Most people actually have big dreams they hope to achieve in life. Okay, maybe not so much big of a dream (like ruling the world) but scanning through most people, you will discover that a lot of them would actually want to get to the top of their career ladder. Perhaps, be the top manager or even to be made the CEO of their corporation and well, some of them actually believe they are working towards it but they are most times going at it the wrong way. In the next few seconds, we are going to take a look at why you may be aiming at your goal the wrong way and how to do it right.

Are you even on the right career path? Here are some tips to help you chase your dreams. You may also want to learn the right mindset you need to be successful. Yes! success starts with your mindset.


Common misconceptions in the workplace

Whether you learned them through experiences, influences, mentors or you simply chose to use the wrong path for your great journey, these thoughts have to be eliminated from your mind. They just shouldn't be your medium for reaching your end-game. However, it's also very much important you know them and if possible, learn how it works to help you spot it out at a glance once someone tries them on you.

Manipulation – Do you know that colleague in your workplace who's good at having his/her way, by making the boss think he/she is the best while the rest just seems expendable? This is a very a terrible habit, to say the least. I once had a neighbour who was very good in the act of manipulation and believe me, that made him seem dangerous in this gullible world of ours but somehow, he became a prey by thinking his skills would work on everyone. Most people usually think with such power, you could literally rule over people, till they step into the wrong den. What am I saying? You will be fooling yourself if you think you can rely on manipulation to achieve all your goals. In most companies. keeping your job will be really unrealistic once you are caught. I'm always perplexed when people prefer to play a fast game on their employers when they could just do their job the right way and arrive at the same result, if not better.

Ass-kissing – Have you never experienced the situation where some persons are pleasing and praising their supervisor with all they got, in a bid to win him over and get recommended for that big promotion, but gets disappointed because the supervisor saw through it, giving the position to those who truly deserved it or perhaps, the supervisor just liked someone else better? Yeah. That's pretty much what happens most of the time. Now the real question is; how are you sure you will gain the position after worshipping your boss? There's no guarantee of course! If you want to worship your office superiors, you have my blessings, but thinking that is the key to scoring high in your career will be nothing short of a big disappointment.

Dating the boss – This is usually the goal of most people with no prior value to offer. Their goal in life is to sleep their way to the top. You need to know that any job you gain through such transactions will require you to renew the transaction regularly in order to keep the job. This is the exact reason most corporations prohibit anything more than a casual/professional relationship between their employees.A bad end to a relationship between you and your boss could cost you your job. Also, not all bosses will promote you when you date them. So, pray tell, is it really worth it? Thinking this is the key to advancing to the top of your career ladder, is a pure fallacy.

Nepotism – It's true that having a relative at a great position in the company could literally help in catapulting you to the top of that company but when you hope on this (even if your relative is willing to help), you could lose everything when you get discovered and you lack the qualities to run such a position. This brings me the point that you should equip yourself with the appropriate skillset capable of helping you to retain your desired position. Setting the record straight, it is highly recommended that you forgo any thinking that keeps you the loop of this dramatic office belief. Simply put. Nepotism keeps you at the mercy of others but your career should actually be in your hands.

Office Politics – This game exists everywhere these days nonetheless, making this your sole medium of reaching the top in your workplace is unhealthy. Well, if you are a running for a political position, you get a pass here. It's what politicians do anyway, but since this is not a political post, I'm going to focus on the dirty political games executed in the workplace like tricking your colleague into signing a document in your favour. Nevertheless, there's nothing wrong in getting your colleagues to like, support and recommend you in a genuine manner. Blackmailing, backstabbing, setting up etc. your colleagues to agree with you will never get you far in life.

While I'm not demising the fact that the above habits could fly in some scenarios, they are simply the wrong path to follow. There's really no shortcut to success. Besides, practising the above could backfire, costing you your job and probably a lot more potential prominent jobs. Now, let's take a look at what you should be doing instead.


Building your career, the right way

Building a successful career most times starts from childhood. Most people keep saying they want to achieve something big but fail to lay any foundation for it till they are university graduates and looking for jobs. They end up thinking that, building that great career starts from the workplace. Well, that might just work out for you but it's a lot easier when you start from school, equipping yourself with the right skills, experiences and networks of quality people at the top.

Thinking of getting that great job? Then, you need to know that such great companies wouldn't want to employ a complete novice (no special skill or work experience). If they did, they would be wasting their money and they wouldn't be where they are today. They are a great corporation because they have an outstanding team! What does this tell you? You actually need to work more on yourself on being that great person. You need to make yourself really valuable to them. Sometimes, a simple letter of recommendation from a highly valued individual in that industry could work wonders. That is the importance of networking with people that matter. You need to cease every given opportunity to add as many valuable contacts as possible to your list.

