Here are four steps that can smooth your trajectory to the top.

Find a Mentor

Meeting and exceeding career goals usually doesn’t “just happen”—it’s a process that builds over time (or doesn’t) depending on your choices and actions.

One of the most prudent professional decisions you can make early in your career is to benefit from key workplace relationships with people who know more and may be willing to help you out. In particular, intentionally finding and forging business relationships with a mentor can help you achieve success in your company and industry. A mentor is a senior-level colleague who agrees to coach and advise you on issues in your job, company, and industry.

Sean Nguyen, Director of Internet Advisor, explained that when he first started out in the world of online work, he found it quite daunting—he didn’t know where to start, how to manage his time effectively, or even what jobs to look out for. A mentor changed that for him.

“Luckily, when I found my first online job, the CEO of the small business was willing to mentor me and help me to grow my knowledge and skills,” Nguyen said. “I used the knowledge that he taught me to improve not only in that company but in all the other businesses that I ended up working for.”

Seek Sponsors and Other Advocates

While many are familiar with the concept of mentors, sponsors and advocates can be even more instrumental to your career growth.

Sponsors and other advocates are generally even more invested in your career progression than mentors are. They use their own executive connections to help open doors for you while also helping to promote your strengths to others in the organization to create new opportunities.

Sondra Sutton Phung, Marketing General Manager at Ford Motor Company, recommends that young professionals secure a well-respected advocate, which she explains is very different from a mentor. “Advocates must believe in you enough to break down barriers that will inevitably exist in a large corporation,” said Sutton Phung.

Join a Career-Related Community

In addition to the individual relationships you create early in your career with senior-level mentors, sponsors, and other advocates, finding a community of like-minded professionals at different levels of their career can help fuel your own growth more quickly—while helping you enjoy the process more too.

“It’s really difficult to grow your career if you’re off on an island by yourself—you need other people and they need you,” said Jo Harris, a Conversion Copywriter and Business Coach who has over a decade of experience as a remote digital marketer.

One of the easiest ways to seek a professional community is to join an online group that caters to your industry, either through a social media site like LinkedIn or Facebook, or through industry-specific associations and organizations.

Apply Your Passion

Having the best advocates and community in the world won’t advance your career if you don’t do your part to excel. Sponsors will only want to recommend you if you stand out as exceptional, and colleagues in your professional community won’t think of you for opportunities if you come across as bored or negative about your work life.

“However tempting it may be with remote work, forget about quiet quitting and doing the bare minimum,” advised Nathan Brunner, CEO at Salarship, a job search engine for candidates who want to find low-competition employment opportunities. “Pay some time to research the industry and be aware of its latest changes. Take extra time and extra projects, if it’s possible. Remember that good things never come easy, and hard work always pays off.”

Brunner believes that another smart thing you can do to grow your career is to find something you’re truly passionate about. “If you don’t love what you are doing, you will never be able to work at your full potential,” Brunner concluded.

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If you want that dream to become a reality, you need to prioritize career management. Below, we go over what career management is, its benefits, and how to start managing your career. 

What Is Career Management?

In short, career management is taking control of your career. It involves planning out your career and taking intentional steps to achieve that plan. Instead of passively clocking in and out every day hoping someone else will direct you to the next step, you are responsible for the trajectory of your career. 

The Benefits of Career Management

As mentioned above, with career management, you are in control of your career. Career management helps you to grow your skills and develop deep knowledge of your industry. It’s also a road map to get to where you ultimately want to be in your career (i.e., the C-suite).

Career Management: Essential Steps 

Ready to take control of your career? Below are a few essential steps for career management. 

Set Goals

The first step you need to take before you do anything else is to set goals. Studies show that once you write goals down, you’re 42% more likely to achieve them. Make sure to use SMART goals, which are:

• Specific: What specifically do you want to achieve?
• Measurable: How will you know that you’ve achieved your goal?
• Attainable: Is this goal realistic?
• Relevant: Why does this goal matter for my career?
• Time-bound: Give yourself a deadline. 

A SMART goal is not “get promoted.” Here’s what a SMART goal looks like in action:

• Specific: I want to get my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Measurable: I will achieve this by taking the PMP exam. 
• Attainable: I will take night classes three times a week to prepare for the exam.
• Relevant: I want a high-paying job as a senior project manager, and this certification will set me apart from others.
• Time-bound: I will complete this by the end of December. 

