Many people today are highly driven and focused on advancing their careers as a top priority, with one of the top reasons for leaving a job is a lack of advancement potential. It is a highly competitive environment these days because of technological advancements, both contributing to job loss and industry re-shuffling, but also opening the employment pool to a global market. If you’re applying for a job, you don’t necessarily need to even be in the same country, meaning the talent pool is much larger for prospective employers and clients.
Despite these challenges, technology has also made it easier for people to advance their careers. With the amount of information available online, along with the increased networking opportunities and resources, informed career advancement choices can be made after doing some research and without much difficulty.
If you’re determined to advance your career, use technology to your advantage. It’s the perfect tool for this goal in mind because of all the practical applications there are available to you, some even completely free of cost. As long as you know how to leverage technology in the right ways, it can help you advance your career.
Here are some tips on how technology can help further your path to career success and ensure you meet all of your goals.
Online courses
Higher education may seem so far out of reach for some because of the barriers that exist when trying to go to university. Online courses break down those barriers and make it accessible for anyone with an internet connection to get their degree. If you already have your bachelor’s degree, you can easily push your career forward by upgrading and getting your master’s degree online. There are a number of schools that offer online programs, including specialized programs in finance or healthcare. One example of a program like this that’s highly accessible is the master’s program from Suffolk. Visit this link for more information: www.online.suffolk.edu/programs/masters-healthcare-administration.
Online education is more than just degree programs though. If you want to learn a new skill, you don’t necessarily need to join a university course or a similar program to do so. There are a lot of online courses found on websites like Lynda.com, Udemy, Skillshare, and Khan Academy that have specialized online development courses across a number of industries and topics. You can enroll in a full program or just take a few classes to grow or hone a skill.
Furthermore, there are also online certification programs you can complete that are more directly related to your current role. These programs may be suggested to you by your employer, or you may want to take it upon yourself to find some that could be beneficial in your career. For example, if you work in human resources, you may want to take a certification course about managing teams or communicating across different cultures. If you have extra certifications on your resume, employers will see you as a better-qualified candidate.
Free resources
While there are a lot of resources online that require a subscription or some form of payment to access, there also is a large amount that is available for free. Tutorial videos on YouTube, for example, are helpful for people working in digital or creative industries. Articles found online can help improve your communication and provide insights and tips for a number of different topics relating to your professional work. Chances are, if you conduct an online search, you will be able to find a free resource that can help answer your question or start your path of learning.
Personal branding
Having a curated personal brand can help open doors and present new career opportunities for you if you know how to leverage and market yourself and your skills the right way. Your online presence is important, which is where you can create your brand. Having professional social media profiles for your services can position you better and make you more marketable, especially if you have a larger following, showing you have social proof to back up your experiences.
Networking
There definitely are online networking tips, tricks and etiquette to follow, and it certainly can be described as a skill. Those who are good at networking online can open many doors and find career advancement opportunities in places that wouldn’t immediately be obvious, or even posted elsewhere. Online networking can also be boosted by any referrals you get from past employers or clients, so be sure to ask for recommendations for your LinkedIn profile or other similar networking platforms.
You can also find networking and industry events online that you may not have known about before. Attending industry trade nights is a great opportunity to meet influential people in your field, gain insight from industry leaders, and of course, network and make valuable connections.
