Tips to Help Millennials Climb the Corporate Ladder – Expert’s Top Picks

Last updated on 13th Jul 2020, Blog, General

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          One of the most efficient and secure ways to climb the corporate ladder is to do it within one’s current company. However, as reported by Forbes, 91% of millennials plan to stay at one employer for less TEMPthan three years. The strategy may sound like an old-fashioned career approach, but it can still pay off big time. These seven tips show how to rise from within.

Position Yourself

• Chances to rise and shine always abound, especially in startups. But when opportunity knocks, it doesn’t do so for long. To get noticed and be ready to take advantage, you have to position yourself as someone who wants to grow within the company. Communicating your ambition to management will allow you to be considered when an opportunity comes up.

Be a Learner

• Truly good leaders are constantly learning. They’re the first to tell you that they don’t know everything, and often the more they learn the less they feel they know. As a result, they’re more open to educating themselves, and that’s when real growth takes place.

• Read everything you can about your field and your company’s industry. Set your sights high and never limit yourself to a given current title; it’ll enable you to learn more and your work to achieve greater impact. As a result, you’ll be prepared when higher-level positions open up because your skills and knowledge will have expanded.

Let Your Work Speak for Itself

• When it comes to growth within your company, you should never sell yourself. Rather, your work—and your character—should say everything.

• This kind of commitment is what ultimately gets you noticed. For leaders looking to promote employees, identifying standouts is easier than you think because the most eligible candidates do everything with excellence. This excellence extends from work to professional conduct to everyday behavior.

Understand That No Task Is Below You

• “That’s not my job” should never be in your vocabulary. A can-do attitude is essential to furthering a career. Never neglect your own tasks, but if you see that someone was overloaded or could use an extra hand with a task, dig in and offer to help. It’s essential for leaders to see you going beyond the scope of your own position in order to recognize you as a collaborator who wants to grow your role, be an ally to fellow employees and encourage cohesion.

Pay Attention to Numbers

• Statistics, quantifiable results, and numbers are important. Metrics matter. Data can shed a unique light on a trend. They can indicate what’s working, or conversely can help to alert you to an impending hiccup or even full-on disaster.

• If a specific number keeps dropping, for example, you can nip the problem in the bud, allowing you to get on top of issues before they start. In so doing, you can steer clear of potential pitfalls and keep your teams going in the right direction.

Communicate Clearly

• It’s crucial to be considerate when communicating with others, but that doesn’t mean you have to skirt around subjects or not say what you really mean. Growing in a company requires clear communication—with your boss, your team, and your co-workers. That makes it easier for everyone else to deliver and do the best job they can, setting the entire organization up for success.

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Play-Well With Others

• At the end of the day, you have to have a belief and sincere investment in teamwork. Company leaders notice if someone has an ability to break down barriers and connect people. Try to understand what people in each position within the organization need in order to succeed, and see how you can be a facilitator to meet those needs.

• It’s easy to assume you need to change employers to advance. But before you jump ship, evaluate the opportunities that you have to grow within your own organization. If your company is amenable to promoting from within, and you know how to leverage your chances, let your current investment in the place work to your advantage. You might find that you can travel the farthest by staying close to home.

7 Tips for Climbing the Career Ladder Faster

1. Make a Plan

As with goal setting, a plan is necessary as your roadmap to your next career goal. It can be a short-term or long-term plan, but have a plan!

2. Keep Networking

The more people you know, the better for your career. Even when you have a job, you want to keep building your network, both online and in person. That way you’ll have connections to reach out to when you’re ready for a career move or you’re in need of a mentor.

3. Work Hard(er)

Go above and beyond at work, doing more than the minimal requirements. Work harder and longer than the others on your team, but also work smarter. Volunteer for high-visibility projects. Seek to contribute more, and make yourself the go-to person. Get to work early, and leave late.

4. Dream Beyond the Job Description

Your job description might be limited but that doesn’t limit you. Do whatever is assigned to you, then ask what else you can do, even if it’s in another department or on another project. Help wherever you can, whenever you can, however you can.

5. Become an Asset to the Company

Be more than the person at that desk. Continuously strive to up-skill yourself and learn new skills. Take certification courses. Study and follow all the industry leaders wherever they are active, and attend conferences. The more you learn and know, the more of an asset you will be to your employer.

6. Think and Act a Level Above

Do you know the advice to act “as if”? If you want a job farther up the career ladder, act “as if” you already have that job. Think like someone higher up. Pay attention to how those above you act, manage, delegate, mentor and communicate, and emulate their behavior. What skills have they mastered? Learn those skills.

7. Be a Team Player

Lastly, but most importantly, be a team player. Employers are closely looking at the way employees work with the rest of the team, as well as other departments. If you are viewed as a team player, it is a huge advantage to your career.