Prioritize Professional Development

Industries are constantly changing. There’s always new technology, and in just a few years, what was once considered a best practice can quickly become outdated. That’s why it’s important to continue to develop professionally throughout your career. 

If possible, seek out professional development opportunities at work. Or, see if your employer provides tuition reimbursement if you take courses at your local community college. Find ways to keep up to date with industry best practices and continue to grow your skills at every level of your career. 

Also, consider attending industry conferences or events. Some employers will pay for employees to attend relevant conferences, so check with your employer to see if this is an option for you. If you’re a member of a professional organization, sometimes members get exclusive discounts on accommodations or tickets. 

Grow Your Network

Networking often gets a bad rap. It generates an image of approaching someone hat in hand, desperate for opportunities. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

At its core, networking is actually about relationship-building, and it’s a two-way street. You should reciprocate by helping your network as they try to manage their own careers.

Networking is essential to uncover opportunities to grow your career. Below are a few networking best practices:

• Utilize LinkedIn, an online professional networking platform. 
• Participate in local in-person networking events.
• Include the right people in your network, such as former colleagues. 
• Put your cell phone on silent mode at networking events. 

Take Control of Your Career

Career management is essential to successfully growing your career and advancing to where you ultimately want to be. By setting goals, networking, and developing professionally, you can manage your career with ease.

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If this is you, you’re not alone. According to the Harvard Business Review, 9 out of 10 workers would take a pay cut to work in a more meaningful job.

So, how can you find a new role that’s fulfilling and gives you purpose? Below are a few steps you can take to find a meaningful career.

Determine What Meaningful Means to You

Meaningful work means different things to different people. You don’t have to work for a nonprofit to do meaningful work (but if that’s what you want to do, go for it!). 

Meaningful work might mean that you get to use your passion for coding to solve problems. It could mean using your artistic skills to create graphic designs for local businesses. Or, it could mean you teach English to children in other countries. 

Meaningful work might also mean working for a company with a mission you really believe in or that has a social responsibility program. To find meaningful work, first determine what meaningful means for you. 

Know What Drives You

Do you want to use your coding skills to create apps that improve the lives of people with disabilities? Do you want to instill a passion for STEM in children? Or, maybe you want to ensure fair housing for everyone in your city. Knowing what fuels you and how that aligns with your skills is critical for uncovering potential career options. 

Make an inventory of skills you have and ways you’d like to apply those professionally. Putting these thoughts on paper can help you organize and analyze where you can make the biggest difference.

Know Your Work Values

Your work values are an essential part of finding meaning in any job. After all, you’re going to get burned out quickly commuting to an office every day if you value the freedom of being a digital nomad. 

If you value having more time to be there for your family, maybe you’d like to find a company that values work-life balance. Finding a company that aligns with your values will increase job satisfaction and ensure you’re not job searching again a few months after accepting an offer. 

Find the Right Employers

Now that you know what you want to do and the values that drive you, it’s time to search for jobs. But don’t rush straight to the job boards. Instead, start by researching potential employers.

Find out which nonprofits are working to end homelessness or which companies are going green. By researching the companies that match your values first, you can have a shorter, more efficient job search. 

Look for Meaning in Your Current Job

If a job search isn’t a realistic possibility right now, look for meaning in your current job. Maybe as a customer service representative, you get to help people solve problems and make their lives easier. 

If you’re a sales representative for a medical devices company, you could remind yourself that your products keep people healthy. Look for ways to find meaning in your everyday job duties, no matter how small they may seem. 

There could also be internal opportunities for growth through different resource groups or new projects. Explore the different areas where you could make an impact and connect.

Find a Meaningful Career

A meaningful career can mean different things to different people. For some, it’s being able to use their creativity in their role, while for others, it’s working at a nonprofit. However you define meaningful work, by following these steps, you can find the right job for you.

The post How to Create a Meaningful Career appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Consider these basic pointers on steps that can help you stand out and get noticed by your boss for promotion consideration—as well as a few actions to avoid.

Confirm What a Promotion Requires at Your Company

If moving up to the next level is on your radar, it’s smart to find out what it generally takes to be in contention for a promotion.

