When trying to climb the ladder of success in the sales industry, it is very important to create a career development plan. No matter what position you are currently in, whether you are an entry level sales representative or a district sales manager, it is important to know where you are, where you want to be and how you plan on getting there. It is crucial for you to understand that you alone, are in charge of your own career. Waiting for someone to come to you to offer you a promotion, valuable career advice or even the job offer of a lifetime, is only hurting yourself. And if they did, you would want to be sure that you were in a position to take advantage of it.
So how do you come up with a career development plan? Well, here are some tips to get you started in the right direction:
- Decide where you want to go- What are your career goals? Do you want to continue to work with clients or are you hoping to get into sales management? Are you planning to eventually work for yourself? Only you know what makes sense for you. Knowing where you want to go is the first step in building your map for success.
- Do you need more education to get there?- Depending on where you want to go, you may have to go to college to get a degree or a certificate. Often times, business courses or a certification in Human Resource Management is required to move up the ranks of management. So find out what types of training and experience the people holding the position you want have. If you find out that you need additional training, figure out how you are going to pay for it. This may be a good time to check into your employers policy on tuition reimbursement or look at other companies that offer tuition assistance benefits.
- Build an excellent job performance record- While you are working on the longer term goals, be sure not to neglect the job you currently have. Nothing says more about your abilities than a track record of success. If you aren't excelling in your current position, odds are slim that you will be considered for a promotion.
- Create a large and active professional network- Enough can't be said about the value of a professional network. Use social networking to create and nurture your own network. These other professionals will be the best resources when it comes to getting better jobs and being informed about new opportunities.
- Create a personal brand- Give some thought to how you market yourself. Create your brand and stick with it. This will give you an advantage as you work your way to your dream job.
- Be a team player- Build a reputation for being a team player. When you are being evaluated by superiors, they will take into consideration what your co-workers think of you. Make sure that they know that you can be counted on to pitch in and work together.
- Be professional every day- When you work hard to be professional in everything you do, it shows. Don't allow yourself to get sucked into office drama or petty gossip. This will never get you where you want to go. Don't get comfortable where you are, and keep setting yourself apart as a rising star.
How far you go in your career is up to you. If you take control of where you are going, the odds of getting there increase dramatically. When you make your goals clear ahead of time, you can map out the best route, rather than waiting to see where you will end up.
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By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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