Move up the career ladder. How to use your introversion to advance your career. Finding a starting point to move forward

Do you consider yourself an ideal candidate for a prestigious job, but you don't get it? Think you deserve a promotion but are being passed over? It's not enough to be a good specialist- you need to know how to sell yourself properly.

Modesty may well be a virtue in the personal sphere, but it is detrimental to successful career advancement - psychologists and career specialists agree on this. Anyone who sits at his desk like an inconspicuous gray mouse should not be surprised that promotions or salary increases bypass him. Today it is not enough just to be competent, diligent and diligent, it is necessary that others learn about these invaluable business qualities. Psychologist Inga Freienstein runs the Career Center in Cologne and conducts self-marketing courses. It is this fashionable word that is called today the ability to present oneself profitably. And it is precisely the basics of self-marketing or self-PR that should be possessed by those who dream of successful career advancement and do not want to dissolve in the general mass of office clerks. So how do you present yourself? Or sell if you want? Step One: Get to Know Yourself weak sides. "Remember each rung of your career ladder and think: what specific success did I achieve there? Americans call it "fingerprints." Analyze: where did you leave your "fingerprints"? Knowing your strengths is the employee's capital. Anyone who does not know what advantages he has cannot offer anything, "Inga Freienstein is sure. Try to answer the questions: what can I do well? What was the easiest for me during my studies? Why was I attracted to this particular profession? What What do I like most about her? previous place work? Step Two: Set a Goal Many people spend weeks or even months thinking about where to go on vacation. At the same time, not everyone thinks about further career development. However, in some professional activity can be compared to a vacation. Those who, when planning a vacation, will be content with the search criteria "a place somewhere warmer", will never find themselves on the seashore under the scorching rays of the sun. After all, for this you need to set a more accurate address. So in a career - in order to achieve success, you need to formulate the goal as clearly as possible. "A career needs to be built on the principle of a long-term project, - Inga Freienstein shares her experience. - It is important to determine the most important milestones: where I am, where I am striving, what steps I need to do this undertake." At the same time, it is worth considering your capabilities realistically: a trainee in big bank it is unlikely that you will be able to take the place of the manager within two years. Step three: be different from others Imagine yourself in the place of the head of the recruitment department of a large firm. His desk is littered with summaries, the authors of which list their professional quality: ability to work in a team, ability to work, desire to learn new things ... Involuntarily there is a feeling of a conveyor belt with the same details. Which one to choose? "Be different from the rest," Inga Freienstein encourages. "Show your individuality. If you have some special quality, declare it first. Recently completed successful projects, knowledge of the rare foreign language… Arouse interest in yourself, use the effect of surprise. Thus, you will be able to create the necessary mood and set the interlocutor for a pleasant conversation. "Step four: praise yourself successful career it is necessary that your personal achievements become known to others. And this implies that the employee must not only competently perform his tasks, but also not be shy about talking about it. You should not hope that your boss will learn about your creativity from colleagues - in this case it is better to rely on yourself. Representatives of the fair sex should pay special attention to this advice, says Inga Freienstein. “Women are not always able to present themselves in a favorable light. They are characterized by collegiality and a sense of elbow, but they can not always talk about their successes. They tend to underestimate themselves, and this approach goes against the concept of self-marketing,” says the psychologist. Step Five : dress properly Every company has its own dress code: open or unspoken. Depending on the field of activity, it may vary, but a few rules remain unshakable. Rule one: don't dress provocatively! Men should not put a peony the size of a head of cabbage in the buttonhole of their jacket, and women should not amaze the imagination of their boss and colleagues with a dress with a waist-decollete back. Rule two: the higher the position, the stricter and darker the suit should be. And even if the thermometer reads over forty, and the asphalt melts from the heat, it is better to prefer long trousers to light shorts. It is also better to refuse motley dresses with ruffles and bows. They may look charming on vacation, but for the office, a formal suit, a pencil skirt with a blouse and closed shoes are more suitable. Rule three: clothes should be neat. Don't expect your boss and colleagues to miss your wrinkled trousers, dirty shoes, or shirt with a button torn off. Neat appearance serves as a kind of signal: "I take my responsibilities seriously and understand that I am the face of the company." Step Six: Work more efficiently than others If you want to climb the career ladder, you should work a little more efficiently than others. It will not escape the attention of the boss that you leave the office half an hour later than your colleagues. Of course, this time should not be devoted to lively correspondence with friends on Facebook or enthusiastically sharing impressions of the new Prada collection over the phone. Demonstrate that you are not only spending more time in the office, but also giving it your all. Anyone who is seriously passionate about a new project can sometimes refuse lunch. Of course, don't starve yourself and turn into a workaholic obsessed with work, says psychologist Inga Freienstein. But for those who strive for success, it is better to prefer intensive work to secular chatter with colleagues. However, attention: in this case, the main thing is not to overdo it. If the boss constantly sees that you stay up late at the office, while all the other employees have long since disappeared, he may get the impression that you are slow and slow, and you do not have enough working hours to cope with your duties.Step seventh: do not avoid communication with the boss By the way, about the boss. Did it ever occur to you that he is the same person as everyone else? Believe me, this is exactly so, therefore nothing human is alien to him. Many employees tremble in front of the boss, afraid to say or do something wrong and present themselves in an unfavorable light. And absolutely in vain. Anyone who communicates with their boss in a friendly and casual tone is doing themselves an invaluable service. After all, why not wish your boss a good weekend? Or not congratulate him on his birthday? Or not ask for advice? Believe me, praise does not leave indifferent not only you - the boss will also be pleased if his subordinates recognize his achievements: a successful business project, well-organized staff development courses or new computers in the department. And do not get covered in nervous spots and fix your eyes on the floor if the boss asked how your work is progressing. Do not turn your story into a long saga, but briefly and to the point describe what you are doing now. Step eight: always be ready No one is safe from random meetings with superiors. They can happen anywhere - in the corridor, in the elevator, in the dining room. Experts advise to always keep at the ready a clearly formulated idea that you want to convey to the chef. On the way from the first to the thirteenth floor, there will be enough time to say everything that you consider important. For example: "I'm Vasya Pupkin, a web designer, and I have a great idea how to make our web page more vivid and memorable." Such sentences should be memorized so as not to get confused at the right moment. It is also worth coming to general conferences prepared. A well-considered and thoughtful idea makes a more favorable impression than spontaneous "insights". In general, it is extremely useful to take the initiative whenever it concerns your field of activity. One of important factors The head of the Career Center, Inga Fraienstein, calls professional success the ability to create a network of contacts: to participate in business negotiations where a topic close to you is discussed, not to refuse membership in various committees and commissions, to work on the creation and implementation of new projects. The more you will be in sight , all the better. The more often the topic you are working on will be associated with you, the more likely you are to rise to a new stage in your career, says psychologist Freienstein. This, however, does not mean that you should constantly be in the spotlight, not allowing other colleagues to speak out. Let others be active as well. Step Nine: Take Care of Your Reputation No more than three colleagues will know about your success. About your misses - almost everything. This pattern was discovered by the American Jerry Wilson, author of the book "151 quick ideas: how to inspire staff to work." Gossip and gossip have great power, and people sometimes trust word of mouth more than undeniable figures and facts. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain smooth and friendly relations with employees. There are never many friends, and employees who are positive towards you, too. "It makes a very favorable impression on others if you refer to the testimonies of your colleagues as evidence of your success. This proves not only your professional qualities, but also social competence," says Inga Fraienstein. In today's tough world business relations can't do without self-promotion. This is one of the main conditions for career success. However, self-marketing has another undeniable advantage - it helps to get to know yourself better and increase self-esteem.

