How to jumpstart your fledgling office career

Kampala

When you see yourself as one who has arrived at the peak of your career, then you can’t grow. You must be in a position to decide where you want to be in the next five years or so.

Many employees mistakenly think that their talent alone will push them to the top positions in an organisation. That might work out for a lucky few, but how about the rest? The idea of growing in your profession is something that everybody needs to put in mind. How do you do this?

Right priorities: Take some time off to reflect on your career path. Identify your principles, interests, competencies and strengths. Then look at how they align with your current position.
According to Zain (U) Ltd human resources director, Ms Gloria Byamugisha, each individual has to decide whether to grow or not. “The idea of growth is in one’s brain. When you set targets and a time period of what you want to achieve and how to get there, then you’re preparing to grow,” she told Jobs and Career.

Mr Henry Kibirige, a human resource consultant at Community Integrated Development Initiatives, says the key to progress is having a personal vision. During interviews, you might be asked where you want to see yourself in the next five years just to find out if you have any prospects of growing. “When you see yourself as one who has arrived at the peak of your career, then you can’t grow. You must be in a position to decide where you want to be in the next five years or so,” he says.

Package yourself: Once you determine your personal goals, package yourself in such a way that your employer has the right perception of you. That’s important because very few institutions have career plans for their workers.

Employers’ interests: “Structure your career growth based on the needs of the organisation. It’s no longer permissible for you to have one skill without growing others because your employer may have reason to outsource your work,” Kibirige says. “If you opt to pursue higher studies like a Masters degree, show your employer how that programme will benefit him.”

Find a mentor: This is someone who can help when you encounter difficulties. Mentors are people with knowledge, experience and skills who are willing to share information with another person. This could be your superior, subordinate, friend or even someone you simply admire. Find out how your mentor excels at his or her job. Take off some time to talk to him and find out what motivates them. What does he or she do and how?

Kibirige says that finding a mentor is challenging in Uganda because some people are so selfish, fearing that if they mentor someone, they would lose their positions. Sometimes new employees are left to sort themselves out with no one inducting them into the workplace. The mentor should be able to give you experiences and insights into how he or she has made it. These will eventually enable you grow.

Training opportunities: Some people have testified that participating in on-job training programmes has got them into top positions. Be open to taking on bigger tasks. Don’t limit yourself to a few fields. You should be ready to start anywhere and learn whatever you can. “You don’t have to wait for a job in your area of study to work. Start anywhere. The skills adapted there will eventually help you in another job,” says Kibirige.

Exceed expectations: Devote a little more extra time and effort to your job. You’ll be amazed at how fast you can grow in a short time. Ms Byamugisha says such an attitude prepares you for any opportunity that will be presented to your organisation. If you’re in the finance department, where you don’t have a lot of work at a particular time, you can begin filling in for someone else with a heavier load. Should your organisation present an opportunity in that other field, you’re likely to get through because you’ve got the exposure already.

Get results: It’s very easy to leave home everyday in the name of going to work. But how much work do you do per day? Do you spend the whole time on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and then expect a huge salary at the end of the month? The issue here is that you should be able to see yourself accomplish something at the end of the day.

Mind your character: Be cautious of what you do and how it affects others. Character can make or break you. Shun unnecessary gossip, slander and public disagreements.

Make friends: Friendship based on trust will take you places. There could be people in your circle of friends who hardly encourage or rebuke you when you fail. You should steer clear of them and keep those that correct you when you fail. If you implement all these steps and remember that growing professionally at your job doesn’t come easy, you might find yourself atop the management tree.