Whether you're fresh out of school and just starting your first job or you're a seasoned professional looking to reach that next level, advancing your career is likely a major priority. Progressing from entry-level roles up to positions of increasing leadership, impact, and compensation often seems like an elusive pursuit reserved only for the lucky few.
However, after a period of observing what separates those who skyrocket in their careers from those who plateau early on, I’ve concluded luck actually has very little to do with it. Through meticulous research across industries and interviewing some of the professionals from my company at different stages, I’ve discovered that getting ahead in your career follows discernible patterns and can in fact be replicated intentionally through some fundamental best practices.
1. Expand Your Skillset
One of the most fundamental steps to advance your career is developing new skills that make you more valuable. Look at where you'd like to go next professionally and identify the hard and soft skills that are needed in those roles. Then make a plan to actively build those skills through training, books, online courses, certifications, or a graduate degree. Highlight your expanding skillset in your resume, LinkedIn profile, and interviews.
2. Increase Your Visibility
Making an effort to increase your visibility, both internally and externally, can significantly boost your career advancement potential. Take on high-profile projects that get exposure to key decision-makers. Volunteer for committees and activities that let you demonstrate leadership. Present at industry conferences or seminars, write blogs or articles to establish thought leadership in your domain, and expand your network by getting involved with professional associations.
3. Cultivate Mentorship
Finding mentors who can give you guidance, feedback, and sponsorship is one of the most impactful career progression tips. Ideally, connect with both peer mentors who may have recently transitioned into roles you aspire to as well as senior leader mentors who can advocate for you. Ask them to coach you on soft skills, review your resume, connect you with hiring managers, and give advice on navigating obstacles.
4. Clarify Your Passion
Really examining your interests, values, and priorities can provide much-needed career development insights. What gives you a sense of meaning and enjoyment both professionally and personally? What vision do you have for your longer-term career that goes beyond your next job? Understanding your passion and purpose enables you to pursue opportunities aligned with what matters most and set meaningful career advancement goals.
5. Stand Out From Your Peers
While doing your job well is expected, truly excelling in ways others don’t can significantly boost your odds of advancing your career. Bring creative ideas to the table that improve processes, save money, or generate revenue. Volunteer for pilot projects and special initiatives that let you demonstrate initiative. Solve nagging problems no one else has tackled. Exceptional efforts like these get you noticed by leaders with advancement opportunities.
6. Build Your Network
They say “It’s not what you know but who you know” for a reason – having contacts across your industry in roles senior to your own provides visibility into new openings and insider details that help you position yourself as an ideal candidate. Attend conferences, join professional groups on social networks, do informational interviews, and reach out for coffee meetings. Nurture win-win relationships that support mutual growth and development over time.
7. Acquire New Credentials
Gaining credentials in the form of degrees, certifications, training programs, and the like signals to hiring managers that you have specialized expertise as well as ambition and drive. Identifying and completing credentials targeted to the role or level you aspire to next shows commitment to advancement. For some careers like IT, finance, and engineering, certain high-value credentials can even substitute for experience and pave the way for next-level opportunities earlier.
8. Craft Your Elevator Pitch
Being able to effectively yet succinctly communicate who you are, your values, and your career goals is a must-have skill for advancement. Prepare and regularly practice a short “elevator pitch” highlighting your unique qualifications, passion, and how you can add value through the experience you seek next. When opportunities arise – whether completely unexpected or planned – you’ll be ready with an engaging overview that piques interest in your candidacy.
9. Seek Out Stretch Opportunities
Getting noticed for career advancement also means leaning into stretch assignments that push you just beyond your comfort zone with manageable risk – think that pivotal project for a new client or initiative outside but adjacent to your formal role. These opportunities showcase that you can handle more complexity and responsibility. Ask your manager for specific ways you might incorporate appropriate stretch goals into your existing position.
10. Don’t Forget Relationship Management
Last but certainly not least, managing your relationships well across supervisors, colleagues, and direct reports is truly foundational. Bring your best interpersonal skills to every interaction by listening first, finding common ground, and providing reciprocal support. Avoid office politics or unnecessary conflict. Making deposits through consistent professionalism and respect builds the relational currency needed when it comes time to ask for career advancement support from your network.
So if you have the ambition to advance – whether to lead larger teams, work on higher-profile projects, or increase your earnings and influence – but have felt stuck in neutral, this guide is for you.
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