You may not want to broach the subject of a promotion during a job interview, since the employer might feel that you’re not interested in the current role.

A better time to bring up the subject with your boss is during your performance review. Your review offers a built-in opportunity to share with your supervisor your objective of earning a promotion; you can then request specifics about what it will take to reach your goal. 

Here are some questions you can ask your boss:

• What steps should I take in the next review period to position myself competitively for a promotion?
• Are there any stretch assignments that I can take on to prove my readiness for the next level?
• Is there anything that you would like to see me change in order to better prepare myself for a leadership position?

Put What You Learn Into Action—and Document It

Once you know what your boss expects to see from you in order to be promotion-worthy, start putting wheels in motion to deliver.

If you found out during your review that you need to be comfortable presenting to teams, then line up some speaking opportunities, either formal or informal, to gain experience. If your supervisor pointed you toward a potential stretch opportunity, carve out some extra time to take it on. Develop and practice any leadership skills that your boss suggested, and if you need training in specific areas, consider taking an online course to boost your skills.

As you execute on the action items that your company recommended, be sure to document your progress, noting dates of completion and milestones reached along the way. Be prepared to share your write-up with your manager at your next review, pointing out that you’ve followed through on the suggested steps toward your next promotion.

Ask for a Timeline

Once you’ve checked all of the items off the list that your boss outlined for promotion readiness, don’t be afraid to investigate what a potential timeline for advancement might look like.

While you don’t want to be too pushy about this, since it can backfire with your manager, it’s fair to request a general sense of timing. Your boss will let you know if it’s too soon to identify ballpark dates, but asking may help you find out whether a move up could be in the cards within the next review period, year, or multiyear period.

If you’ve done your best putting the steps above into action but still haven’t been promoted, don’t give up. There’s no predictable timeline to identify when someone might be due for a promotion, and it rarely happens overnight.

If you’ve played your best hand toward earning a leg up and feel stymied in your efforts after a year of trying, talk to your boss, or perhaps human resources, about your goals. Point out the strides you’ve made and ask again for clarification of what’s required to earn a promotion in your department and company. And remember, if you feel that you’ve proven yourself promotion-worthy, yet your current employer has repeatedly failed to recognize it, you can always seek a career boost outside of the company.

The post How to Get Promoted: 3 Important Steps appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Undoubtedly, the correct professional certifications can supercharge your career growth, especially in specific industries, such as bookkeeping, design, and web development. We’re going to investigate them a little further here.

What Are Professional Certifications? Definition & Meaning

Generally, you need to pass an assessment to receive a certification that states you have studied and mastered specific professional software or protocols.

Certificates vs Degrees

One of the critical factors in choosing whether or not to pursue a certificate is understanding how it will complement other professional education. Do you already have a degree or certificate? Or, perhaps, plans to attain one? A degree, for example, can give you more significant opportunities for career growth and a higher salary over the entire span of your career.

On the other hand, a certificate can offer you quicker and less expensive avenues to gain entry into your field. If you’re planning to build your career in a specific area, consider how far you’d ultimately like to advance. Research positions in those more senior roles to determine what degrees and certifications will be necessary to meet your long-term goals.

Not everyone wants to grow into a senior leadership position. As you explore where you’d like your career to land in five to 10 years, perhaps a certificate with practical skills and specific learning will offer the competitive edge you’d require.

Choosing the Right Certificate Option for You

As mentioned above, having a well-laid-out career plan can ensure that you are utilizing the time and money to pursue a certificate intentionally. When considering what’s right for you, you’ll want to factor in the following.

Your Available Time

Are you in a position where you need to work full-time? What are your personal obligations? Is the certificate self-paced, or is there are an average workload for each week? These are essential questions to answer before jumping into a certificate program.

Before setting yourself up for failure, consider mapping out your schedule. If the certification program states that it requires a 10-hour commitment, factor in exactly where you’re going to “find” those hours in your week. For example, if you’re working full-time and have a family, it might be tough to carve out that time regularly. You might discover that cutting down hours at work or taking a slower track to completion fits better.

Professional Development Reimbursement Plans

Do you work for a company that offers any reimbursement for professional development opportunities? Often, they’ll require you to choose programs that line up with company-related tasks. For instance, you generally wouldn’t be reimbursed for an event management certificate if you work for an accounting firm.