1.Build your skill level – You don't get valuable to a company just by being a senator's son. Don't get me wrong, you could easily get a great job through such influence but keeping such a job could be a huge challenge if you aren't equipped for it. Overall, you should actually aim to be really valuable to your employer. That is the only true security you could really have. Once a company know they can't afford to lose you, they will make your stay really comfortable and you could get promoted easily. Learn as many skills as possible and don't forget to be financially educated.

2.Gain some work experiences – I'm sure by now you know most companies won't even consider you if you lack the experience for the job position you are applying for. You need to know that even if a company would accept inexperienced candidates, they are more likely going to hire the experienced ones first. This alone should give you enough reason to build your experience list to a good level even before your first official employment. This means, during your school days, you should be taking several internships or employment offers relating to your career path as well as being part of a group (even as a volunteer) known for doing well in your field. All these are the little but powerful steps capable of shooting you to a great height in your company.

3.Network with people that matter – With a C.V enriched with quality skills and powerful work experiences, you probably would still need to mingle with the right set of people who can help you reach the height you are aiming at. This is one tool that can single handily shoot you to the top or at least, get you a quality job in your desired establishment. I once had a friend who was offered the head of I.T position in a good company (over 600 employees) slightly after he met with a millionaire who is the friend of the company's CEO. All he did was project his value among these men and they saw how valuable he will be to their establishments. The places where these men are found are, but not limited to business clubs, leisure clubs, sports clubs, business conferences, high-class Balls and dinner parties etc. Sometimes, accepting a simple invitation to the wedding of the rich could put you in the spot you need. You only need to move in the same direction as they do. For instance, if you want to take a flight, fly business class. That's where you would find the managers and CEOs.

Perhaps, you already have a job in the establishment of your dreams and only want to be promoted to a better position. Well, if you want to get to the top in your workplace, you need to gain some leadership skills. Higher positions mean you will probably need to supervise, manage or lead a team and if you do not have people management skills, your poor performance could greatly impact your role and future in the corporation. Preparing for this could be done outside your workplace. Simple things such as taking a role in your community council could greatly prepare you for the journey ahead. Before the end of this post, we will talk about how best to facilitate your advancement to a better position in your corporation.

Aiming for entrepreneurship? If yes, then you also need to work on networking with people moving in the same direction as you. If possible, they should be established entrepreneurs themselves. Apart from the fact that they could serve as mentors, getting the right business deal becomes a lot easier. Funding is also one major reason to mingle with these individuals. Learn how to raise funds for your business here. In fact, making friends with people with political influences could really help in getting your business to the promise land. Apart from moving with other great entrepreneurs, you should ensure you have a quality team by your side. A company can only go as far as the men running it. Learn more about building a successful business. You can join me on my journey as I launch a new entertainment company...


Tips for catapulting your workplace success

Always do a great job – This is one of the ways to easily get recommended for a better position in the corporation. Okay, perhaps, you hate your job. It's normal but putting in more efforts on the job could also be the key to getting that better job. Here's what I mean. Most times when I'm looking for people to join my team, I do entertain some recommendations from others or I just might notice the work ethic of someone somewhere (even a waiter in a coffee shop) and boom! He's hired! Yes! Just being good at cleaning the bank floor could get you a management position in an oil firm. You could get a better offer just by showing how zealous you are. Not being paid enough is not a reason for you to deliver poor job quality. If your pay is too low, then you should create another income stream. One powerful income stream you could create is a profitable subscription-based website like Ghavoch.

Be relevant in your workplace – Being relevant in the workplace is all about providing value to the team and organization at large. If possible, you should be that guy that your colleagues turn to gain quality insights about important issues. Be that guy that the company meeting won't end till his opinion has been aired and digested and put into proper consideration. This level of relevancy breeds natural respect from all angles in your workplace and once you are this valuable, it will only be a matter of time before you get appointed as the head of that department. In fact, there will be no limit to how far you would land at the top. And the good news? There will be no debate on whether you deserved it or not.

Get recognized – Don't live in the shadows. This doesn't mean you should go showing yourself off. No one likes a show-off. Don't go being in everyone's face all the time. Don't go proving that you know it all too! Just stay in the open by taking some voluntary tasks, answering a good question, putting on a good appearance at all times, being nice and friendly etc. You will have a higher shot at getting a better job when your superiors know you for the good reasons. People need to notice you by your good habits in the workplace all the time. You simply need to stand out from your colleagues to help the management see how unique you are.

In summary, people don't just get to the top overnight. Most times, you have to work yourself off for it. Though you might not notice this when you see your company bringing in a fresh staff to take over the position you have been aiming for. Perhaps, as your supervisor or manager. Taking a closer look at it, you will find out how much that fresher most have worked to gain that position. Yes, he might have laid the steps in several other companies with your company as the end game in mind or your company could still be a stepping stone for something bigger. Learn to start fixing the foundation for your goal now, and reaping the reward wouldn't be a problem in the near future.

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