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8 Barriers To Getting Ahead In Your Career
Many people start of in their career full of hope and with big expectations on what they will achieve. Some go on to fulfil those expectations while others get stuck.
There is no one single factor in my experience that gets in the way of professional people getting ahead in their career and here are 8 of the most common that I notice.
Barrier #1: You Don’t Know What You Want
Few have very clear career plans with absolute clarity around how far they want to progress. Obviously a plan needs to be flexible and at the same time it is useful to have some idea of the end destination.
Barrier #2: Short Term Job Change Decisions
It is really easy, especially in the earlier part of your career to take a job because of the salary. While this is understandable, it can often be a job move that actually kills your career. If it looks too good to be true it probably is.
Barrier #3: You Are Not Rounded Enough
Once upon a time you could get by and get on quite far based solely on your technical skills. These days organisations are looking for people who can do more than just the technical stuff. You need to strive to be an all rounder.
Barrier #4: You Lack Self Belief
No one likes someone who is arrogant and full of themselves. At the same time if you lack self belief you will lack the confidence to put yourself forward for challenges that might well take you out of your comfort zone.
Barrier #5: You Can’t Build Relationships
As someone who spent 25 years in accounting and consulting, I know that when it comes to things like money and finances it is tough to get people engaged. The key is to build relationships with people and get to know them as a person rather than just their job title.
Barrier #6: Being Too Rigid
Yes everyone has a job description and a range of responsibilities. What I have found is that if you are too rigid about what you will and won’t do you miss out on opportunities to get some great experience.
Barrier #7: Not Delivering
Some people think that being a people pleaser is all that matters. If you are someone who volunteers for a whole lot of stuff and never completes anything, you will simply get known as the person who never delivers.
Barrier #8: Being Unable To Control Your Emotions
Yes we all get frustrated in the workplace from time to time when someone or a group of people are not delivering or doing what was asked of them. If you are someone who just lets off steam and starts ranting and raving you will always struggle to get respect or trust. Sometimes you need to take a deep breath and bite your tongue.
What else have you noticed that stops people getting ahead in their career?
Duncan Brodie helps professional people to achieve more career success. Check out his free audio masterclass.
About the Author Duncan Brodie
Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.