How Quickly You Need to Finish

Are you at a place in your life where you have a financial need to move as quickly as possible? Or, are you in a secure place with work and able to strategize for maximum return? Having longer to develop strategically will allow you to build a long-term development plan that includes advanced certifications and, perhaps, a degree that matches.

Certificates That Recruiters Value

To ensure that you receive the best value for your certification, you need to analyze the offering institution’s quality and reputation. Recruiters should be able to either recognize or easily verify the issuing institution. Otherwise, it might be that you’re spending resources on something that won’t add as much value as you would gain from a different organization.

Different Types of Professional Certifications

Certifications are generally broken into the following three categories.

Corporate (Internal) Certifications

Certifications create promotion eligibility specific to a career path within one company. While they show your commitment to career development, they generally won’t apply to other companies.

Some examples are specific security or training certifications within an airline career. Or, a particular certificate of training that allows you to support specialty areas. Fortune 500 companies frequently have internal certifications. For example, banking institutions may have certifications for business account management vs personal account management.

More: How to Get Promoted: 3 Important Steps

Product-Specific Certifications

Receiving certifications surrounding a particular software or role can be highly beneficial for your career. They’re easily recognizable by recruiters and are portable between careers.

Product-specific examples:

• Software certifications, such as Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator) or Microsoft (Excel, Azure)
• Google certifications (Analytics, AdWords)

Industry Certifications

Certifications that apply to an entire profession are the most portable and often the most desirable. Generally, these certifications can help facilitate a career change farther down your development path.

Industry certification examples:

• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• Professional in Human Resources (PHR)

Getting the Right Career Tools

Certificates are not always the right choice for everyone. They can, however, set you apart from your noncertified counterparts. And used to increase specific skill sets, you can grow your career in increments that stack up.

You’ll round out your experience and knowledge, becoming more attractive to recruiters. Whether it’s certification, a degree, or licensing, devoting time to choosing the best formal instruction for you is a terrific step in your career planning process!

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That said, you can consider some best practices that can help you avoid wasting time on blind alleys and dead ends as you navigate the career path that’s right for you. These three tips can get you started.

Think in Terms of Milestones

It can feel overwhelming to look ahead and try to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B in a particular career. No matter what field you’re in, there are always going to be multiple steps to take to reach certain goals along your career path, and a sensible way to think about these steps is in terms of targeting milestones to reach along the way.

For example, if you’re working in the tech industry in a junior-level role and aspire to become a manager, you might consider framing the next steps on your career path around these three milestones:

• First, take a management class to show your boss you are interested in this form of career development.

• Next, you might mention to your boss during your review that you’d like to be considered for opportunities in your department that would test-drive your management skills, such as being a project lead.

• Finally, you might apply for an open management position, noting during your interview and on your application the steps you’ve taken to prepare yourself for a management role.

Weigh Opportunities With Your Career Path in Mind

As you plan your career path and identify appropriate milestones, keep in mind that avoiding certain opportunities—and taking care not to focus on developing the wrong skills—can also steer you in the right direction.

While you may be tempted to apply for interesting-sounding jobs or might be offered a position that seems exciting, if it doesn’t help move you closer to your actual career goals, then going in this new direction may end up being a detour that temporarily derails you. 

Similarly, while you can learn many professional and technical skills that are useful in a general sense, it’s important to use your time wisely if you want to reach your career goals sooner. Instead of taking an online course that’s unrelated to your industry, figure out what types of skills and industry-specific knowledge will move you closer to your goals.

Raise Your Hand and Network

Regardless of your industry, you can help leapfrog your career by taking on more of the right kind of responsibilities. This can help you gain needed skills and prove your competency in your areas of interest. Extra opportunities may not come to you at work if you don’t proactively seek them, so an important part of career pathing involves letting your manager know what responsibilities you would like to add in order to gain experience for the role you are interested in.

Networking also can help expedite moving you to where you want to be on your career path. Simply knowing someone who can offer you the type of opportunity you want in your current industry or a different one can be all it takes to get a foot in the door. So, make time to network both inside your company and beyond it, and make your career goals known as you do so.

