Climbing up the career ladder in your 30s

Jaidip Chatterjee

Millennials have acquired a reputation of being impatient and wanting to move up the career ladder rather quickly. Be it jobs or important decisions in life, they have a tendency to switch often. Climbing the ladder in corporate and professional set ups, however, requires careful planning, relevant skills, and connections. Therefore, one should take a more thought-through path to get to the top as competition is only getting intense. Some useful tips that may help are:

Make a plan

Too many people bounce through their career like a pinball in a pinball game. But in order to achieve your full potential, you need a good and realistic plan. A smart person will have a long-term career plan, which focuses on where he wants to be at the pinnacle of his career, as well as the interim steps that'll be needed in order to get there. Make adjustments as you go up, but implement the plan early on in your career.

Keep updating

Get the best possible education and training that you can, as early as you can. No matter what has changed, there is still no replacement for getting a head start with a great education. However, one should also keep in mind that what brings you here today will not take you there tomorrow, so continuous skill development and investment in training is vital.

Network

Use all your resources to get on to the right path. One needs to leverage the network to get in at the best possible starting point. Networking shouldn't stop once you have the job. The more people you know and the more that know you and like you, the better. In today's day and age, references matter, and positive references can work wonders.

Humility

Be humble. Humility pays in the long run. So, create a charm about yourself and ensure that the people around you like you not only for your work but also for the person that you are. Don't go around throwing weight; instead learn to create a positive influence.

— The writer is HR Head, Srei Financial Services