AUTOMOTIVE PERSONNEL NEWS

How to Advance Your Career

How to stay marketable? There are many facets to staying marketable. They are mainly attributed to being reliable, successful, respectful and knowledgable. Often to achieve these things you have to be:

  1. A good Communicator.
  2. Self Disciplined.
  3. Optimistic & Enthusiastic.
  4. Have personal and Business ethics

Be Reliable:

If you say that youʼre going to do something then do it. This applies to your employer, your co workers and your clients. Not following through on promises is the major cause of work place disharmony. You may work with hundreds of people in the space of a few years and if they tell 10 people each that you were unreliable then your reputation can be irreparably harmed. Continually being late for work is unacceptable and is often a question that is asked during the reference checking process.

Be Successful: Depending on which department you work in success is measured in different ways. The more successful you are the higher your chance of being promoted. Invest in yourself. Having a proactive career plan will make it easier to recognise courses that you may like to complete to improve and develop your skills. Make the most of any continued learning that your employer offers you. Self Discipline and enthusiasm are critical ingredients in sales success if not all workplace success.

Be Respectful:

Show your co workers, customers and competitors respect. Being critical of people does you more harm than them. In the motor industry Co workers and competitors can become one or the other overnight. Candidates who enjoy long term success have good business ethics and donʼt prioritise short term gains over their ethics.

Be Knowledgable:

Never rest on your laurels. Continuous learning and reasearch is an investment in your future. Read industry publications, know whats going on in your area. Whether itʼs the latest tax rulings, competitor market analysis, The international market, the list is practically endless. You can never be too knowledgable about your product or market segment.

When are you ready to take the next career step:

Taking a step up your career ladder can be an exciting but stressful time. Make sure that you weigh up the proʼs and Conʼs of your move. Look at inspiring people in similar roles and satisfy yourself that you have the skills to emulate their management style and success. Always make a move based on your career plan. Jumping on a new role purely for money will never lead to job satisfaction or longevity

Networking & Building your reputation:

The key steps in Staying marketable also apply here. It is much faster to destroy a reputation than it is to build one. Making sure that you are reliable, respectful and knowledgable will contribute to your success and thus your reputation. Building a strong network of Clients, competitors and co workers pays strong dividends. They can:

  1. Give you support and facilitate an exchange of knowledge & ideas
  2. Give you access to opportunities via introductions
  3. Give advice & support
  4. Raise your industry profile

Resigning the right way:

Climbing the corporate ladder in one company is always preferable, there are occasions however when you will have to make a strategic move to further your career and resigning from your current employer will be unavoidable. It is so important to resign humbly and respectfully to minimise the risk of eliminating future employment with that employer.

  1. Make an appointment with your employer. It is vital that your boss is the first person to know of your decision to leave. Gossiping and having him or her find out second hand will destroy any chance of a peaceful exit.
  2. Have your resignation in writing to hand over in the meeting.
  3. Explain the reasons behind your decision in terms of the opportunities that the new role will give you.
  4. Try to keep negativity out of the discussion. Being critical of co workers or management as a justification for leaving makes you look judgemental and short sighted.
  5. Always be prepared to work out your notice period diligently.
  6. Thank them for the opportunities that they gave you.
  7. Clarify with your employer what his or her preference is for communicating the resignation to the rest of your co workers and respect that. If there are co workers that you would like to tell personally ask permission to do so.

KEEP READING

More news from Automotive Personnel

Preparation Is Everything!

Top Interview Tips for Candidates in 2023 Do your research. Before the interview, take some time to learn about the company, the position you're applying for, and the industry. This will help you answer questions intelligently and show that you're genuinely...

Cultivate Loyalty within your Business.

Employee loyalty is essential for any business. Loyal employees are more productive, engaged, and less likely to look for new opportunities outside your business. They are also more likely to go the extra mile for their company which yields significant positive CSI...