6 Professional Growth Strategies to Advance Your Career

Professional growth is the ongoing process of building the skills, knowledge, relationships, and experience that can help you reach your career goals. A professional growth strategy provides direction for that development by helping you identify what you want to improve and the steps you can take to get there.

The right professional growth strategy depends on your goal. You might focus on gaining experience to prepare for a promotion, expanding your network and industry knowledge to change careers, or developing new skills or credentials to qualify for a different role. The six strategies below can help you determine where to focus.

Key takeaways

• If you’re seeking a promotion: Taking on more responsibility, using performance reviews strategically, and finding a mentor can help you demonstrate readiness for advancement.
• If you’re considering a career change: Focus on expanding your network, learning the new industry, and identifying transferable skills you can bring to a different role.
• If you need to close a skills or credential gap: Consider whether you need additional experience or targeted learning, or whether a degree or other formal education is necessary for the role you want.

Professional growth strategies

1. Embrace your network.

When it comes to advancing your career, sometimes the simplest of steps can carry the greatest impact. For example, building your professional network can have a tremendous impact in helping you find a new job or move up in your current organization—exposing you to new ideas, advice, referrals, and opportunities while helping you maintain relationships with people in your field.

If you’re new to networking (or just out of practice), consider these networking tips:

• Stay connected: Networking isn’t just about meeting new people; it’s also about staying in touch with the people you already know. Do your best to stay connected with former coworkers, supervisors, and professors who can alert you to potential opportunities within their organizations. Depending on your relationship, these connections may also put in a recommendation on your behalf.
• Attend industry events: Attending lectures, trade shows, meetups, or other events specifically targeted to professionals in your industry is a great way to meet people who might one day help you pivot your career.
• Be a good contact: People are more likely to do you a favor if you first do a favor for them. If you want to be someone whom others in your network promote and help, then you need to make sure you are putting in the work on your end to be a good contact. An act as simple as writing a recommendation or alerting someone to a job posting you thought might interest them could be enough to help you stay top of mind—increasing the likelihood that they will do the same for you when the opportunity presents itself.

2. Find a mentor. 

As you work toward your career goals, a mentor can offer perspective, feedback, and guidance as you develop new skills, navigate career decisions, or prepare for greater responsibility. Mentoring can support professional and career development by giving you opportunities to learn from others, build new skills, and receive guidance as you work toward your career goals.

What makes for a good mentor will, of course, depend on your industry and career goals. However, finding a mentor who is able to guide and provide career advice can prove to be invaluable—no matter what industry.

Here are a few tips that you can use to find a mentor who can help guide you further into your career:

• Ask your employer: Many organizations recognize the value that mentoring brings to the workplace and have put in place formal or informal mentorship programs to help develop their employees. If your organization offers such a program, inquire about how to enroll.
• Get creative: If your employer does not offer a mentorship program, there are many other options that you can pursue. College professors, experienced family members, and local professional groups may offer opportunities for you to connect with a mentor.
• Find someone who has been where you are: A great mentor will be someone who has succeeded in the role that you currently hold (or which you are about to enter) and who has used that success to advance in their career.
• Look within your industry: While you may be able to find an effective mentor outside your industry, some industries are more insulated and specialized than others. If you work in such an industry (or plan to), then finding a mentor from that industry can be even more impactful.

3. Ask for more responsibility.

Some individuals mistakenly believe that their boss or supervisor will simply know when they have earned a promotion or are ready for more responsibility.

But the truth is that sometimes you must be your own advocate if you wish to develop in your career. Instead of waiting for your boss to give you more responsibility, actively seek out opportunities to take on additional tasks—especially projects that will allow you to learn new skills or flex your leadership muscles.

Even if the experience does not directly lead to a promotion or a title change, it can be instrumental in propelling your career forward and preventing you from stagnating in your current role.

4. Take performance reviews seriously.

Formal performance reviews can be an incredibly useful tool for both the employer and employee—but only if they are taken seriously. All too often, annual and mid-year performance reviews are treated as an afterthought, completed at the last minute, and often with poorly planned responses.

