There comes a point in your career when you feel you’re ready to move up. You’ve done your current role well, you’ve experienced everything you could in that position, and you’re ready to take on new challenges. Preparing for that next step may not always be easy and can take years to equip yourself with the right skills and mindset. ASW Consulting, a talent sourcing company in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, specializes in recruiting for senior and managerial roles. In our years of talking to top executives, we’ve gotten their insights on how they’ve managed to get into their management roles, and we’re sharing them with you so you can begin priming yourself for the next step in your career.

Be an expert in your role

Your experience in the industry should be the foundation of your management role. Make sure your skills and experience in your current role are crucial for that next one that you’re eyeing. Take a specialist approach to your career. For example, if you want to be a future marketing manager, you have to have comprehensive knowledge about the different facets of marketing, and how a marketing team operates to deliver results.

More than doing your job well, being an expert is about fully understanding a discipline. It’s about taking more responsibilities, taking ownership of different processes, and being considered as a specialist in the field. Once you’ve achieved this, you should aim to become known as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for your team or company, which you can leverage as you move up to a more senior or management role.

Continue to learn

The landscape is always changing no matter what field you’re in. There are always new trends to consider, new software, new apps, new ways of doing things. It’s important to be open to these new things to be updated and remain competitive.

Your role will also be evolving, so learn about your future duties and responsibilities. There will be new requirements in your everyday work, so it’s best to commit to continual learning. Read books on leadership, attend training and seminars on business strategy, develop your skills in presenting, coaching, and overseeing your company’s projects. You can also look to other leaders in your field for their insights, and what you can do to be effective in your new role. Connect and follow inspirational individuals and companies on LinkedIn to broaden your understanding of applying what you are learning to the real world.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you still have more to learn from others. Engage a professional mentor from your industry and invest in your future. As you continue to step up in your career having an external party you can trust and run your ideas past, or ask for advice can be very helpful.

Think of the bigger picture

As you become more than just an individual contributor, you may be expected to manage people, key projects, or perhaps even certain branches of your company. Becoming a manager, or C-suite executive means taking on a selfless role – there are many more important aspects of the business that you have to pay attention to. To ready yourself for this step, think more strategically and look into how you can improve your business unit or business. Think about how you can keep people engaged, motivated, supported in their roles, and prepared for their current and future jobs.

You have to keep thinking ahead while staying true to the company’s vision and strategic direction as well as your own and other’s KPI and development. You also have to enhance your people skills – know how to manage those below you and those above you to keep a harmonious and efficient relationship across the business.

Rethink what leadership is to you

Look at leadership not as a destination, but as the vehicle that will bring positive change to your team or company. As a leader, ask yourself what difference you can make for your stakeholders, and how you can add more value to your team. Through your ownership and strategy, this is the perfect chance to drive your business forward and make a big impact.

In terms of workforce management, it’s a mix of helping your people thrive and self-actualize while you simultaneously reach your personal and professional goals. Remember that it’s more demanding than a typical 9-5 job, and can call for things beyond what your title change and salary boost involves. So be open to the changes it will bring, so you can in turn bring wonderful change to those you work with.

Don’t be afraid to look for opportunities elsewhere

If you’ve reached the ceiling in your current company, it is perfectly alright to chase opportunities in other companies. Moving from one company to another has its benefits – you’ll have new experiences, you won’t be limited by the customs and expectations as in your previous company, you’ll be able to diversify your knowledge of the industry, widen your network, and possibly negotiate better compensation and benefits. Moving to another company is also a good way to climb the corporate ladder, get a higher and bigger role, and experience new opportunities to round out your management experience.

Recruitment agency in Ho Chi Minh

ASW Consulting is a trusted talent sourcing and recruitment agency in Ho Chi Minh that brings talented people together. Apart from finding our clients the best possible candidates, we also help our senior-level candidates make the most of the hiring process so they can perform effectively in their future roles. To know more about what ASW Consulting can do for your company, or for you as an applicant, please email matthew@consulting.aswhiteglobal.com for a confidential discussion.