Getting ahead in your career

Finding a job is tough. Finding a good job is even tougher. When you've found that perfect job, it's important to then find opportunities to move up the workplace ladder. No matter where you are on the corporate chain of command, it's all about getting ahead. To do so, it never hurts to evaluate your career strategies from time to time, particularly as they relate to workplace rules and ethics. You spend at least a third of your life working. You might as well make those hours pleasant and enriching--for you.

Don't wait for your boss to notice you: take matters into your own hands and put yourself out there.

Here are our 9 ways to get noticed, get on and get your talents recognized:

Understand your boss:  Understand the way your boss works so that you're both on the same wavelength and you're in a better position to meet his expectations and win him over.You need to identify his managerial style and adapt to it. DO NOT Suck up to your boss. Trying to be best buddies is not the way to go.

Speak up in meetings: Make yourself seen and heard, put your ideas and qualities forward. Don't just sit there listening and trying to look intelligent, show you've got a contribution to make and show you're capable of speaking in front of others.

Look the part: Go to work well-rested and presentable. Never show up looking like you just rolled out of bed. Show that you care about the company image & showing that you care about your appearance is also a mark of respect towards your colleagues.

Increase our skills base - Studying for something like an MBA will most definitely improve your chances of promotion. The QS World MBA Tour - Africa is scheduled to take place early 2012, its free to attend, and offers a showcases all the major MBA players in Africa. Well worth a visit to decide if this path is for you. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for event dates.

Get organised: Demonstrate that you're professional and responsive. Quick and efficient are the keywords to bear in mind.

Keep a level head: Highlight your resistance to stress and pressure, and to demonstrate your management potential. If you show that you’re able to handle challenging tasks, you’ll become a more valuable employee, and a more valuable employee gets more perks.

Communicate: Communicate with and inform others, showing your superiors that they can trust you. Being open with people shows you're good-natured and responsible.

Share your ideas: Promote your sense of initiative and your abilities. Show your boss that you're a teamplayer rather than just an amazing individual! Help your team make progress and improve the way the company is run.

Get involved: Get to know people at work & start to fit in. Establishing good relationships with your colleagues is also a good way of keeping up to speed with what's going on. The more people you develop positive relationships with (both up and down the hierarchy), the better off you’ll be.

So, earn a gold star on the job and start your way up the ladder. You already know the way.

So you want to do a MBA?

So you want to do a MBA? But is an MBA – rather than, say, a specialist Masters – the best means to reinvent yourself? Well, it depends, say business schools. Because MBAs don't look at candidates until they have several years of experience, students might appear less agile and more pigeon-holed within a particular sector. "A previous career can act as a millstone if you don't have anything else to offer," says Witt. "But the beauty of an MBA is that it transforms people from one-track backgrounds and gives them passion to talk and act in new ways."


Older candidates, often taking executive MBAs over two years or more and more likely than not sponsored by their company, are probably looking to accelerate rather than switch their career. In many ways the MBA came about in the first place for career changers. It remains a very effective way to change direction. If you come from a strong technical background, say, it will balance your portfolio.



Deciding

• Be sure an MBA is the best route to where you're going - don't embark on a trip until your destination is clear.
• Make your own decision, using a blend of logic and intuition.
• Be a discerning customer - ask hard questions about which programmes best meet your own specific needs.

Arriving

• Learn to market yourself - don't launch the campaign until you're ready.
• Be sure your support system is in order - at home and at work.
• Review your skills - technical, quantitative, written and oral. If you're not really ready to do well yet, take an extra year to polish those skills.
• Measure your confidence level - if it's weak, consider counseling to learn how to manage your anxieties and self-doubts.
• Get your life in good shape before you begin - paying attention to nutrition, exercise, relationships, and all the other things you'll need to sustain you.

Thriving

• Ascertain your own most effective learning style (from your own self-assessment or more formalised measurements, such as the Learning Styles Inventory or the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory) and design routines and study regimens that best fit your style.
• Find a group of friends/colleagues right away; collaboration is the key to succeeding and staying healthy through one of the most demanding experiences you'll ever have.