13 Career Strategies for Success
Whether you're a manager, an entrepreneur, or looking for work, everyone needs career training. Discover 13 proven tactics to accelerate your professional growth.
In this article · 15
What is Career Development?
Understanding the building blocks of professional growth
Career development is how you manage work decisions, personal goals, education and professional transitions to achieve life balance and success. It’s not just your job that goes into your career development. Many factors can and should come into play:
- Job Benefits
- Professional Associations
- Certifications
- Mastermind Groups
- Side-Hustles
- Degrees
- Skills
- Retirement Accounts
Job vs Career
What’s the difference and why does it matter?
The difference between a job and a career is that a job is something you do simply to earn money. A career is working to formulate a plan so you have a series of connected employment opportunities that build upon each other.
A job can “stay at the office” and you don’t have to worry about it on nights and weekends. A career needs to be stoked, worked at, and maintained—but it means your work matters more and pays off in the long run.
How can you turn your job into a career? How can you make your career a career you love? Here’s my career training guide below.
Do You Want to Develop Your Career?
Career training starts with honest self-assessment
Career training is a lot of work. You have to think big and long-term. Ask yourself these questions before you get started:
- Do you wake up in the morning excited to tackle the day?
- Do you dread Mondays?
- Do you feel fulfilled in your current role?
- Is there a profession you’ve always wanted to try?
- Is there a skill you have been wanting to add to your resume?
How to Be Happy at Work
The Society for Human Resource Management conducted a massive survey on employee engagement. Learn which factors are most important for work happiness.Be Happier at Work →Hack Your Resume
Stand out from the competition
To be a great manager you have to hone your own influence. Your moods, ideas and feelings are contagious and can affect your team—in both good and bad ways.
How to Get a Job: Resume to Interview
Your complete guide to getting hired, from crafting the perfect resume to acing the final interview.Hack Your Resume →Know How to Sell Yourself
Essential persuasion skills for any career
Even if you are not in sales, you should know how to sell. We are constantly selling—our ideas, our products, our team. One of the best career training skills you can have is learning the science of sales.
Sales Techniques
Science-backed methods to close more deals
Read →The 6 New Rules of Sales
Modern selling strategies that work
Read →Interview Tips
Master both sides of the interview table
You never know where your career path will take you. Keep these interview tips in your back pocket—whether you are the interviewee or the interviewer.
Interview Body Language
The body language you should use to ace your interview
Read →10 Best Interview Questions
Questions to ask or prepare for
Read →Best Colors to Wear
What to wear based on the impression you want to make
Read →Questions to Ask Candidates
For hiring managers and recruiters
Read →Build Your Network
Create job insurance and flexibility
As you grow your career you will meet more and more interesting people. Your network is a major career asset because it can give you job insurance in case of hard times and job flexibility if you want to jump ship.
LinkedIn Profile Tips
Build your online network
Read →Master Networking Guide
Complete guide to building relationships
Read →Really want to build your network? Check out my book Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People for a complete guide on how to level-up your relationships.
Alternatives to College
Level up without going back to school
One of the best ways to develop your career is to get more education. But does it have to be college? No! There are ways you can be a superstar at work without having to go back to school:
- Learn to speak another language
- Get certified in a skill, such as body language, consulting, or programming
- Start a professional development group or Toastmasters at your company
7 Career Standout Strategies
Alternatives to college that don't require a university education but will make you stand out.Learn the Strategies →Be a Meeting Master
Spend your meeting time wisely
If you’re a middle manager, you spend about 35% of your time in meetings. Upper management? About 50%! That’s half of your time. Are you spending it well?
8 Meeting Icebreakers
Warm up your team the right way
Read →Where to Sit in a Meeting
Science of seating arrangements
Read →Increase Your Influence
Make sure your ideas are heard
Read →Master Your People Skills
The one universal career skill
There is only one universal career skill—no matter what your career, niche, industry or title you will need it: Interpersonal Intelligence. The higher your interpersonal intelligence, the more smooth your career will go.
People skills help you negotiate for a raise, make new contacts, build your network, schmooze with the boss, sell your ideas, pitch yourself—the list is long.
People School
Add people skills to your resume with our flagship training program.Add People Skills →Negotiate for Your Raise
Get paid what you’re worth
At some point you will have earned a raise or promotion. Deserving a raise is only half the battle—how do you ask for one? The first big hurdle is getting over your own fear, especially if you have any Impostor Syndrome.
How to Negotiate a Raise
Use body language to get what you deserve
Read →Impostor Syndrome
Overcome the fear holding you back
Read →Public Speaking Tips
Command any room
More and more jobs require some kind of public speaking—from a stage, making a toast, leading a video call, or speaking up at a meeting. Would you be able to make an impromptu speech if you had to?
Public Speaking Body Language
Master the nonverbal skills that make great speakers memorable.Learn Public Speaking →Shortcuts to Success
Get creative with your career
I do believe there are some shortcuts to success. I have used them myself and they work. Want to get a little creative with your career?
Be Indispensable at Work
Tips to get ahead in any industry
Read →Hack Your Job
Pivot the job you have to the job you love
Read →10 Ways to Hack Success
Skip a few steps on the ladder
Read →Decode Your Boss
Master the art of managing up
Unless you’re the boss, you always will have to be on the lookout for your boss’s bad moods—they are contagious! It’s extremely important you know the ins and outs of your boss’s personality so you can do what I call managing up.
Decode Your Boss’ Behavior
Understand what drives your manager
Read →Boss’s Bad Moods
How to handle and avoid them
Read →Continue Your Journey
Explore more resources to level up every aspect of your professional life.