Performance reviews are an excellent way for employers to show employees where they are meeting expectations and where they may be falling short—a practice that benefits both parties. For employees, they are also an effective way of making it known that you have goals for professional development. Once your employer or supervisor knows that you have defined goals, you can work together to identify a plan of action that will allow you to get where you want to be, whether that means learning new skills, gaining new experience, or something else entirely.

If your employer does not regularly conduct a review process, consider asking them to start one. If they have a review process but regularly fail to follow it, take the initiative to remind them.

5. Master your industry.

Certain industries require executives to possess much more specialized knowledge and skills than others. By mastering that information—the jargon, the processes, the trends—you will be better able to communicate about the issues your industry and organization face, allowing you to demonstrate your capabilities.

There are several steps you can take to ensure you’re continuously learning about your business and industry. Take time each week to read the publications (magazines, websites, etc.) related to your field, join professional groups that target professionals in your industry, and attend trade shows or lectures that offer you the opportunity to deepen your expertise. Then, look for opportunities to leverage that information to improve in your role.

6. Further your education.

Whether your goal is to advance in your career at your current organization, transition to a new role elsewhere, or work in a brand-new industry, furthering your education is one strategy that can help you get there. It may be especially valuable when the role you want requires a specific degree or credential, or when you need structured learning to close a skills gap or prepare for a career change.

Continuing your education provides a structured path to develop the skills you need for success. It also demonstrates to employers (and potential employers) that you are a lifelong learner who values self-improvement and can even help you keep up with the changing demands of our economy.

Exactly what “furthering your education” means to you will, of course, depend upon your current level of education. If you have not yet earned an undergraduate degree, earning one that aligns with your career goals and desired industry can be an important first step.

If you’re wondering whether a bachelor’s degree is worth it, consider its potential long-term return. The Education Data Initiative estimates that the average bachelor’s degree provides a 560.53% lifetime return on investment. However, this is a broad average, and the potential return can vary based on factors such as degree cost, field of study, career path, and earnings after graduation. In 2026, the projected median salary among working bachelor’s degree holders ages 25 to 64 is $87,722.

If earning a bachelor’s degree is the right next step for your career goals, Northeastern offers bachelor’s degree programs that can help you build the knowledge and skills needed to move forward in your field or prepare for a new one.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, additional education may support continued career growth. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), workers with graduate degrees generally had higher median weekly earnings and lower unemployment rates than bachelor’s degree holders in 2024.

How can you prepare for your next career move?

If your existing employer is not enabling you to meet your career goals and has indicated that they cannot or will not be able to do so in the future, then it may be in your best interest to begin looking for a new job with an organization that is willing and able to help you reach those goals.

Though it may be intimidating to go on the job hunt, especially if you have been in the same position or with the same company for a number of years, there are some relatively simple steps you can take to increase your chances of success:

Revamp your resume.

A great resumé should make it easy for hiring managers to understand your experience, education, skills, and qualifications. Tailor your resume to the role you’re pursuing and emphasize the accomplishments and experiences most relevant to your next career step.

Focus on transferable skills.

Transferable skills are abilities that can be applied across multiple roles or industries, such as communication, analytical thinking, project management, and leadership. These qualities can be demonstrated through a mix of work experience and educational attainment. Highlighting transferable skills on your resume and discussing specific examples during interviews can demonstrate your versatility, particularly if you’re transitioning to a new role or industry.

Prepare for the interview.

If you apply for a job and are chosen for a phone, video, or in-person interview, thorough preparation can help you communicate your experience, skills, and career goals with confidence. Consider conducting a mock interview or practicing with a friend, and researching the company and role beforehand. Use the interview as an opportunity to explain how your professional growth has prepared you for the next step in your career.

Take the next step in your professional growth

Professional growth doesn’t require pursuing every strategy at once. Start by identifying the career goal you want to achieve and the skills, experience, relationships, or credentials you need to get there. From there, choose the professional growth strategy that most directly addresses that gap.

If additional education is part of your plan, Northeastern’s bachelor’s degree completion programs offer flexible learning options, experiential learning opportunities, and academic and career support to help you continue moving toward your goals. Speak with an admissions counselor or explore available programs to determine which option may be right for you.

Editor’s note: This content was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated for relevance and accuracy.