5 Tips on How to Advance your Career as a Remote Worker

According to a recent CNBC/Change Research survey, 60% of people working from home report that they are productive or more productive than they were while working in a traditional office. So, if working from home does not diminish your level of productivity, why should it affect your career progression?

Given that your manager or supervisor can hardly tell whether you are taking a regular fifteen minutes coffee break or you are spending the better part of your time chatting on social media, it can be difficult to determine if you are qualified for a promotion or not. Therefore, you need to do more to move up the ladder of success in your company. Getting the promotion you deserve is not a day job. It is more of a thoroughly planned accumulated effort than not.

Become an Expert

There are probably millions of other people doing what you do with little or no variation. You need to make yourself stand out. To stand out, you need to gain both hard and soft skills relevant to your goals but not necessarily specific to your industry.

One of the beauties of working from home is that you can save the time of commuting to your workplace every day. Use this time to learn on the internet, read books that will assist you in reaching your goals, and work on your self-development. Build on your existing knowledge bank by attending both free and paid courses online.

Seek more Responsibilities

Yes, you have a job description and you do what is required of you exceptionally. Nevertheless, you may likely be stuck in the same position if you do not come out of your shell. While working in a brick and mortar office setting, it is easy to be seen assisting people from other departments in knotty areas. As a remote worker, however, you need to communicate with your immediate supervisor about what you can do and how to volunteer.

The short time gain might look attractive but you should not lose eyes on your goals. To advance in your career, you have to be willing to go the extra mile to support the growth of your company. Use your initiative to decisively solve problems with little to no direction. There are opportunities for career advancement in every little task and problem you solve; you only need to learn opportunity mastery skills.

Stay Connected

The internet is at your palm while telecommuting. Your online visibility is critical for your success as a remote worker. Your skills will not take you anywhere if you cannot be found. Dependable and reliable employees do not leave their team high and dry. Network online and connect with like-minded people through the internet. Be generous with your attention and time with your networks.

If you have ideas or opinions on how to do things better, communicate it with your manager. As important as giving your opinion is, it is not as essential as feedback. Harvard Business Review’s research on feedback discovered that constructive criticism is essential for career development. Ask your supervisor and colleagues for their honest opinion about your performance. Do not shy away from corrective or negative feedback.

Track your Progress

Write down your goals and ways to achieve them. The process might be slow and sometimes uninspiring but jotting down your daily achievement will keep you focused. Keeping in mind that you need a promotion alone will not cut it. Write down your SMART specific goal and keep it where it can be visible daily, say on a post-it stuck to your corner table.

Tracking your progress allows you to break it down into measurable pieces. This way you remain committed to progressing in your career. Every win counts even the small ones. Small wins are a powerful drive to keep you on track.

Ask for what you want

Do not be a one-person army. Ask for help when you need one as teamwork and collaboration are essential for success. Know how to effectively communicate your needs without sounding needy and entitled. Use the right collaborative tools and resources available to you to reach out to members of your team.

Explicitly state, in clear terms, that you want advancement in your career to your manager. This is what you have been working towards, so you need to proceed with caution. Simply forwarding an email to make your request might not be effective. Ask when your manager will be available to talk and schedule an appointment. Use a video call if possible for effective communication.

Progress through promotion is one of the motivating factors of working remotely. Your level of productivity alone does not guarantee that you will be the person to call when there is a vacant position to be filled at the top level in your organization. You need to gradually work towards it. Become an authority in your industry, learn new skills, network, and track your progress. To cap all your efforts, you need to let your supervisor know that you need promotion and a pay raise.

Originally published at https://nextplane.net on May 13, 2020.