Career Planning for Baby Boomers -- Faster Career Advancement.

Career experts now agree that the best possible time to consider a new job or career is while you are comfortably settled in your old job, but feeling dissatisfied. If you begin to feel unchallenged, if you think your skills are not being optimally used in your current field, consider a new one, before you quit the current job. In your current position, consider whether you are likely to be up for a promotion to the next level, and if that will be the best option for you. If there isn’t much chance of career advancement where you now work, the best idea might be to look for your next job elsewhere.

At any age, and certainly when you are a mature worker, it is always a good idea to take active control of your professional future. Only you can make sure that you progress on the career path you wish to follow. There are some basic rules, some steps you can follow to get started:

1. Sit down and have a face-to-face and direct conversation with your current boss about your future in the organization. Make it clear that you want your job and your performance to match with the goals of the organization. Share clearly what you see as the ideal growth pattern for you within the company and figure out if that is likely to be achieved.

2. Ask for more work, a larger role. Volunteer to help out in other departments or teams than the ones you are currently on. Or, alternatively, ask for more responsibilities. This can increase your value within the company. Also, asking for more, and extra, work shows your interest in and desire to help your department as well as the company. It can also highlight your role in and your value to the organization.

3. Volunteer yourself for any possible boards. If your career plan includes doing something larger than and beyond what your role is in your present position, be proactive in seeking out any possible opportunities to volunteer for advisory boards. This will allow you to build up a reputation as a person who is passionate about his/her work and dedicated to the particular industry.

4. Sharpen and hone all your people skills. A set of strong interpersonal skills is an essential and crucial part of gaining the respect of both your boss and your coworkers. It will also be useful in attracting the notice of any outside influencers who may be able to open up new avenues of opportunity for you.

5. Be a friendly and outgoing and listen carefully to other people, and spend some time practicing, to acquire a set of clear and effective communication skills.

6. Innovate. Always try to think outside the box. Put your skills, experience and personal business acumen to work. Always keep on the lookout for effective, creative solutions to all the problems you, or your organization face. This will make you, an in turn your boss look good to those higher up the ladder.

7. Finding a mentor can be crucial. Develop your mentoring relationships, whether inside or outside the company. A number of recent studies now show that the candidate’s mentor, who is in a higher position in the company, influences 80% of promotions. Mentors are great as an aid to advancement, but also, they can be good sources of information and career guidance in general.

Author's Note:

Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com, and maybe I'll feature them in a future article.

Read more articles by Anna D. Banks, GCDF go to: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewByAuthor.asp?authorID=1855.