15 Habits to Speed Up Your Career Progression in 2020

The New Year is a great time to reflect on your career and set new goals. Whether you're looking for that perfect job, trying to make the most of your current job, or starting a business, we are here to help you reach your goals. 

We’ve collected 15 career inspirational quotes to fire you up and get you motivated to make big moves.

GROW YOUR NETWORK 

1.  Don't Be The Smartest One In The Room Good leaders are the smartest one in the room, great leaders surround themselves with smarter people that will challenge ideas, bring new perspectives to the table and drive innovation. - Jacob Hanson, PR with Panache!
2. “Be proactive in connecting with the people who have the job you want.” “Think about your hero. Do you think of this person as someone with extraordinary abilities who achieved with little effort? Now go find out the truth. Find out the tremendous effort that went into their accomplishment — and admire them more.” — Carol Dweck
3. Find a Mentor “A good coach improves your game. A great coach improves your life.” — Michael Josephson 
4. Your Network really is your Net Worth “If you want one year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people.” — Chinese Proverb

TAKE ACTION 

5. “Just go for it. Do it and do your best. You have nothing to lose. Worse comes to worst, you are where you are now, which is not bad. You are a smart woman—you will always have a job. Someone will hire you. The last thing you want is years from now that you regret you didn’t do it.” – Niki Cheng, Co-Founder, Calligaris NY

6. Success doesn’t come overnight. The ascent toward your vision is long and steep, but only you can see it, so don’t be so hard on yourself. Strive for constant improvement, not perfection. - Lindsay Mullen, Prosper Strategies

7. Apply for that Job If You’re Not a 100 Percent Match. "Job seekers may be underestimating the value they can bring into a role.  If you meet the majority of the qualifications for a job you are interested in and are confident you can quickly learn the remainder, apply for that job” Mary Grace Gardner

DEVELOP THESE SKILLS

8. "Be audacious! Treat your career as an exciting story, one you want to tell, each chapter adding new experiences and capabilities to your professional and life journey. Sophie Kelly, SVP North America Whiskey

9. "Go with your gut. Never doubt it. Nurture it. Make it stronger. Make listening to it part of your self-care routine. It will never lead you astray Julie Smolyansky, President and CEO of Lifeway Foods

10. Embrace failure.'You will fail. That's inevitable. It's what you do with it.'" J.K. Rowling

SET YOURSELF APART FROM YOUR COMPETITION

11. Have a general career path in mind, build relationships along that path, and be willing to accept challenges even if it seems they may lead you down a different path. You never know where those may lead. - Brian Sullivan, Sullivan Branding

12. Anticipate needs To succeed in your new job and achieve career success, you will have to be well aware of what your manager needs. Stay a step ahead of your boss by asking yourself, “If I were my boss, what would I want done next?”

13. "Market yourself because no one else will do it for you." I passed along every "great job!" email to my managers and then filed them away to read again whenever I needed a pick-me-up. - Starr Million Baker, INK

14. Voice unpopular opinions “Speak up with the point of view in the room that may not be popular. Have those uncomfortable moments. Because my strong personal belief is it is those moments that cause you to grow the most yourself, but also differentiate you the most in your career.” – Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy

15. Ask questions“Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve but instead listen very carefully and never be afraid to ask a question. Sometimes the dumbest question is the one they’re hoping you won’t ask, so that the words are never spoken and everyone can plead ignorance later! I am always asking the ‘dumbest’ of questions.” – Alyson Hogg, CEO and Founder, Vita Liberata