12 tips to enhance your career

Successful professionals are characterized by passion and ambition, but they also have certain sagacious habits that enable them to swiftly rise in their chosen career. Follow these 12 tips to develop fresh contacts and enhance your prospects. 

Regularly liaise with new companies. Interviews provide fantastic opportunities to obtain as much information about the role, company and industry as possible. Accept invitations regardless of whether or not you believe you're entirely suited to the role; the discussions you have may lead you down a new path you hadn't considered. 

Survey the relevant literature. Take every available opportunity to read about your industry both on and offline. Blog posts written by experts or in-depth journals can assist you in becoming a business authority that commands attention. 

Learn from your associates. Each of your peers has a talent that may benefit you at some point in the future; perhaps one is an expert in accounting, another a prominent web designer. Taking the time to learn from them could help you gain confidence and make you a more valuable asset.  

Go back to the classroom. Look into completing a short course, online or in person – the broader your skill set, the easier it is to break new ground in your chosen career. 

Make your CV suitable for the 21st century. This means linking your social media accounts and developing a well-crafted online presence. Regularly tweeting about your industry or writing articles on LinkedIn turns your social media profile into yet another networking tool.  

Brevity is crucial. Rather than documenting the entirety of your professional history, your CV should be a succinct overview of your career, reevaluated for each prospective employer you contact.

Include promotions. Detailing relevant experience on your CV goes without saying, but if you’ve been promoted within an organisation then include this, too. Rapid career progression demonstrates your competence, ambition and ability to learn new skills.

Create a sleek design. In the digital age it's increasingly important to project the right image when pitching to a potential client or employer. Develop a creative CV layout to illustrate your individuality, using advanced software such as InDesign or engaging the assistance of a professional designer.

Add quantitative data. Facts and figures lend weight to your achievements, especially if you've enhanced company growth or exceeded sales targets. Consider introducing some statistics to your CV to impress future associates. 

Attend conferences. Business events allow you to liaise with industry decision-makers and establish opportunities. Aim to attend all of the essential events in your industry's calendar, and come well equipped with embossed business cards. 

Cement new relationships with a follow-up email. When returning to the office after meeting someone new, send them an email to refresh their knowledge of exactly who you are, what you discussed and how you can take things forward.

Build your professional reputation online. Blogging isn’t merely a passing trend, but a powerful tool to show that you’re an authority in your chosen field. By writing a thoughtful, relevant article once a week, you’ll establish yourself as a prominent industry voice and find yourself researching topics that may be beneficial further down the line.

Engel & Völkers is always searching for passionate individuals with the talent to succeed in real estate. Visit our website to find out more