You already have a job, you have gone through all the torments of the interview and successfully occupy this or that position. But if you are a person with ambitions and prospects, then sooner or later you will want to grow. But in order to do it competently, you need to adhere to some simple, but sometimes very necessary things.

1. Befriend the right people

This is not about being dragged through to the right place, no. You should be friends with those people for whose job or position you apply or will apply in the future. They can reveal to you a secret for which others pay huge sums of money in endless Business of Youth seminars. They can tell how they achieved certain things. In the end, they themselves want a promotion or a change of location and will be able to recommend you as a person who is sincerely interested in all the nuances of the work and meticulously asks about everything.

2. Focus on positive things

In fact, there are no happy jobs or happy people at work, they just get high on the good times and ditch the bad days. No job happens without doing useless and boring things every day. More often than not, getting to the good means pushing through the bad, and people who do it with a smile on their face end up winning, simply because attitude is everything. If positive things from your job don’t immediately come to mind, try to remember what was cool, except for the fact that you touched someone’s ass at a corporate party. It doesn't matter if you are happy or sad - the volume of your work will not change from this.

3. Don't rush to get promoted

Not always the career ladder leads from the bottom up in a straight line. There are times and cases when you need to stand on one floor, move to another staircase, and maybe even take a step back when it is really necessary. Take your time and decide for yourself what you really want to do - be honest with yourself. After all, if you are not competent enough for a certain position and somehow flew into it ahead of time, then most likely you will not cope well with your duties. The consequences of this can be very deplorable, up to the point that you will be returned to your previous position, but after that it will be oh so difficult to climb back. Therefore, calm down, sit down and think about what skills you need to improve, what you are not yet savvy enough, and after that try to take the next step up.

