you currently work for, appreciate employees who can read well, write well, and think well. What are you doing to continue to improve your vocabulary (I recommend learning at least one new word per day) and your thinking.

Personal Skills

Do you speak well? Can you interact with your peers and with your customers in a non-confrontational, positive manner with those equal to your position, above you, and below you? Can you negotiate and speak assertively when you need to, without turning people off? Emotional intelligence is a key skill to getting and staying ahead.

Enthusiasm and Knowledge

Your attitude will determine your altitude. I don’t remember who said this, but it is most definitely true. Are you showing continued interest in the trends, goals, objectives of your department and of your company? Do you stretch beyond your own job description? Do you take advantage of special committees, or of other events within your company? The more you learn, and the more interest you show in others and in other topics, the more positively this will reflect upon you in the company.

Consistent, Persistent Value

Are you looking for ways, each day, to add value to your supervisor, to your supervisor’s supervisor, to your customers, and to your co-workers? Are you treating each person you come across as someone who you want to serve and provide excellent services to? Work on consistently coming in early, strive to improve every day by 1% in your key performance areas, and you will be put into the valued category in the eyes of upper management.

Professional Development

Are you dedicated to continuous and never ending improvement? Are you attending seminars, taking classes, attaining training, and learning new skills that will make you competitive? If you are not, think about this: someone else with your equal skills is making that commitment. Remember, in the Kentucky Derby and other races, the winning time is often a fraction of a second. Each step you take to develop professionally could mean a fraction of a second in the race against your competition. Successful people are lifelong learners.