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With all the benefits that come with educating yourself after getting a degree, few job seekers actually take the time to do that. It’s not just a matter of lack of interest or because the person doesn’t want a lucrative job. But the problem has to do with the how. Most job candidates wouldn’t even know where to start learning new skills that could help them land a high-paying job.

Graduation time is a special event in the life of every graduate. Much like the wedding day or the prom, when it comes to the day of graduation, you go the extra mile to make it a day to remember. This is why you’d spend time searching for the best graduation leis. It’s not just that a stunning graduation lei will make this important day, even more memorable. But it’s just like the wedding dress for the bride or the tuxedo for the groom. The graduation ceremony isn’t quite the same without it. And now with a degree in hand and probably a job as well, it’s time to know how to advance your career. Read on to find out the ins and outs of furthering your education to advance your career.

Mentors and Career Plans

When you feel lost and the spectrum of career fields opens up in front of you and makes your head dizzy, it’s time to find a mentor. Nothing beats real-life experience when it comes to learning new skills and starting down a career path you have little knowledge of. Going down that road alone reduces your chances of success considerably. So why do it alone, when you can have the guidance of a mentor who has your best interests at heart?

A mentor not only guides you but also motivates you and keeps you on track as you pursue your career goals. They can help you set goals for your career. The right mentor will tell you which career path to choose, what kind of skill sets you have to learn for that career field, and what pitfalls you might encounter. They can assess your current qualifications and point out the best ways to improve yourself and build on those skills. At the same time, the mentor can see where you fall short and alert you about your weak points and how to work on them. 

Even if you can’t find the right mentor, having a partner who shares your goals or is also working on bettering your career can be a rewarding asset. Together you can motivate each other, take turns to act as mentors for one another, and benefit from sharing ideas and motivating each other. But where would you find such a perfect partner? You can start with your own network. Find that person who is on the same path as you. If they’re a few steps ahead, that would be even better. Since they would have more experience and can guide you and point out any issues you might face and how to get around them.

Smart Goals

Another thing you’ll need to get started on advancing your career is setting smart goals. And by smart we mean goals that are achievable and rather than bog you down, will actually motivate you to work towards attaining them. So how do these smart goals differ from other goals? For one thing, they’re measurable. That means you can track your progress and know whether you’re on the right track or you might have got distracted along the way.

Smart goals can be broken down into smaller tasks that all work together toward propelling you toward that lofty goal of landing a better career and a cushy job. Each task would have a timeframe that you can finish it within. If the goal or process is not time-bound, then you risk wasting your time without actually achieving much. Furthermore, you won’t be able to tell whether you have attained your goal or not. So always make sure that the goal has a timeline.

Your goals should be relevant to the job you’re pursuing or the career line you’re interested in. If your dream job has to do with the fashion industry, for example, then there’s no point setting yourself a goal learning about operating heavy machinery or how to adapt to the rigorous life onboard an oil rig in the North Atlantic. All the tasks, processes, and subtasks should work in unison to help get the skills, knowledge, and experience you need for that specific job.

Now that you have your smart goals in place, it’s time to dig into the resources you have at hand. In this day and age, the internet provides an almost endless supply of resources that cover any field of knowledge under the sun. Moreover, not all of those resources require payment or subscription either. Many resources are available for free to anyone interested in learning. 

When looking to advance your career, you need to think beyond the degree or certification you already have. Take a look at the career fields and job opportunities available in the market and make yourself a plan to get the necessary skills and knowledge that will allow you to get that job. Along the way, it would help to seek the guidance of a mentor who can point you in the right direction.