Choose Your Direction

By combining savvy networking with milestone planning, thoughtful selection of professional learning options, and asking for the appropriate additional responsibilities to augment your skill set, you’ll be well-positioned to map your career path in the true direction that you’d like to go.

More: How to Create a Meaningful Career

The post How to Figure Out Your Career Path: 3 Tips appeared first on Job-Hunt.

That’s where SMART goals can help. SMART goals can help you clearly define the goals you want to accomplish and figure out exactly what you need to do to get there.

What Does SMART Mean?

SMART is an acronym that helps you set better goals for yourself by ensuring each one is:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound (or time-sensitive)

Whether personal or professional, setting goals using this framework helps ensure your goals are realistic and achievable in a set amount of time. It also helps you define and measure your success toward achieving that goal.

How to Create SMART Goals

When you create SMART goals, you’re creating a clear action plan that defines what you need to do and by when. Each part of the goals supports the others, resulting in a unified and cohesive strategy that helps you achieve your goals.

Specific

The first thing a SMART goal is is specific.

A goal that is broad and vague is difficult to accomplish. But a goal that’s specific, clear, and concrete is not. For example, your goal might be to land a new job, but that’s very general. Instead, develop a SMART goal that gives you a roadmap to landing a new job.

Ask yourself a few questions about your general goal to help you make it specific.

For example:

• What do I want to accomplish?
• Why does this goal matter to me?
• What do I have to do to achieve the goal?

So, if your goal is to land a new job, ask yourself why you want a new job:

• Are you bored in your current role? 
• Do you want to move up a level but can’t at your current company? 
• How will a new job fit into your overall career plan?
• What do you want from a new job?

With those in mind, you might create a SMART goal that looks like this:

• I will become a [job title] at [name of company or industry] and work a hybrid schedule.

Measurable

With the specifics in place, decide how to measure your progress toward the goal.

For example, using the above goal, you could include a measurement of applying to no less than five new jobs per month. This specific, concrete metric defines what you have to do to make progress toward landing a new job.

But a measurable goal does more than help you define progress. It also keeps you accountable!

If your goal includes applying to five jobs per month, but by the 29th, you’ve only applied to one job, step back and figure out why you didn’t apply to five jobs that month. Were you unable to find jobs and companies that were a good fit for you? Is it the end of the year, and there isn’t much hiring going on? Analyze what happened and adjust your plans to account for factors within your control, and don’t stress about what you can’t control. 

The other half of this, though, is that measuring your progress toward the goal helps keep you accountable. If you say you’re applying to five jobs per month, and it’s the 29th, but you’ve only applied to one position because you didn’t spend enough time searching, you can hold yourself accountable for not meeting the goal. 

Achievable

While aiming high and stretching yourself is important, any goal you set needs to be realistically achievable. For example, while you may want to run a Fortune 500 company one day, it’s unlikely that day will be the one right after you graduate college.

To set an achievable goal, ask yourself how realistic it is, given your current circumstances. If, for example, you want to get a promotion, but that job requires a certain kind of education (like a certification or even a degree), your SMART goal of getting the promotion may not be achievable right now. Instead, you may need to focus your goal on going back to school or enrolling in some classes.

Relevant

Whatever goals you set need to be relevant to you and relevant to other goals you may be working toward. This is the answer to the “why.” Why are you setting this goal, and what will it help you accomplish?

For example, if you’re trying to change careers, you may think you have to return to school and get a new degree. But that may not be the case. Ask yourself if obtaining a degree is relevant and achievable. If not, there may be other ways to accomplish your goal (like focusing on your transferable skills.)

Time-Bound

Finally, SMART goals are time-bound (or time-sensitive). Essentially, you’re setting a due date to help motivate you to stay on target.

The due date can be daily, weekly, or monthly (even yearly if it’s appropriate). Then on the due date, evaluate where you are, where you need to go, and what you have to do to get there!

SMART Goal Examples

That’s how you set SMART goals. But what do they look like in action? Here are a few examples of SMART goals.

SMART Goal for a Job Seeker

• Specific: I’m going to get a job as a senior account manager for a leading consumer goods company.
• Measurable: I will apply to no less than five appropriate roles per month.
• Achievable: As an account manager, I already have the skills to become a senior account manager but cannot at my current company.
• Relevant: This is the next logical step in my career and will help me move into director-level roles.
• Time-Bound: I will apply to at least one open position each week to ensure I apply to five openings per month.

