Important Milestones in Your Career Journey

 

We all have goals in our lives. For some, it is about finally being able to start a family purchase a car. Others value buying that house  or condo for sale in a great neighborhood. Lastly, a third group places a lot of emphasis on goals associated with their jobs and career as a whole. It is in this final category where we will focus our attention.

When it comes to career goals, most people think achievement is only valuable if it is huge. For instance, if you become the company CEO or lead the sales, marketing, or human resources departments.

That shouldn’t be the case. While it is true that certain milestones look great on a resume, what you accomplish at your place of work is ultimately for yourself, not for others. As such, you need to learn how to value the little things as well. After all, these are the ones that keep you motivated daily and give you the energy to do what you have to do to succeed both short and long term.

Furthermore, they will give you something to strive for. If you only have one or two significant objectives, what happens when you achieve them? What is there for you to do then?

As we consider these and other aspects of career growth, let us look into a few of the most important milestones you should be proud of.

Having a Job

It has been almost two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 global pandemic. And even if the mass rollout of different vaccines has already begun in most countries, there is still a long way to go.

At a time of record unemployment numbers and companies going bankrupt left and right, having a job, irrespective of what that is, is cause for joy and gratitude. Thousands of people worldwide don’t, and you could be in a much worse situation than the one you are in now.

Your First Promotion

Whether it comes with a much higher salary or a few additional pennies and nickels every month, a promotion is a promotion. If nothing else, it is a new title you can put next to your name and a reminder to yourself and others that you have what it takes to handle a higher position.

It is also a sign that somebody above you, be it your direct boss, a department supervisor, or the general manager, sees something in you and is willing to take his chances on what you have to offer to the organization.

Managing a Big Project

The word big can mean a wide variety of different things. It could be a project where dozens of people are under your supervision or a business proposition with an enormous budget. Or it can also be something that will last a long time, perhaps a year or more.

Whatever the case may be, it requires a certain level of commitment, responsibility, diligence, and most importantly, hard work. As a result, if you were chosen to handle it, it means you have an abundance of the four qualities mentioned above. And that should be celebrated.

An International Business Trip

Not everybody is chosen to represent the company overseas. This is especially true in newer organizations where networking and business expansion are vital to success. Aside from a cultural understanding of the place you will be visiting, you must have the requisite language skills and business acumen that such an endeavor entails.

Thus, be happy about the chance you are being given and make the most of it. And consider yourself lucky because it doesn’t happen all the time.

A Mentorship Role

One of the best things you can do for someone else is to teach them how to be self-reliant and independent. And by doing so, you are paying it forward for those coming after you and making the company better as a whole. Therein lies the importance of being an excellent mentor to a younger colleague or a new employee.

We all know that the word mentor doesn’t sound as flashy as boss, chief or something, or head. Still, it is just as valuable to an organization’s prosperity.

As we have seen, there are five key career milestones we should all be happy about. The first is having a job. This is followed by your first promotion and the responsibility of managing a big project. Coming in fourth is the chance to enhance your career and learn new things by going abroad. The last one is having the opportunity to help someone else achieve what you have achieved.

Life is about celebrating the little moments that bring us satisfaction. So do it whenever you can, and never take for granted what you have accomplished.