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You’re full of vim, vigour and ambition. But as you embark on your working life, you find that there’s a lot of hard slog involved in building a career. Just landing a job isn’t easy, despite your academic achievements. Can you climb the corporate ladder? It will take technical skill, determination, and people skills and you will have to choose each post you occupy with an eye to your further advancement. These tips will help!

1. Choose Opportunities to Prove Yourself

You began with your resume, choosing free resume templates to help you in achieving a professional look. But your resume is woefully lean and that management post you want so much seems desperately far away. Look for opportunities to prove yourself – even if the remuneration isn’t all that you imagined it would be. Show that you’re not just another entitled graduate but a hard worker who is willing to walk the talk. Although managers don’t always have to understand what their subordinates do down to the smallest detail, getting some experience at the coal face will help you to be a better manager in future and will equip you with a better understanding of the realities of your profession and industry. 

2. Done Entry Level: Aim Higher

While it’s not “all” about the money, you’ve mastered your entry level post and are ready for a bigger challenge – and better wages! Can you handle the type of work your immediate supervisor does? If so, it’s time to start looking for an equivalent post. As a graduate, I followed this recipe, effectively doubling my salary every two years on average during the first decade of my working life. The reason why this succeeds is pretty obvious. You’ve shown that you can do the basics. Your resume offers proof. You did your work well even though you may have been academically qualified for a higher-earning post. You “got your hands dirty.” You understand the job, and you’re ready for the next step on your career path. 

3. Upskill – Add Experience

If you’re shooting for the stars, you might start with a basic slog, but you have to show that you can see the path to your ultimate destination. Apart from experience, what other types of knowledge could contribute to your advancement? And if experience is all that you lack, might you be able to put your skills to work elsewhere without adversely affecting your performance in your current role? Further study, making use of opportunities to advance your industry – or even non-profit work – are non-controversial areas where you might put your talents to work in your free time. You probably won’t make money from your efforts, but you will gain experience and build your reputation. 

4. Networking Done Right

Get to know people in your industry. Try not to focus on how they might help you to advance. Instead, treat them as role models, mentors, and friends. Be supportive. There are way too many people making connections simply because they think they might be useful. Try being genuine instead. Networking done right means having a circle of friends within your profession. It means being willing to help as well as being open to receiving help. If benefits flow from that, it’s a natural process rather than some kind of strategic victory.

5. Ask Yourself: “Do I Want This?”

While climbing the corporate ladder means more senior posts and better remuneration, always consider the work itself. If you’re looking at your supervisor and thinking there’s no way on earth you’d want to do that type of work, you could be following the wrong career direction. Not everyone is cut out for corporate management, and that’s OK. Find your passion even if that means looking for it in unexpected places.