4. Find a mentor

Although in one book we all know they say not to create an idol for yourself, but you can create a certain image that you would strive for. You choose a cool person for yourself who has achieved what you would like, and look at how he behaved on early stages and what he did. You don’t need to imitate him, because you have your own head on your shoulders, but it will be great not to make his mistakes.

5. Do your job

Everyone always says: “Reach the heights”, “Do unusual things”, “Be non-trivial”. But everyone forgets about elementary things - to come on time and do their job.

In fact, every day to appear at the workplace and perform their duties is not typical for most people. Mostly success stories are boring. Most of them require every day to appear at work and, oddly enough, work.

6. Choose vacancies

Most likely, you go to an interview 5 times before you find something normal. Do not rush. From year to year, changing job or position, you will come with more experience, knowledge and connections. Compare it to anything - a mosaic that fills with elements, or an athlete who gradually increases his level. You need to accommodate what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specific to you. Yes, it will take time and it won't be easy, but as they say, finding a job you love is a privilege, not a right. So treat it as such and never stop trying new things. Patience is not just the ability to wait. It's how you act while you're waiting.

7. Forgive people and be a kind person

They are often stupid or do some things not on purpose. Most of them don't make plans since Sunday evening, how to annoy you next week. Many of them have their heads buried deeper in the sand than an ostrich, forever looking for ways to become pattern efficient. They don't appreciate other people's help properly. Do not be such a person - speak, advise, take advice. You live in a society, and it is foolish to neglect it. If you have a difficult employee or subordinate, sit down and discuss problems with him. Perhaps new horizons will open up for you, and you will gain experience that will certainly come in handy in the future.

If you want to quickly climb the corporate ladder, then for this you should develop a couple of habits. These habits will be useful both for ordinary employees and for managers, executives, entrepreneurs and many others. They are extremely clear, simple and very effective. How to climb the career ladder?

So, the first habit. Understand that a normal normal working day is a rule for ordinary people. It doesn't concern you. It doesn't matter what time your working day starts, you need to be half an hour early at work and already doing some things. Then you need to work to the maximum all day. When ordinary people finish their work, for example, at five o'clock in the evening, then accustom yourself to linger for half an hour, or even for an hour. By training yourself to start early, work hard throughout the day, and leave work a little later, you'll increase your productivity by as much as 50 to 100 percent. Over time, your efforts will be noticed and the hour is not far off when you will be promoted. As a result, you will be accepted among all your employees and you will be given more opportunities for promotion.

Second habit. When you are sure that you are at the top of your skill, then boldly go to your superiors and tell them that you would like to have more responsibility. Tell them that you really love your job and want to put more effort into making the company prosper. Don't ask for an increase wages or confessions, only talk about your desire for more responsibility.

In addition to these habits, not the last place is given to the habit of working accurately during your working hours. Such a habit is not difficult to develop, and besides, it will be useful in almost any business.

Decide for yourself work time devote only to work, and nothing more. Show up to work well before the scheduled time and immediately begin your duties. If someone wants to talk to you, then politely answer that this is not possible now. Right now you should be doing work and nothing else. Reply to your colleague that you don't mind chatting after work, but not now.

Also, a very important habit that can quickly achieve success is the habit of monitoring your image and appearance. You must certainly develop the habit of dressing like a successful person looks like.
Remember, your image is very important. It can not only help you, but also harm you. To look like an active and competent person who can be trusted, you need to buy and study the literature on creating an image, correct selection hairstyles, make-up, clothes, accessories.

In the course of your career, strive to develop another important and useful habit - the ability to work in a team. Your value will certainly increase if you first work successfully with other people, and later become the leader of your team.
When it comes to clients, there are certain habits that cannot be dispensed with. Make it a habit to look at others as customers of the company, and behave like a specialist in their service. Everyone on whom your progress at work depends should be customers for you.

According to this, you have different clients. Firstly, these are the people who purchase and use the product or service of the company where you work. Satisfying this type of customer is, in fact, the sine qua non – yours. The bosses will always value more precisely those employees who can best serve the client of the company.

There is another type of customer, and within your company. These are your colleagues, your subordinates, and, of course, your superiors. In some way, each of these people is dependent on you, and you and, in fact, your success is also dependent on them. The better and more you serve this category of customers, the more valuable you will become for the company.

Do not forget about the habit of being friendly. Refrain from swearing, complaining, or criticizing. You should not take part in clarifying relations with colleagues or spreading gossip. Imagine that all your words are recorded and then posted on the company's bulletin board. Try to watch your language so as not to purposely say something superfluous, and vice versa, speak only in a positive spirit.

