To Progress Your Career, Rely On Your Strengths

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You are good at your job. You invested in getting the necessary professional qualifications. Yet your career in your professional field is not progressing as well as you would have hoped.

It’s frustrating and can end up being hugely de-motivating too. Additionally after a while it can end up hugely denting your own self confidence.

When you look at how your career is progressing the temptation often is to:

Make comparisons (which may or may not be valid).
Focus on what’s not working.
Dwell on past failures.
Do what everyone else tells you.
Keeping focusing on improving your weaknesses.

Now this might be human nature. At the same time how valuable is it?

What I’ve noticed working with people over the years is that if you can turn your attention and focus to your strengths you are going to do a much better job at progressing your career.

We all have areas of strength. If you are an accountant working in industry, commerce or the public sector, you might have strengths in:

Technical knowledge.
Experience of a particular industry or sector.
The way you are able to work with those outside of the finance function.
The way that you manage or lead a team.
Running major projects.
Improving processes.
Financial modelling.
Harnessing technology
And many more…

Do you really know where your strengths lie? If not take the time to find out.

Once you have identified your strengths, try to do more of the things that showcase your strengths and get you noticed.

Apply for roles that major in your areas of strength.

Use the tactics for job search that play to your strengths.

The bottom line: When you play to your strengths you are more likely to increase your chances of progressing your career. So what’s your first step?

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.

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