Make Career Development a Priority

The reason many employers don’t offer career development is it’s not a priority for them — but it should be for you. An important lesson to learn early is that your career development may not matter much to other people, but it needs to matter to you.

Create a Path to Your Goal

Just saying you want to progress in your career is not enough — you need to pick a specific goal you want to reach. This may be a particular skill you want to develop, a position you want to reach, or a qualification you want to earn.

Next, figure out what steps you’ll need to reach this goal. What kind of opportunities will provide you with the experience you need? Come up with two or three goals, repeating this process for each of them.

Monitor Your Progress

It’s impossible to know if you’re on track to meet your career development goals unless you monitor your progress. Make a list of milestones to show that you’re on the right track, including a timeline for when you want to reach each one.

Ask for Support from Your Supervisor

Even if your company is not actively providing you with career development, there’s a good chance your manager will be happy to support you in reaching your goals. Share with your supervisor what you’re hoping to achieve in the short and long term. You’ll likely find that your manager will adapt what tasks are assigned to you, provide you with useful resources, or introduce you to people who can help you, such as mentors. After all, having your own career development plan shows initiative and forward thinking — qualities that employers want to retain in their workforce.

Actively Look for New Opportunities

Avoid becoming too comfortable with where you currently are. If you want to progress in your career, you need to make changes occasionally. In your calendar, put a reminder to check your progress toward your career development goals at least every quarter, if not every month. If you haven’t made much progress recently, think about why that may be and what kind of opportunities you should be searching for to take you to the next step.

Start preparing to move up in your career before you’ve even graduated by learning some crucial soft skills. One you’ll definitely need is independence — something you won’t fully develop if you’re living on campus. For Niagara College off-campus housing, consider Regent. In our student community, you’ll learn to live independently but will still have a support system. We’ll provide you with your own room in a fully-furnished apartment where you’ll be able to cook your own meals and take advantage of in-suite laundry facilities. Our all-inclusive rent means you won’t need to worry about utilities, Wi-Fi, or a gym membership. Book a tour to see where you could be living.