It’s alarming to hear that 89% of Australians think it’s solely up to their employer to ensure their skills meet the demands of their job, despite changing job requirements. While employers can attract top talent by having strong development and up skilling opportunities, you can’t expect your employer to do your career planning for you. The only person responsible for managing your career is you.
Whether you are an employee seeking an internal promotion, a manager trying to lead your team to greatness or a CEO trying to drive a company forward, self-investment is always the first step.
Investing in oneself not only improves your career trajectory and earning potential, it also opens up new opportunities otherwise closed off to you, it protects you from unemployment and allows you to grow as a person.
How to start investing in yourself:
Read.
Read widely and share your insights with others. All personal and career development starts with reading and best of all, most content is free.
Back yourself financially.
If you lack a particular skill that would be beneficial to your career – go out and learn that skill! Employers are not going to invest in you if you don’t show that you actively invest in yourself.
Get a Mentor.
Mentors are a great source of knowledge and an inspiration. Employees at all levels should consider either going through a mentor program or finding someone in their own network to mentor them.
Get a Coach.
A qualified coach knows how to get the best out of you and unlock your full potential. If you want to drive your career forward or get the best out of the people you manage, a coach is a must-have and top talent are starting to recognise this more now than ever.
As with any financial investment you might make, self-investment requires a planned and considered approach, but taking no action will only serve to diminish your career potential. How are you investing in yourself?