If you’re missing out on promotions or struggling to move up the career ladder, it’s important to determine what’s holding you back. Often, people strive to make progress in their chosen industry, without finding out where things are going wrong. Once you’ve identified exactly what’s preventing you from moving forward, you’ll be able to take the appropriate steps and get your career back on track.
1. Social media
If you’re active on
social media, it might be time to take a step back and view your social media profiles from an objective perspective. While everyone likes to have fun in their downtime, photos of you on your latest holiday or at a friend’s birthday might not be the first thing a prospective employer wants to see.
Keep your profiles set to private, delete old accounts you no longer use and try not to post anything you wouldn’t want an employer to see!
2. Lack of confidence
Performing well in job interviews is about selling your skills, so a lack of confidence could severely limit your chances of success. If you don’t believe in your abilities, there’s no reason for an employer to have faith in you either. Instead of doubting yourself, work on building your self-esteem, recognizing your qualities and start telling people why you’d be a great fit for a particular role.
3. Check your history
The vast majority of employers will perform a background check before hiring you, so it’s vital to know what shows up. If a youthful indiscretion, a parking fine or a criminal charge is flagged up, it could cost you the promotion you’ve worked so hard for. However, it’s often possible to get a
pardon or record suspension, which means that past fines, charges and even convictions will be removed from your record, so this may be something you want to consider applying for.
4. Limited experience
If your confidence outweighs your experience, this might be why you’re not moving forward in terms of your
career. While everyone is keen to move up the corporate ladder, there’s a lot to be said for paying your dues. Ask interviewers for feedback when you can and listen to their advice. There are plenty of ways to obtain further experience, so you can take steps to ensure you have the knowledge and skills required for your dream job.
5. Minimal training
You may be able to perform tasks well, and you may even outshine your colleagues on a regular basis, but there are some job roles where training and certification are mandatory. If you’re missing out on job opportunities because you don’t have the right qualifications, there are various options you can pursue. While taking a career break to undertake further study may not be realistic, there are plenty of work-based certification courses which will provide you with the certification you need. If you’re looking for an in-house promotion, you may even be able to persuade your employers to fund additional training so that you can move your career forward.
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