Too often people stay in a job waiting for their employers to hand them an opportunity or offer them training or promotions. Does that approach really work anywhere in life though?
If you want a house, chances are you do not sit about waiting for a truckload of cash, you start saving and planning to reach your goal. The same goes with your salary. If you are unhappy with how much you earn, your employer is not a mind reader – you will need to let them know.
Like all things in life, if you are feeling frustrated it is time to take responsibility for your situation and do something to change it. See this as a positive thing, rather than as a negative.
If you feel like you are continually frustrated in your mining career or lacking the recognition or training you crave, here are some ideas about how to set and achieve some professional and personal goals.
Accept responsibility
You are responsible for your own career and acknowledging that is the first step to pursuing the career path you want. Accept responsibility for your choices, actions and behaviours and see that as a positive step in taking control of your career.
- For further reading, see this article about Personal Career Responsibility by Carol McLachlan.
Set goals
What are your career aspirations? Are you doing now what you truly want to do? To help with this, ask yourself where you want to be in five years’ time, and in 10 years’ time. Is there anything you will regret doing when you are older? It helps to follow the SMART principle (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) when making goals to ensure they motivate you. Writing goals down can also make them feel tangible.
This exercise works for not only career aspirations but other areas of life too.
- For further reading, see this article by MindTools about Personal Goal Setting.
Make changes
If your current role is not satisfying you, what can you do to get where you want to be?
Your list of goals might require you to update your skills or learn some new skills so you might need to enrol in a course or explore training options. If you are wanting to explore training or promotional opportunities with your employer, you will need to schedule time to talk with your manager.
Write down the steps you will need to take to achieve your goals and take some positive actions rather than sitting back and waiting for opportunities to land in your lap. Creating your own opportunities will help you achieve your career aspirations.