SMART Goal for Growing Leads

• Specific: I will find better leads to ensure we close more sales and have less churn.
• Measurable: The sales team will increase sales by 5%.
• Achievable: We spend too much time selling to people that ultimately aren’t served by the product. I will better vet leads before sending them to the sales team to better match clients with the product.
• Relevant: Growth in sales will help reduce churn and improve the bottom line.
• Time-Bound: After three months, I will review my progress and adjust my strategy as necessary.

Clear Goals With a Plan

SMART goals are more than clear. They help you define the steps you need to accomplish your goals and set clear metrics that can motivate you and keep you on target toward achieving them.

The post What are SMART Goals? How to Set Achievable Goals (Examples) appeared first on Job-Hunt.

No matter where you are on your career journey, taking a career aptitude test can help you figure out which careers you might succeed in. However, because there’s no one right answer for what your career path should be, career aptitude tests are only part of your career exploration.

What Are Career Aptitude Tests?

Career aptitude tests, also known as career tests or career quizzes, are designed to help you figure out what career (or careers) you might enjoy. Because a job is so much more than a paycheck, these tests go a step beyond asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” A career aptitude test tries to match you to the careers that you’re best suited for and will ultimately enjoy and thrive in.

How Do Career Tests Work?

An aptitude test evaluates your skills and abilities to measure your readiness for “the next steps.” The SAT is a good example. It helps measure how ready you are for college.

Like the SATs, a career aptitude test consists of a series of questions. However, instead of asking you to solve a math problem, career tests ask you how you feel about certain tasks (like performing math every day). The questions and your answers are designed to help you better understand yourself in areas like:

• Motivation
• Personality traits
• Interests
• Strengths
• Skills
• Values

The results help you understand who you are and suggest some careers that best match your likes and dislikes.

What Can a Career Aptitude Test Do For You and Your Career?

Unlike asking friends and family what career you should pursue (which is OK), a career aptitude test is generally an objective assessment of your personality. This objectivity can help you get a clear, unbiased picture of what careers might be best for you.

Likewise, career assessments can help you move forward when you’re stuck deciding what to do next. Students, career changers, and anyone who isn’t sure what they want to do (or do next) can benefit from taking a career test.

How to Use the Results 

It’s important to remember that taking a career aptitude test is not a shortcut to finding the right career or even career success. While these tests can help you find your dream job, the results identify several possible dream jobs. The test will not tell you which career is “the one” or what you’ll ultimately be most successful in.

Career aptitude test results and the career suggestions are a starting point for your career exploration. Just because the test results say you might be good at something (like being a stunt double) doesn’t mean you should necessarily pursue it. 

Eliminate careers you know you wouldn’t like, then give serious examination to the remaining career choices. You can even test-drive a few through volunteering, freelancing, or a part-time job to see if some of these careers really are the best choice for you.

Types of Career Tests

There are many types of career aptitude tests around, and though they may use different methods, they all ultimately measure the same things. You can find them on the internet, offered through schools, and given by career professionals (like psychologists or career coaches). Whichever test you choose, make sure you use one that’s valid and reliable, and remember, the results are only the first step on your journey.

Here are some career aptitude tests to try. Some are free, and some are paid.

1. O*Net Interest Profiler (My Next Move): Free
2. Career Aptitude Test (123test): Free
3. What Career Is Right For Me: Free
4. MyPlan.com (offers various career tests): Free to $19.95
5. CareerFitter.com: Free to $39.95

Pencils Down

Career aptitude tests are a fantastic way to discover more about your personality and motivations and identify careers that may be well-suited to who you are. However, they are only one tool out of many that you can use to help you better understand which jobs and industries you’ll enjoy being in.

The post How Career Aptitude Tests Can Help You Find Your Dream Job appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Maybe that’s old news to you and you’ve spent time optimizing your LinkedIn profile already. But now, you’re looking for other ways to build a robust professional network. Not sure where to focus next? Consider joining a professional organization to take ownership of your career growth. We’ve got the details for you here.

What Is a Professional Organization?

