If you are here, reading this, you are one of those few people who actually understand the real importance of growth. Whether you are a student, or a working professional, chasing growth will only maximize career prospects for you and keep you closer to your dream job.
The Internet is flooded with growth tricks but unfortunately, none show you the real picture. So, today we will discuss some constructive growth hacks with successful track records.
But remember there is no one way to achieve growth – from real-life experiences to even reading books, there are multiple tricks that can help you achieve the growth you desire. So, let’s get started!
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Keep Learning
For most people, after a certain level in their career graph, the growth becomes stagnant. However, for a few others, it keeps on rising.
Why? It’s all because of the difference in mindset. While the former has just held on to its prior knowledge, the latter kept updating itself to keep up with the current pace. Learning new skills and keeping yourself updated with industry trends is crucial for growth.
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Analyze Your Decisions
As a professional, you need to make decisions on a regular basis. And not always you can be correct. After all, you are just human and remember, no one is perfect
You will get better with time and experience but only if you are ready to examine the past decisions honestly. Be transparent and own up to the mistakes you made. Willingness to improve is one of the many things that differentiates great leaders from average ones.
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Read Everyday
All the successful leaders around the globe have this one habit in common: they
read. If you have ever Googled the morning routine of Bill Gates, or Warren Buffet, you would know they start their day with a good book.
You must also keep a tap on the books, articles, and news from your industry. This will give you an edge over others and keep you informed at all times.
If you are asking whether or not reading can help you qualify among the top CEOs of the world? Well, there’s no answer to that. But you must know all top CEOs of the world are avid readers.
If you aren’t fond of reading, start slow, read what you like, and then gradually pick up with hardcore reading. But at least start.
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Consider Niche Online Training Programs
But self-learning might not be sufficient for you to achieve the career goals you want and in this new world of eLearning and online training, expertise is just a click away.
For a very low cost, you can access professionals and experts to help guide you. There are numerous online training platforms but many of the traditional ones are high on volume but low on specific quality, which is known as MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses).
The eLearning market is moving quickly towards niche training providers who can help you with your own specific upskilling and career development. One example of this is a platform like CTO Academy which offers leadership and management skills training to technology managers around the world. Niche platforms like CTO Academy understand their customers and are able to create training material and programs that are much more nuanced and applicable to your own career challenges.
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Lookout for Mentors
The right mentor can turn your whole life around. They don’t just help you understand about the industry but also teach you multiple things about life in general.
Mentors or coaches have been in your shoes and are in the position to give you constructive feedback. So, develop relationships with people who can give you honest input and have your best interest in mind.
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Ask for Feedback
We discussed earlier how important it is to examine decisions. But when you analyze yourself, you can’t always be completely honest. Some people are either too harsh while a few others are too gentle, preventing the honest picture.
This is where feedback can help you. The opinion of people who are stakeholders of the business like you, your fellow employees, seniors, or customers, will be able to give you a clearer picture of where you stand, and what improvement you require.
In conclusion, let me wrap up this think piece with one last piece of advice: develop relationships with influential people in the industry. Apart from that, don’t let the fast-pace world make you feel left out and just start. There is no correct way to start, so start wherever you are. It is only after you start, growth will seem achievable.