5 Career Advancement Challenges (& How to Overcome Them)

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Advancing your career offers exciting opportunities for a better lifestyle and fulfilling work. However, when you’re working toward your career goals, the obstacles you encounter can seem overwhelming and discouraging. Understanding and being prepared to meet these career advancement challenges will help you overcome them so you can stay on the path to achieve success.

Lack of Skills or Training

Lacking the skills or training for your dream job might make you feel like you’ll never be able to land it. But there are many opportunities out there for motivated people. You can look into your current employer’s training programs or seek external training opportunities. This could include online courses, workshops, or certification programs in the relevant field. It is also important to stay up-to-date with industry trends and developments to make sure your skill set lines up with employers’ most pressing needs. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, you need to embrace lifelong learning to stay current.

Limited Job Opportunities

If job opportunities are limited in your current field, you may need to consider a career change. New technologies are constantly creating new jobs and eliminating old ones. While job listings may be disappearing in your current industry, they’re opening up in others. You may need to go back to school to acquire new skills or certifications. Healthcare and information technology (IT) are two fields that are always in demand.

Industry and Technology Changes

To stay competitive in an ever-changing industry or technology landscape, you should stay informed about the latest developments and trends. This could involve reading industry publications, attending conferences and events, or participating in online forums. Being flexible and open to new skills or technologies will keep you from getting left behind. Don’t feel discouraged or alone — research shows that 58% of people will need to learn new skills to continue to do their jobs effectively.

Limited Access to Mentorship and Guidance

Mentorship can be a vital resource for career advancement. You may need to seek out a mentor on your own, or look for a mentorship program within your company or industry. If you’re considering enrolling in a job training program, look for one that offers opportunities to connect with people who are a step or two ahead of you in their careers. A mentor can provide guidance and advice on navigating the workplace, as well as offer valuable connections and networking opportunities.

Stagnation in Your Current Role

If you feel like you’re stagnating in your current role, you can start by seeking out new responsibilities and opportunities for growth within your position. You may need to take on additional projects or leadership. You’ll need to be proactive about letting your manager know you want to do more. Ask for a meeting to discuss your career advancement plan. If growth opportunities are limited where you are, you could consider asking for a promotion or seeking out new job opportunities.

Training for Career Advancement

Whether you’re interested in pivoting to a new career or overcoming career challenges in your current field, learning new skills from MedCerts can help you achieve your goals. MedCerts provides all-inclusive training programs to prepare you for a rewarding career in healthcare or IT. You’ll have plenty of support in an innovative learning environment and the opportunity to connect with employers when you finish your training.

Written by

Julie Campos

Julie Campos is the Vice President of Student Success and Career Services at MedCerts. She brings over 14 years of experience in Online Higher Education in both Student Support and Enrollment and started her career at the University of Phoenix, serving most of her tenure as a student-facing leader.

Julie has her Bachelors of Liberal Arts in Political Science from the University of Texas at El Paso, and her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Her areas of expertise are student support in online higher education environments and working with nontraditional students. At MedCerts, she is focused on creating a pro-active student central support model for MedCerts students to reach their goals and has developed the MedCerts Student Support and Outreach Model, created MedCerts Student Success Advisor reports and Dashboards, as well as the Student Success Advisor Playbook. Her proactive approach to student support has been crucial in meeting MedCerts’ student’s needs, as well as completion and certification goals.

Julie has three children – a 10-year-old son and 12- and 4-year-old daughters, who keep her and her husband busy with sports. She is also an avid crafter with an entire room of her home dedicated to the hobby. In her free time, she enjoys teaching wreath making and even has a few “how-to” YouTube videos on the subject!

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