You know that professional development is key to taking your staffing agency career to the next level. Still, in the staffing industry, the path to advancement isn’t always obvious.
We developed this guide to help. If you work at a staffing agency and you’re thinking about your next move, consider these tips for industry professionals who are looking to get ahead.
What steps should I take to boost my staffing agency career?
Professional development is about more than just participating in the occasional training course. Some of the top ways to advance your career are simpler than you might think.
Keep learning
Boosting your career in the staffing industry starts with elevating your recruitment skills. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to find affordable (and often free) resources, including podcasts, blogs, and books on effective hiring.
Do a little research to determine which resources interest you and might help you gain skills or knowledge that is applicable in your role. Once you’ve identified books, articles, videos, or podcasts to explore, build the professional development into your schedule. Set aside time regularly to read, listen, or watch, creating a sustainable learning routine that will help you grow in the long term.
Pursue professional training and certifications
While courses aren’t the only method for professional development in the staffing industry, they’re an important piece of the puzzle. Particularly if you’re eyeing a management position, it’s important to know what certifications are available for staffing professionals, and which will be key to advancing your career.
For more on training and certifications for HR and staffing professionals, read our guide to professional development courses for recruiters.
Seek feedback
Sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know. That’s where feedback plays an important role.
Seek out a mentor or friend who also works in recruitment and ask them for constructive feedback on your performance, including your skills, strengths, and weaknesses. The right industry person can help you identify areas to improve, and even chart a professional development plan to help you reach your goals.
It can be tough to accept feedback, especially criticism. However, learning to accept and incorporate advice can be one of the most effective methods for growing professionally.
Build your network
How’s your professional network? Do you have contacts and connections in the staffing industry who you can call for advice, ideas, and maybe even a favour or two?
If you don’t, that’s a sign you may need to invest time in building your network. The people you know at your company and others like it can help you by answering questions, sharing intel, and offering opportunities. That’s why networking should be an important element in everyone’s professional development journey.
Networking strategies vary widely from person to person, depending on if you lean more towards structured events and programs or informal relationship building.
For a more formal setting to meet fellow staffing professionals, seek out conferences and events in the sector. In addition to providing learning opportunities, these experiences typically include cocktail parties, dinners, and other social gatherings that allow people to get to know each other.
If events aren’t your thing, you can also network one-on-one by arranging informal meetings with other professionals. Ask for introductions from your current contacts or reach out on LinkedIn with a personalized message explaining why you’d love to meet for a coffee. You never know when you might meet a new industry friend who can help your career.
Seek out new responsibilities
To take your career to the next level, be prepared to expand your role and increase your responsibilities. Look for opportunities to spearhead projects, tackle new tools and technologies, and lead new initiatives to help grow the business.
While these steps may not pay off right away, your motivation, drive, and management skills won’t go unnoticed. It’s worthwhile to seize opportunities to demonstrate your abilities and stand out from the pack as a high-achieving leader.
Share your knowledge
The best leaders don’t hoard what they know; they share it freely. On top of looking for your own mentors, seek out opportunities to mentor others.
Mentoring young people at the beginning of their careers is a rewarding way to share what you’ve learned in your own journey, and even help the next generation avoid making the same mistakes you did. Plus, you may be surprised by just how much you can learn from your mentees.
The bottom line
There’s plenty of room for growth in the staffing industry. They key to boosting your career is to take advantage of opportunities to develop professionally wherever you can. At the office, you can pursue growth by asking for feedback, taking on new responsibilities, making connections, and mentoring others. Outside of work, seek out online resources, complete industry certifications, and attend conferences and events.
If you make the effort to grow your skills, knowledge, and network, you can expect to experience a long and fruitful career in the staffing industry.
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