You probably already know that professional organizations are groups formed around specific work-related topics. These include professional associations, unions, guilds, or simply clubs where members discuss their line of work with other people interested in the same subject. Although they are commonly associated with legal and medical professions, professional organizations exist in many fields.

What Does a Professional Organization Do?

Essentially, professional organizations promote education, creating socialization opportunities and special interests among group members. Often, anyone can join a professional organization as long as they are interested in the topic of the association and meet any related criteria. Professional organizations do not typically restrict membership based on employment status.

While there is no overall standard for how often an organization meets or structures their meetings and group, they should have guidelines in their membership information to give you an idea of what to expect.

What Are the Benefits of Joining a Professional Organization?

When you’re looking for ways to expand your professional network, joining a professional organization has several benefits.

The most significant benefit by far is networking opportunities. Professional associations offer the chance to get involved with other people in your field who may currently hold lucrative job opportunities. Additionally, they may provide further information about industry trends, which could be helpful when applying for vacancies or seeking freelance work.

Another great benefit is staying abreast of industry standards and evolving skill sets. Interacting regularly with group members can help improve your proficiency and knowledge in a way that might be unattainable on your own. By joining a professional organization, you’ll be putting yourself in contact with other individuals with similar interests and creating an open dialogue about work. Perhaps they’re studying or focusing on an aspect of the field you hadn’t considered.

Education for your career development is another significant benefit of joining a professional association community. Not only will you be involved with industry-related topics, but you’ll also have an opportunity to connect with other members who could offer further educational opportunities, like seminars or workshops. Without your membership, you might not get notified about these opportunities.

Finally, if you’re looking to join a professional organization, consider the benefits of socialization. While it may seem at first glance that networking is the only benefit to joining up with your professional association community, socializing can help improve your quality of life. Just think about how much you would enjoy spending time with like-minded individuals who speak your jargon!

Where Can I Find a Professional Organization?

If you’re considering joining an association to grow your career and expand your network, start by asking professors and current managers for any recommendations they might have. If people in your sphere can suggest something appropriate, it should be a go-to option. Additionally, search online for associations based on your profession to see what you can find.

Rather than a generic local business group or your alumni association, (though both are great networking options in their own ways), you’ll often find more streamlined career growth by focusing on organizations specific to your particular fields or career paths. Consider one of the following organizations, for example.

• Association for Financial Professionals (AFP): Geared toward treasury and finance professionals, AFP helps boost careers with certifications, training, networking, and cutting-edge ideas to inspire you.
• Association of International Certified Public Accountants (AICPA): AICPA builds connections and networks for its members across the U.S. and internationally through membership with the Global Accounting Association. Offering continued education, town halls, a resource library, and yearly conventions, an AICPA membership should be high on your list if you have any interest in a financial career.
• American Medical Association (AMA): AMA is the largest association with a mission of “promoting the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.” Through membership, physicians at every stage of their professional journey can join to save money on insurance, get daily updates on professional standards, and receive assistance in reducing regulatory burdens.
• American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP): ASAP is the “leading provider of education and training for administrative professionals and executive assistants.” Helping you grow your skill set regardless of where you are in your career journey, ASAP offers a massive library of articles and webinar resources, as well as three annual live events and certification to ignite your career growth.
• Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA): CXPA is a global, nonprofit, member-led organization that creates networking and education opportunities for enthusiastic customer support specialists across any field. Through membership, you’ll have a chance to get certified to develop a customer-centric culture.
• National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP): NASP is the largest sales association globally. Through online courses and group coaching, you can acquire industry-standard certifications that set you apart in a competitive job market.

Is a Professional Organization the Next Best Step?

Regardless of your current career stage, a professional organization is a great place to start when you’re ready to expand your network. It can provide an opportunity for coaching and mentoring with industry professionals, along with certifications that will give you the skills needed to advance in your profession. And as new opportunities arise, these organizations are often some of the first places they become available.

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But sometimes, we get stuck on a rung. Maybe we can’t learn new skills or take on additional responsibilities to get to the next step. Or, the rung above us is occupied, and there’s no way around it.

A lateral career move can help you get unstuck. In a lateral move, you move from one rung to a different one, but it won’t necessarily be a step up or on the same ladder.

