5 Things you should do at Work in 2019

"Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."- Francis of Assisi

After the long holidays, we are all now back to work. Some of us are having a great time, while others are not happy to wake up and go to work every day. With the amount of time we spend at work, I firmly believe that we need to enjoy work more. Thinking beyond your day to day job and more about finding fulfillment on your career journey will broaden your perspective.

Studies show that about 60% of women like to set career goals for themselves and 74% of women globally in junior or middle manager level positions expressed aspirations of reaching senior or executive leadership ranks within their organization. To get desired results in your career, you need to act.

Career growth should be on your list of goals for 2019. Continuing our thoughts on what we can do for ourselves, let's prioritize growing our careers and taking action. In this blog post, we will explore ways you can ensure you get the results you want at work.

Own your career development
To continuously grow in your career, it is essential to have a career development plan. Think about what you want to achieve in your career in the short, mid and long term. It is a missed opportunity to take the approach of "let's see where my career takes me" or “ I’ll see what my company will do for me.” Take an active approach to discovering where you want to be and working towards it. Learn more practical ways to Own your career development from my previous blog post. Remember that you are responsible for building the great career you desire and that it is possible.

Talk about your work
A great way to show your value and contribution is to make your work visible. Many women I talk to struggle with talking about the great work they are doing and their unique contribution to their company. Practice sharing highlights of what you are working on at any opportunity you get at work. Share some lessons you learned and the great results you have produced. If you aspire to get more recognition for your work, start talking about your accomplishments today. Discover more ways to Celebrate your professional achievements.

Find Mentors and Sponsors
Identifying the people who can serve as advocates and support you with your career development is a great contributor to your career growth. You need a mentor who will give friendly advice, build relationships and help you improve. A sponsor, on the other hand, can support you to get to the next level and help you get ahead. In a previous blog post titled How to find professional Sponsors, I shared some practical tips that can assist you on your quest. An additional piece of advice that I would like to share; seek out mentors and sponsors way before you need them and invest time in building relationships. The more they know about you and your work, the better they can support you.

Build your network
Having a community of people who are working on developing their careers will help you propel your career. Sometimes networking sounds daunting because we think of growing a massive network of people rather than making connections with our peers and industry partners. Great ways to start building your professional network include attending events, conferences, talks, and trainings. Discover more practical tips from my blog post How to build a professional network.

Seek out new opportunities
To find fulfilling work, you may need to look outside your day to day responsibilities for new opportunities. An essential part of women's satisfaction at work comes from doing more meaningful work and having opportunities to make a difference. Seek out work that provides you some satisfaction and growth opportunities. Depending on where you work, this may be a gradual process, be patient and persistent. Explore more tips on How to take Initiative at work from my previous blog post.

Call to Action
Where do you want to go in your career? Write down 3 things you want to achieve at work over the next year and 3 more longer-term career goals. Take a step today.

Final Thoughts

• You can build the career you want - develop it one step at a time.
• Knowing your career goals will guide you to seek out the opportunities that will get you where you want to be.
• You have something unique to contribute at work - show it.

Great Resources

• 10 Brené Brown Quotes to Inspire Success and Happiness at Work
• The Four Keys to Happiness at Work
• How to Be Happier at Work, According to Scientific Studies
• Finding Happiness at Work
• 37 Ways to Be Happier at Work ASAP
• 13 ways you can be happier at work, according to career experts
• 15 Proven Tips to Be Happy at Work