Same old office job. Same menial and dull tasks. If you don’t remember when was the last time you felt excited about Monday mornings – or any other day of the week for that matter –, you’re probably suffering from a case of ‘lack-of-career-itis’. Indeed, when you’re stuck in a career path that doesn’t lead anywhere, it’s easy to feel disheartened or disenchanted about your job. But the truth is that if you don’t work at it, your career can’t progress. In other words, if you don’t work a little harder at your desk, you’ve got no chances of ever leaving that desk for a new and better role. Moving forwards requires strategic sacrifices.  

 

1. Less partying, more studying

 

What are evenings for? Happy hour cocktails to de-stress after a long day? Having a laugh between friends on your way to the next pub? Or maybe staying at home and lounging on the sofa with a glass of wine and your favourite film on TV?  Ultimately, you’re an adult now. Your evenings should be about relaxing. However, you might want to research a few online study options to move your career forward. You can find plenty of options – Start by asking yourself: What can I do with an Associate of Arts Degree? Or with a Marketing BA? – that can help you to apply for different roles. Ultimately, sacrificing your evenings to studies can be beneficial in the long term.

 

2. Be ready to commute a lot

 

Most interesting jobs tend to be in large urban centres. London, Manchester, Birmingham, Plymouth, etc. If you don’t live in a large city, it can be tricky to find your dream job. However, moving into a busy urban area is a costly decision. For a lot of office employees, the best solution is to live on the outskirts and commute to work every day. You might have to sacrifice several hours of your day to commuting! Consequently, it’s a good plan to prep your vehicle for long commutes.

 

 

3. Dress like a boss

 

We get it. You love your latest denim purchase and your comfy trainers. But if you want to move your career forward, you might need to review your professional style. Ultimately, while more and more offices are embracing casual work wear, people continue to expect leaders to dress for the job – read to turn up wearing something else than jeans and a t-shirt. You have to balance attractiveness and power without following the latest trends – timeless fashion might work better for a managerial role.

 

4. Go the extra mile all the time

 

Never be satisfied with the work you deliver. Indeed, you need to get into the habit of delivering more than expected and maintaining your productivity. In other words, you can’t afford to sit down and check your social media because you’ve finished all your daily tasks. You need to go above and beyond the brief to get noticed. If you want to have a chance to move within the same company, you have to be ready to work the extra hours!

 

While everyone wants to boost their career, not many are ready to put effort into making it work. But ultimately you can get more out of your job without giving more first.