Having a career and being successful in life are the main objectives of every individual. Ask anyone their ultimate goal and watch them say that they want to achieve career progression. However, certain barriers in career restrict people from progressing in them thus it’s high time they get addressed.
Before spilling the beans on the barriers, it’s vital to know what career progression is. In simple words, career progression is the process of climbing the success ladder in professional life. Moving ahead, getting promoted, dealing with new challenges, new employers, new opportunities, and achieving the most out of a career. These are some of the many ways an employee advances in his/her work life.
Importance of Career Progression Plan
What’s important to note here is the strong link between career development and career progression. Career development is a lifelong phenomenon. It’s more concerned with efforts to manage time, work, and leisure all at the same time.
Then there’s career progression which is about taking small steps to achieve the ultimate professional goal(s). Interestingly, career progression shall assist in figuring out the best route to reach the desired career development goals.
Having a career progression plan will allow the person to pursue education and work accordingly. For instance, if a person has an interest in becoming an entrepreneur then acquiring entrepreneurial education will become his main aim. Apart from this, the two primary reasons why career progression requires attention are; it helps the person finding his dream job. Secondly, it shall allow the individual to earn enough to live a good quality of life. In a nutshell, career progression propels people to achieve their ultimate work and life aims.
The Barriers In Career Progression
While several factors are involved in career progressions, personal barriers often play a crucial role in hampering an employee’s growth potential. By acknowledging the barriers in a career, the probability of progressing further along the desired career path gets higher.
Barrier #1 Stress and Burnout
One of the most crucial barriers in advancing in work life is the stress from unrealistic or unreasonable expectations from a job. Keeping impractical expectations can get immensely stressful when turned into disappointments and can hinder career progression. What’s worse is when a person builds rigid and negative beliefs in his mind. Such as, expecting to get promoted within a year or else he starts considering himself a failure. Thoughts like these hamper an individual’s ability to grow and seek opportunities. It blocks all other better options he/she might have which causes excessive stress and burnout. Putting extreme pressure is harmful as a person cannot perform to its utmost potential which restricts career advancement. If anyone develops burnout, they might become pessimistic, unproductive, exhausted, and even depressed, according to the American Psychological Association.
Barrier #2 Lack of Self-Confidence
Not having enough confidence in oneself is a common yet unfortunate personal barrier to career progression. Most people don’t have enough trust in their abilities and potential which drives them down and reduces their productivity. Lack of self-confidence and self-esteem causes people to miss out on new opportunities and developments in a career. To have a more positive outlook, it is necessary to self-appraise and promote oneself. Usually, firms are on the lookout for self-confident people with an enthusiastic attitude. If a person acts frightened or shows self-doubt, the employer is most likely to get disappointed by him/her. To get ahead in the career race, it is crucial to showcase skills and talents to the leaders of the company that prove the worth of the employee.
Barrier #3 Ineffective Communication
Effective communication skills hold great significance in every career path. Inability or lack of good communication may act as a hurdle in the way of career advancement. It’s vital to know the art of effectively expressing ideas, feelings, and thoughts to others in personal or professional life. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers have continuously ranked communication skills as the top requirement in potential employees. When staff members communicate effectively, the chances of promotion and recognition drastically increase.
Barrier #4 Careless Attitude
Job satisfaction is a good thing, but feeling too comfortable can turn out to be a disadvantage. When an employee feels complacent in their current position, it can obstruct chances of career progression.
Many times employees feel like they know very well with no room for improvement and maintain a middle-ground performance. This also happens because they don’t want to step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves. However, being energetic and seeking opportunities is the stepping stone for moving forward in the corporate world. To accomplish workplace success, try to be one step ahead in the work. Show enthusiasm. Be active. Participate and offer to help. Employees should try predicting the employer’s expectations so they can assist and provide their services accordingly.
Barrier #5 Lack Of Motivation
Another pivotal blockade in the way of career progression is the lack of will in individuals. A vast number of people feel like they don’t deserve a promotion or any sort of recognition. They don’t think they are mentally ready or prepared for the pressure or high responsibility. Negative thoughts accumulate and trigger actions. Mostly they justify their lack of will or interest through different excuses. Such as, after their child grows up they will think about promotion or they want to spend more time with family. If a person tends to do that, they are certainly underestimating their potential to justify their current situation.
Barrier #6 Poor Self-Awareness
The essence of career progression lies in knowing oneself, what the person wants to achieve and what they want to offer to the world. Being aware of how one communicates and presents himself in interviews and at work is also key. Employers often get impressed by workers who carry themselves well. Thus, It’s important for an individual to identify the weak spots in him/her to bag that dream job!
Career progression is equivalent to reaching a milestone in life. Therefore, no barriers in a career should restrict an individual to advance in his work life. Plan, focus, and live the desired life!