Are you ready to take your career to the next level? If you want to make fantastic career progress, then you’re in the ideal place! Come with us as we dissect the crucial measures you can take to progress in your career, using this blog post to get empowered and enabled. Our tried-and-tested approach can pave the path for your career progress. As a committed career coach, I’m passionate about assisting professionals like you in realising their full professional potential. Through insightful articles like the one you’re reading right now, I’ll give you the knowledge, skills, and self-assurance you need to seize every opportunity and succeed in the challenging environment of today’s workplace. As you read this, keep an eye out as we uncover the secrets of career progression and show you how you can leverage them.

What is career progression?

Career progression involves moving forward in one’s career, achieving career aspirations, and advancing to higher roles. It involves taking on new opportunities, switching to better jobs, and pursuing personal and professional development. While career progression may not always involve promotions or salary hikes, it can also involve satisfaction with one’s career trajectory and pursuing passions.

Is career progression similar to promotion?

Many misjudge career progression as a promotion in their job, and while a promotion is a good sign in your career, it is worthwhile to understand that both are not the same.  The key difference between a promotion and a progression in your career is that while a promotion allows a move up in position, career progression focuses on gaining knowledge and understanding, or more advancement in understanding your role.

6 tips that can help you achieve career progression

Be good at the basics 

To advance in your career, you must be proficient in the fundamentals. This is right. Along with your technical abilities, you will stand out as an accountant because you have mastered fundamental concepts like attention to detail, time management, ethical behaviour, and effective communication. Precision in handling financial data improves accuracy and reduces errors. Multitasking and meeting deadlines are made possible by effective time management. Maintaining ethical behaviour fosters confidence among stakeholders. Clear communication is essential for delivering complex financial information. Your technical knowledge will be complemented by these fundamental soft skills, which will help you become a great accountant with a minimum level of experience. This builds your confidence as well as the trust that others place in you.

Understand your options 

Whether we realise it or not, we all have options, although we might not readily see them. As an accountant, it’s up to you to invest time in deciphering which direction you want your career to take. Have you thought about your short, mid and long-term career goals? Due to the opportunities available to accountants, it’s possible to come up with not just one option but several plausible ones. Then comes the task of selecting the exact option that suits all of your career preferences, and this can be overwhelming, trust me! Talking to others can help you sift through your options and determine what’s best for you and your career. If you could benefit from talking to someone neutral, book a free career discussion now.

Identify your next move

Taking action is the next step after identifying the best option. You do not have to be certain about your long-term career goals as an accountant before you take this step. Right away, you can take action by pursuing your short-term goals, and this should be your next move. Doing this might imply taking an upward step or grabbing the sideways pursuit; it might even mean doing something completely different. Lastly, this step could mean that you take up a role that will equip you with the relevant skills and job experience to support any future career steps you might consider.

Nurture your network

“Your network is your net worth.” This might not be the first time you’ve heard or read this. but this might be the first time you identify how this applies to your career progression. You must build your social and professional capital. Oftentimes, we do not realise how essential this step is as we climb the career ladder. However, building your professional network can be a source of information, support, and even an avenue to gain access to mentors or possibly a future employer. To be successful in network building, invest time in identifying and recognising how valuable your network can be. Get serious on LinkedIn. This is a great social tool to connect with and stay in touch with updates from, your contacts. Here’s a great tip for socialising: use periodic catch-ups as a way to nurture your professional relationship with others and look for ways to proactively connect with people who align with your career goals. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but it is often a case of “who you know rather than what you know.” If you aren’t doing this, you can miss out.

Soft skills are essential 

Career progression does not lie in your technical skills but rather in your soft skills. As a career coach, I prefer the term Essential Skills to soft skills. Although conventional work-life does not place much priority on soft skills, I believe that they are more important than we can imagine. What soft skills are important, if you want to progress in your career? Here is a guide from us: Your ability to achieve success and progression in your career relies heavily on your ability to communicate effectively, as well as believing in yourself and appreciating your strengths. Consider our Essential Skills courses if you’re serious about making progress in your career.

Know what you’re known for

Consider your personal brand an important tool for career progression. Our personal brand is what others say about us when we’re not in a room. And before you challenge this, we all have something we’re known for at work. Do you know what you’re known for? While you consider personal branding, ensure that whatever you’re known for is what you want to be known for! It is never too late to turn our attention to this.

You may have already identified your personal brand, and perhaps you just need to turn up the volume by making it crystal clear to others. Providing more clarity on what your personal brand is will help others know what to do best to help you achieve the next level of opportunities in your career. Our Authentic You session or our online course on Personal Branding can give you invaluable support in this area. 

You’ve almost made it to the end! You now have the necessary steps to advance your career to new heights. To stand out on your career path, master the fundamentals, excel in soft skills, and create your personal brand, Take action to achieve your goals by being aware of the career possibilities. Establish a solid network to help you maximise your chances. As a career coach, I’m eager to see you succeed as you confidently embrace these transforming steps. You may face obstacles along the way, but with tenacity and maybe some professional support, you’ve got this!