By Khalilah Starks

For several weeks, I’ve written posts about techniques to employ during your job search.  But, what happens after you get the job?  How do you transition from promising candidate to rising superstar?  As a human resources professional, I sat through countless management discussions assessing employee potential and had the wonderful opportunity to witness individuals get promoted to increasingly responsible positions throughout the organizations that I supported.  It became clear that there were behaviors that set the rising superstars apart from those that tended to become stagnant within an organization. So, today, I’ll be focusing on the strategies necessary to catapult your career to the next level.  Incorporating the following techniques in your personal career development strategy will undoubtedly put you in the fast line.

Show Passion & Enthusiasm. Whether you are in Finance, Human Resources, or Sales, you must have a passion for what you do.  Successful professionals are enthusiastic about the role that they play within an organization and bring a level of passion to the workplace that is easily viewed by others.  Upwardly mobile professionals always go that extra mile to get outstanding results.  And, it’s extremely difficult to go that extra mile if you don’t feel a true passion for your career choice.  You will certainly encounter difficult times throughout your career journey.  But, the passion and enthusiasm that you possess will only help you push forward and beyond those times.

Work Hard. Hard workers are always recognized.  As a hard worker, you should be learning everyday and have a thorough understanding of the organization from the ground up before expecting to move to the top.  Hard work takes energy and motivation, and choosing a career that you are passionate about will give you the energy and motivation needed to excel in your career.

Be the Expert. Ever heard the saying, “jack of all trades, master of none”?  That’s what you want to avoid.  You want to be known as the expert in your field – the go to person.  The asset!  Get a certification that shows that you’ve attained an additional skill.  Go back to school to get that Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.  Learn everything that you can about your field and your job.  Anything that you can do to further establish your expertise in your field (internally and externally) will certainly enhance your career potential.

Be the Leader. Every company is looking for that next leader.  In fact, a recent poll showed leadership as the number one quality that recruiters look for in prospective candidates.  As a rising superstar, you should be able to influence and motivate individuals to achieve objectives even if not in a leadership role.  It’s all about showing potential.  Great leaders can lead without a title.

Think Value. Your number one goal is to add value.  As a company asset, you should always ask yourself how you are adding value.  Have you identified cost savings for the company?  Have you designed a work process that will save time and money?  Have you made someone else’s job easier?  Have you developed a plan to do more in less time?  Determine what value you bring to the organization and always seek to find ways to enhance that value.

Commitment to Your Professional Development. An upwardly mobile professional should always monitor and spearhead their own career development.  You should periodically take an honest assessment of your performance and the skills that you have developed to determine what needs to be improved and what skills you need to attain in order to move to the next level.  It takes a high level of self awareness and honesty when evaluating yourself to determine what else is needed to continue in the pursuit of your career goals.  Always remember that you are responsible for your own career development.

Find the High Powered Professionals. Any successful professional will tell you that it’s important to surround yourself with the greatest people that you can find.  Smart companies realize that people are their greatest assets.  And, the rising star knows this too.  I love the saying, “birds of a feather flock together.”  Align yourself with winners and you’ll be sure to soar with them.

Never Be Afraid to Fail. Everything won’t be perfect and you will make mistakes.  Some of the most successful entrepreneurs failed at their first business ventures.  But, that didn’t stop them.  What’s most important is how you deal with adversity and what you learn from your mistakes.  Some of the best learning has happened after making a mistake.

Accept Feedback. We all love great feedback.  Nothing feels better than a “kudos” or “job well done.”  But, sometimes feedback isn’t all positive and can be hard to swallow.  As a growing professional, you will get both positive and negative feedback.  Something to realize is that we’ve all been there.  We’ve all had that tough pill to swallow at some point.  Instead of getting upset about it, really think about how you can improve that area that has been identified as a weakness.  And, make it better.  It will only make you that much stronger of a professional.  And, the person that gave you the feedback will appreciate the fact that you addressed the issue.  Management takes notice when employees are able to take feedback, develop a plan to improve, and execute that plan.