What Is a Lateral Career Move? Definition & Meaning

A lateral career move is when your career takes a step sideways. Instead of moving up the career ladder (like a promotion) or moving down (like stepping back from a management role), you move to the same rung on a different career ladder. This is usually a different title and new duties but the same level of responsibilities (meaning you aren’t suddenly managing people in the new role).

There are two ways to make a lateral career move.

Same Company, Different Role

You can stay at your current company but move to a different role with different duties and a similar level of responsibility.

As an example, a content writer moves into a copywriter role at the same company. The person is still writing and creating content, but instead of writing longer articles for the blog, they now create short pieces of content (like ads or social media posts).

Different Company, Same (or Similar) Role

A lateral move can also happen when you change companies but stay in the same or a similar role. 

Using the writer example, if the same blog writer moves from one company to another and also moves from writing consumer content to business content, that’s a lateral move. It’s the same type of job (writing blogs) but writing a different kind of content.

Advantages of a Lateral Move

At face value, a lateral career move may not seem to have any advantages. However, a lateral career move can take your career places that staying on the same ladder may not.

Learn New Skills

Even if you love your job and perform above and beyond every day, when you’ve mastered the role, you may get bored doing the same thing over and over. A lateral move can help you learn new skills and break up the “rut” you may be experiencing.

Meet New People

Especially if you stay at the same company, making a lateral career move connects you with new coworkers. Sure, you may have hung out in the break room a few times, but working closely with a new team is entirely different than coffee break chats. You’ll likely learn things you wouldn’t have had a chance to otherwise, as well as expand your network.

Restart Your Career

Sometimes you’ve gone as far as you can up your current career ladder at your present company or on your team. And while that may eventually change, it may take longer than you’re willing to wait. A lateral career move can help you restart your climb up the career ladder faster than waiting for things to change in your current position.

Disadvantages of a Lateral Move

However, there are some disadvantages of a lateral move to consider too.

Possible Pay Cuts

It’s possible that while you’re taking a job with similar duties and responsibilities, it doesn’t pay as much if you change companies. Even if that’s not the case, starting at a new company often means losing out on the benefits (vacation, retirement contributions) you currently have.

And though you likely won’t lose out on vacation time or other benefits when you make a lateral move at the same company, you may take a pay cut if you make the switch.

Question the Path

Only you know what’s right for your career and why you’re making a lateral move, but future employers may wonder why you’ve stalled out in your career. Some companies feel that if each new role isn’t a step up or forward, you’re not the right hire for them. They may (incorrectly) think that you aren’t interested in leading or taking on new responsibilities.

Time Delay

Though a lateral career move can help you move forward, the reality is that it doesn’t help you move forward right now. Moving sideways means that you may set your career back a few years while you learn new skills and prove yourself in the job. Eventually, you’ll climb up, but it may take longer than you’d like it to.

How to Make a Lateral Career Move

If you’ve decided a lateral career move is the right move for you, ask yourself a few questions before taking the (sideways) leap.

Ask Why

Make sure you’re making a lateral career move for the right reasons. If it’s because you dislike what you’re currently doing, make sure your next move isn’t too similar. A career change may be a better choice. Likewise, if the industry is the problem, a lateral move at your current or even a different company may not be the best choice either.

Ask What

Have a clear idea of what you want to get out of the move before making it. Do you want to learn new skills? Are you trying to move up but sideways is the only way to get there? The clearer you are on what you want to get out of the move, the better the move you’ll make.

Ask Around

Before leaving your current company, talk to your boss about your plans. In large companies, making a lateral move might be as simple as applying for an open role in another department. But in a smaller company, you might have to get a little more creative.

Work with your company to see if there’s a solution that lets you stay. Maybe you can take on some additional duties while offloading some of your present ones to create a lateral move without having to leave.

Be Ready to Answer

Though you may have answered all of your questions, be prepared to answer why you want to make a lateral move during job interviews. The reason may not be obvious to the hiring manager. Practice an answer that explains how a lateral move can improve your skill set or help you move forward professionally.

When Sideways Is the Right Way

For many people, their career path resembles a ladder: a straight line from bottom to top. But when a rung is blocked or even broken, it can make sense for your career to make a lateral move. You may just find that jumping to a new ladder has a significant (and positive) impact on your career growth.

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