In today’s rapidly changing economy, there’s a growing need for professionals with the business knowledge and skills to contribute to key discussions and drive strategic decision-making.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of business and financial jobs is projected to grow 10 percent through 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. In addition, Glassdoor reports that positions in business strategy, finance, and data analytics offer the strongest growth opportunities in today’s job market.
If you’re aiming to take your career to the next level by earning a higher salary or landing your dream job, learning fundamental business concepts can equip you with the tools needed to get there.
Here are six ways you can elevate your career with basic business skills.
How to Advance Your Career with Business Skills
1. Develop Emotional Intelligence
Developing emotional intelligence is critical to propelling your career. Research shows that emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of workplace success, and it’s an ability found among 90 percent of top performers.
Increasing your self-awareness is a key part of cultivating this important business skill. In addition to evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, seek out colleagues and managers who can gauge your effectiveness as a team player and comment on how you’re perceived within the company.
Make it a habit to regularly deliver honest feedback, so you can forge closer working relationships with peers and maintain an open dialogue about individual and organizational performance.
Being able to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as influence others’, can lay a stable foundation upon which you can hone other skills.
2. Make a Plan
Advancing your career requires having a keen sense of your professional goals—both for the short- and long-term.
Take the time to map out your career ambitions and determine your “from/to.” As described in the Harvard Business Review, your “from/to” is comprised of two statements: One describing where you are today and the other focusing on your next big—but not ultimate—destination.
Perhaps you’re a healthcare provider with a great deal of clinical expertise, but want to move up at your company by developing the soft skills needed to become a more effective people manager.
Or maybe you’re in a similar position to Lisa Cassidy, an entrepreneur and former Sustainable Business Strategy participant, who decided to start her own eco-friendly company after years of working in marketing and consulting for green organizations.
“I initially wanted to take my consulting to another level and incorporate a sustainable message,” Cassidy says. “But I was determined to build something of my own. Something that I could take as far as I wanted it to go.”
With your desired career trajectory in mind, you can identify the business skills you need to cultivate and leverage now to reach the next phase of your professional journey.
3. Bolster Your Resume
Whether you’re transitioning from college to your career, or seeking to move up at your organization, a strong resume is an essential component of your professional toolkit.
According to research by Ladders, most employers spend about six seconds reviewing a resume, underscoring how important it is for you to make sure yours stands out.
Focus on highlighting your qualities and skills when describing your background, and note how you acquired those competencies, such as by taking an online course or volunteering for a local nonprofit.
By maintaining a well-written, up-to-date resume, you can ensure you’re ready for any opportunities that come your way.
4. Grow Your Network
Networking is an indispensable skill for all professionals, regardless of industry. In a recent survey by LinkedIn, it was found that 85 percent of jobs are filled via networking.
A robust professional network can not only lead to faster career advancement, but broader knowledge, greater authority, and an improved capacity to innovate.
As you pursue your goals, find trusted friends and colleagues who can share their knowledge and direct you toward learning and development opportunities.
Through making a concerted effort to grow your professional network and form meaningful connections, you may be exposed to career paths and interests you had never even considered.
5. Take Initiative
Being a motivated self-starter can pay dividends for your career. According to research by Indeed, initiative is one of the top attributes of high performers.
If you want to get ahead at work, opt to lead a critical team meeting or help your company close an important deal using your knowledge of negotiation tactics.
In the case of Isha Khambra, a petroleum engineer, her company’s need for someone with business acumen led her to seize on that opportunity and enroll in our Credential of Readiness (CORe) program.
“Throughout my career, I’ve tried to avoid being passive,” Khambra says. “I’ve continued to learn, try new job roles, or take on additional responsibilities to make myself more visible. Very early in life, I realized that growing and evolving is not finite, it’s perpetual. One’s job doesn’t end after attaining that much-aspired position or job role. There’s always room to evolve and advance. Up until now, I was a technically proficient engineer with minimal business skills. I signed up for CORe with the goal of expanding my understanding of business fundamentals and becoming that well-rounded engineer my boss wanted.”
6. Advocate for Yourself
As you seek to advance your career and uncover new opportunities, strive to be your own best advocate.
If you’re trying to get a raise, be prepared to point out contributions you’ve made in your workplace and demonstrate the return on investment.
During job interviews, know how to highlight your strengths and leave a lasting impression with the recruiter.
For Pamela Raymond, a communications specialist and IT project manager who completed CORe, sharing her educational accomplishments with her supervisor led to both a promotion and a raise. Raymond says taking CORe gave her deeper insight into the value she brought to the table, and enabled her to seek out greater opportunities.
“It gave me the confidence to say, ‘This is what I want,’” she says. “And to be able to articulate it and back it up. I can prove what I can offer.”
Investing in Yourself
Career advancement comes in many forms. With basic business skills and a strong drive to succeed, you can become a more effective collaborator, skillfully network, and capitalize on opportunities that allow you to reach the next stage of your professional life.
Do you want to take your career to the next level? Download our free Guide to Advancing Your Career with Essential Business Skills to learn how enhancing your business knowledge can help you make an impact on your organization and be competitive in the job market.