In modern business circles, the most successful person will be the one who is pleasant in all respects, competent in his field, and with whom it is pleasant to work. Always try to look for the good in each person and the current situation, help people and take care of the well-being of your company. And all these habits will contribute to your career success in the best possible way.

that interfere career growth. But it is also necessary to follow specific steps to quickly advance at work. Some you already know and do, and some will be new. In this article - simple tips to help you climb the corporate ladder. If these steps are not taken, then the path to the top may be delayed.

1. Know how to listen to people

Try to participate as little as possible in useless conversations and do not initiate them, but participate more in constructive conversations. Listen to what the interlocutor says to you. Believe me, when you are silent and consider what has been said, you look smarter.

You need to be able to listen carefully, try to do it objectively and understand what your interlocutor wants to convey to you and why. Learn to speak when you really need to. And in the moment of the conversation, listen as if you are being told an entertaining story.

2. Be involved

If your colleague has some kind of insurmountable difficulty, help him cope with it and sometimes offer your own help. And if you don’t know how to solve the problem, help the employee find resources that will help in solving it, don’t boil in your own juice. This way you will achieve the location of other people, as well as get invaluable experience for free.

This also applies to informal corporate affairs: holidays, birthdays, misfortunes of colleagues. Participate, help with the organization, get people interested. Be an informal leader, but don't get carried away - there are times when employees become good "socialists", but no more.

3. Read educational books

An expert can afford to be anything (remember Dr. House), but a leader must be the best among equals, an open person who can listen and understand the subordinate, say “no” in time, be able to multitask and work from various situations.

It will also be a good help to attend trainings to develop your leadership skills, trainings with a practical program are especially good. You should attend at least 2-3 trainings a year, and don't wait until they start offering them to you.

4. Admit your mistakes

Most necessary knowledge and experience we gain, unfortunately, through our own mistakes. When we work, every failure seems like the end of our brilliant career. In fact, these are valuable lessons that in the future make us pay attention to the decisions made and the tasks set.

Many people in ordinary life would do well to do this: moderate your own pride and importance, admit your mistakes, understand them, analyze them and do not repeat them in the future.

Trying to protect themselves from decision-making and responsibility, employees often do not take any action or do not complete the work. But there is a good psychological trick: "I have the right to make mistakes, even the great ones were mistaken what to say about me." Don't be afraid to make mistakes, be afraid to repeat your mistakes. Take action!

Never hide your own mistakes at work, even if you know that a mistake will be punished. The secret always becomes clear. It will be worse if the error you are hiding leads to negative consequences. Your reputation as an employee will be lost forever. It is better to report your mistake to management and suggest ways to fix it, if possible.

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5. Do your best to get the job done

Try to complete the task as if you are doing it for yourself, and a lot depends on this task (within reason). Do more than what is expected of you, do 110%.

Consider all facets of the problem, modernize, bring something new. Do it, perhaps late, but surprise others with your approach and the result!

Remember, not everything depends on you, but you still have to make an effort. This quality will be appreciated by others.

6. Motivate people

Tell people that they can, that they will achieve more, and their mistakes and failures are temporary. Discuss with them in conversations the topics of honesty, hard work, personal growth, responsibility. Convey to them the idea that money is not always the main thing, there are other values.

Believe me, although the majority of people do not want to listen to talk about high matters and may think that everything is only because of money, but in personal conversations you can hear something else. Pull people forward, no matter what, and you will get support.

7. Responsibility in everything

Take responsibility, bear the burden, don't give up. Yes, you may be tired, but rest and move on. People like it when there is a responsible person nearby, and responsible in everything: he comes on time, gets things done, looks good, controls his emotions, does not abandon those who rely on him.

Become a guarantor of reliability in the team. You will not even notice how you will rise above yourself - and up the career ladder.

The main thing is to be responsible for your words and actions, be consistent. This will serve you well.

8. Find a mentor

Find a mentor to help you climb the corporate ladder. This could be your supervisor, the head of a neighboring department, or even your friend. Learn from him so that he points out your mistakes and shows you new horizons. Ask him questions about management technologies - he has much more experience than you.

You can also go even further and get experience from the leader of your leader. You will absorb knowledge like a sponge, you will be able to expand your professional horizons. Do not think that no one will tell you anything: everyone is flattered when they are asked about their work, what they do and how they got there.

A difficult path, as you will have to constantly leave your comfort zone, be able to make difficult decisions and take responsibility for them when everyone around is silent. The leader of our time is disciplined person, moderately talkative, able to listen, proactive and responsible. At the same time, he can be both an introvert and an extrovert.

What's great about the leader's path is that you have to develop yourself as a person and at the same time climb the career ladder. Remember that leaders are not born, but made.

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