How to Drive Career Growth When Youre a Remote Worker - Sterling Career Concepts

How to Drive Career Growth When Youre a Remote Worker How to Drive Career Growth When Youre a Remote Worker Unlike those who work in an office, remote workers can’t put on the pretext of being preoccupied or productive by sitting in a cubicle acting busy. Quite understandably, the evaluation of remote workers is mostly based on their output rather than their actual working time. But like any other employee, remote workers are ultimately responsible for their career growth. Below are helpful tips to nudge your remote career upward, and lead you to the growth you crave. Tip #1 â€" Start with the interview Every company will allow you to ask questions during the interview. Grab this opportunity to ask about what they do to invest in the career growth of their employees. At the same time, emphasize how important career growth is to you. Aside from aiming for the obvious (such as a reasonably higher starting job title or salary), look at how the offer can provide you with opportunities to develop as a professional. Will they give you access to high-quality skills training, business and executive coaching, cultural intelligence team development and the like? Such concessions can show you how much space and support the company can give you as you work toward your growth. Tip #2 â€" Manage your expectations Since you’re a remote worker, you are solely responsible for your deliverables. You’re not inside an office where your manager can physically review your work. As an independent worker, you’re the captain of your ship. Manage your expectations, your role and the tasks associated with it. This will help you to immediately address problems despite working remotely. Remind yourself that remote work is very much different from office work. Don’t expect that you’ll have the same privilege as when you were working in an office. After all, you have a flexible working schedule. It’s all up to you to drive your career growth by giving your 100% to produce quality output. Tip #3 â€" Communicate well Most remote workers choose to have less contact with their coworkers. This attitude can damage team cohesion and affect both company productivity and compliance. If you truly want to drive your career growth while working remotely, communication is key. Say what’s on your mind. You never know, your idea may be the next big thing that can contribute to the organization’s success. Be prompt in attending meetings through Skype or any video conferencing tools. This will help bridge the gap between you and your colleagues, making you an integral part of the team. Tip #4 â€" Break your career goal into achievable parts A big raise or promotion at work doesn’t happen overnight. But, the worst thing you can do is to let your goal sit and wait for it to happen. Take the time to reflect on your career plan and break it into achievable parts. Before you can create the best career plan, you must first identify the answers to the following questions: What are your skill gaps? What are the criteria for promotion? What projects do you need to have experience in? What fundamental habits needed to be successful in the role you desire? What work milestones do you have to achieve? Once you have the answers to these questions, break down your goal into manageable bits to meet the criteria, and fill your skill gaps. Find ways to learn new skills. As part of your career plan, you should also find ways to learn new skills and gain new perspectives about your industry and the job market in general. One of the biggest investments you can make to move your career forward today is to enroll in cultural intelligence training and assessment. As the workplace becomes more globalized each day, knowing how to work effectively across cultures has undoubtedly become a prized skill. Tip #5 â€" Monitor your progress Of all the things that can boost your motivation during a workday, the best thing is making a progress through meaningful work. Even if it is gradual, don’t underestimate the power of making progress. Monitor your development; for as longs as there is growth, you’re only a few steps away from reaching your career goal. Even if you aren’t in the office, you should make your company feel that you’re a vital part of the business. To drive your career growth as a remote worker, make sure to communicate well and produce quality work. This way, you can bridge the gap between you and your employer, and make your hard work pay off. GUEST AUTHOR BIO Salma El-Shurafa is an experienced Executive Coach and founder of The Pathway Project. She is a Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach from The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and a graduate of CTI’s Co-Active Leadership program.