Reaching success in your career isn’t something that happens overnight; it will require a continuous amount of effort and focus, and continuous actions if you hope to move up in your chosen field. Whether you’re just starting out in your line of work, or you’ve been there for a while and you’re looking to build momentum, here are some of the best tips for growing in your career, and eventually enjoying your retirement.

Set Goals

Any time you’re setting out to do something, whether it’s advancing in your career, or preparing yourself to run a marathon, you need to make sure that you have the right goals in place. The right goals will help you stay on track, and ultimately achieve what it is that you set out to do.

It helps to use the SMART framework when developing your goals, as this will help you most effectively reach our objectives. The SMART method is an acronym for goals that are specific, measurable , achievable , relevant and time bound. As you progress, make sure that you check in on your goals and your progress. If you’re not making the kind of progress that you want to, then you should make adjustments as needed.

Improve Your Skills

Perhaps the most important aspect of advancing your career is making sure that you continuously build your skills. We live in an evolving world, where everyone is rapidly advancing. If you can’t manage to keep up with the pace, then you’ll find yourself left behind in the dust quickly. Take as many courses and workshops as possible, and earn extra certification experience the more qualified you can make yourself, the more you’ll be a valuable asset to your team, and ultimately irreplaceable.

Network and Build Relationships

One of the most important things you can do to advance your career is to cultivate strong relationships with those around you. Networking isn’t just about landing the next job, but ultimately about building a support system that will help you grow from start to finish. Attend as many events as possible, and participate in organizations and associations.

Remember, networking isn’t as simple as adding someone on social media. You want to build genuine relationships with people that are built on mutual respect and understanding, and maintain these relationships as you go. The more authentic you can be in your interactions, the more you’ll get out of these connections you make along the way.

Be Open to Feedback

One of the biggest causes for people failing to advance in their careers is that they’re unwilling to listen to other people’s feedback. The truth is that criticism, although hard to swallow once in a while, can ultimately be one of the best things for your personal growth. Once someone has feedback to give you, be open to it and allow it to serve as a tool for your growth.