How To Skyrocket Your Career Using Technology

In 2022, is it still possible to grow your career without using technology to help? Absolutely — but technology certainly gives you a leg up, so why wouldn't you want to take that opportunity? Maintaining an online presence and getting your head around technology might seem like a chore at first, but once you understand how useful it can be, you'll realize it's an asset and a unique opportunity you have over people in previous decades.

Here's how you can use technology to take your career to the next level.

1. Make yourself visible online.

It's always been important to ensure that your hard work gets noticed, whether it's by speaking up in meetings so your company realizes what you've been up to or networking to help your skills and talent get recognized outside of your current organization. Thanks to technology, you no longer have to go out of your way in these in-person situations to stand out, which many people find uncomfortable. Instead, you can do it online.

LinkedIn will be the first port of call for most people, and you can start by doing something as simple as updating your headline and bio to show off your achievements. This way, there's a good chance others will stumble across your profile, opening you up to all kinds of opportunities. You could even start sharing your thoughts on your career and industry through posts, boosting your visibility further.

Plus, your online presence doesn't start and end with LinkedIn, regardless of what you might assume. You can also create profiles on other social media platforms (such as a Public Figure page on Facebook), launch a blog to post on or even start a Twitter account. Whatever medium you find most comfortable, you can find a way to make it work.

2. Take advantage of personal development opportunities.

Again, personal and professional development has always been something that matters. But whereas this was typically limited to in-person courses in the past, restricting you to whatever lies within your budget and geographic region, technology opens up a wider array of opportunities. Head to sites like Udemy, Skillshare or Coursera and you can learn just about anything — and you can do it instantly at an affordable price.

And the opportunities don't end there. You might be surprised at how much you can learn on social media groups, such as those on Facebook and LinkedIn. Put your burning questions to a group of like-minded, ambitious professionals in your industry — once you know what's out there, you'll realize it's crazy how many people aren't taking advantage of this.

3. Lift others up.

Many people who aren't used to using the internet and social media for career growth assume that their proponents spend all their time shouting from the rooftops about how amazing they are. But if you spend any amount of time on sites like LinkedIn or other online groups dedicated to professional growth, you'll soon realize they're extremely supportive communities where everyone is trying to help each other.

Use social media not just to talk to yourself but also to share articles or resources that others might find useful, and comment on posts where you feel your insight will be appreciated. Or become a thought leader to get these ideas more widely seen.

Pay it forward — you never know when it could benefit you in the future (although that shouldn't be your sole motivation, naturally).

4. Find potential mentors online.

Everyone who's ever had even a casual interest in personal development will know that finding a good mentor is crucial to success in anything. And having the whole world at your fingertips online makes this easier than ever. You can simply head to LinkedIn, find someone in the job role and company of your dreams, and reach out to them directly.

5. Never stop networking.

Hopefully, by now, you should realize that being active online is about more than just shouting into the void. Connecting with others is a massive part of the process. Try to build and nurture relationships along the way, especially with like-minded "winners" with similar ambitions who are also killing it. Often, this will happen naturally if you stay within the same online circles, seeing the same names and faces popping up repeatedly.

6. Portray yourself honestly.

This one is a word of advice as much as anything. It's easy to get carried away with your online image and try to portray yourself as something you're not, but honesty and transparency are key.

Instead of just shouting about how great you are all the time, be open about your failures too. This will often help others warm to you and win you a little more trust. And don't be afraid to show some humor and personality — although it's probably best to avoid politics and jokes that could be seen as dark or offensive.

7. See the big picture.

When you're online, it's easy to get caught up in every like, comment and post. Every now and then, remember to look back and see the bigger picture. What are you really trying to achieve? Are your ultimate goals and visions in line with how you behave online? If not, reflect on what you need to do to remain authentic and strive for the right things.

Aim for the sky, land on the clouds.

Technology is your fast-track train to career success — so bag that ticket and start the journey. All the pieces of advice outlined here link together and come down to a few key principles: Put yourself out there online, connect with others along the way and stay true to yourself.