Tip of the week: 6 Building Blocks that Advance Your Careers

by Gabe Hamda, PhD., SPHR

Introduction

Your career life is your life. Why? You spend most of your life working, which greatly affects the rest of your life. Thus, this article is dedicated to how to make the best of your career life.

Definition of Key Terms

Career Advancement is to engage in a work life that you enjoy because (a) it allows you to fulfill your life Purpose (b) you have fun with your work most of the time and it shows ( c ) what you do makes a positive difference in the lives of others.

Career Building Blocks are strategic activities that positively advance your careers.

Careers or Career refer to whether you manage a single career or balance multiple careers. Today’s professionals wear multiple hats and hold multiple careers. For example, this combination is not uncommon: college teaching + consulting + real estate brokerage + non profit leadership. Thus, today’s professionals hold multiple careers.

What are the 6 key building blocks that advance your careers?

1. Set your career goals by establishing your ambitions. why? Your career advancement is limited by your goals and your ambitions.

2. seek self improvement using training, advise, mistakes, observing, reading, watching youtube, asking questions and engaging in meaningful conversations with others..

3. Solve problems and create solutions – be part of a solution and not part of a problem. When you only raise questions and express concerns you are least helpful.  You are most helpful when you offer alternative solutions. You are a hero when you express willingness to implement the solutions you offer.

4. take care of yourself and your family by getting rest, playing, having fun, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating food that is good for you, having a strong faith, taking vacations, laughing a lot, and expressing gratitude.

5. strengthen your networks – maintain a balance and diversity of the the people within your network groups.  Ensure you have a good mix of people from the following groups: family; faith, ethnicity/nationality, work, profession, age, politics, current contacts; and new contacts.  If your network consists of only one group, you are limiting yourself. A balanced mix of networks help you grow exponentially.

6. Make a difference in your community and in our world – we are all gifted and equipped to make a difference. Your life and career are richer and more meaningful when your success improves the lives of people outside yourself and outside your family.

Concluding Remarks

Managing your career is  your primary responsibility. This is one of your responsibilities that cannot be delegated. These career building Blocks are most effective when you practice these several times until they become your second nature.