The Glow Girl's Guide to... Advancing Your Career!

We’ve nearly halfway into the “month of love,” which got me to thinking about things that I love. I love my family; I love my friends; and I love my career. When I tell people that, many people express how “lucky” I am that I love my job and what I do.

I think it’s more than a matter of luck. I’ve worked really hard and made the necessary connections in order to grow and continue to flourish in a field in which I’m passionate. As we’re still celebrating the new year, many people might be looking for a change in career or ready to grow in the career fields in which they’re already fluent.

Whether you’re ready to change careers or looking to advance, I’ve got some tips that will hopefully give you the confidence to grow, and most importantly, GLOW!

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A post shared by ✨Steph✨ (@stephwalterstv) on Jan 8, 2020 at 9:00am PST

Know Your Worth
We (women!) often don’t grow in our careers because we don’t think we’re ready or qualified. Studies have shown that men will apply for a job in which they only meet a few of the qualifications, while women will only apply if they meet ALL of the qualifications. If you’re in your current career field, you were hired for a reason. OWN IT!!

Know that you have the skill set—and are willing to learn more—to advance further. Having confidence in what you’re doing often makes the job more manageable, even while still climbing the ladder. Keep in mind that you are fully capable of kicking ass in your job.
Ask Questions + Use Your Network
Many of us are only one phone call or e-mail away from a better future! We get so stuck in the mode of not reaching out to people who may be able to help us on the account of fear of being turned down or not trying to “bother” people.

Use your connections and the people you know to your advantage. If you’re prepared and have your affairs in order, you should have no worries about reaching out to those who are where you want to be one day.

When reaching out—especially if it’s a friend or a friend of a friend—make sure you’re professional and don’t get the lines blurred between friendship and business.

Also, don’t get your hopes up. Connections and building relationships take time, so while they may not be able to hook you up immediately, keep in touch on a genuine level and not just when you’re in need of a favor.
Brush Up On Your Skills
You may have been in your current career for a while now, and you’re bored. Learn some new skills! The best part about taking the initiative to learn new skills is that it isn’t forced upon you—it’s because you actually WANT to learn.

Don’t wait for your employer to tell you to learn a new skill or new technology. Once you learn it, offer to host a workshop at your job on the new skills you’ve learned that can benefit the entire office. Now you’ve automatically made yourself a leader, even if you don’t have an administrative title, and you’ve put yourself in the forefront of management.

Have the confidence to show off your newly learned skills in front of your team!