It is already in September  and we have four months to go before we say goodbye to 2019 and welcome the new year.

Certain questions concerning one’s career that are likely to come up would include: “Am I making progress career-wise? Did I upgrade my skills? Did I land the promotion? Did I get the desired credentials?”

If the answers to the raised questions are no. There is no need to fret.You can still make positive changes before the year is over. Below are five things you can probably accomplish career-wise before the year runs out:

1. Improve your position with your current employer:

Some people tend to believe the grass is always greener on the other side. They are dissatisfied with their current job. Truth is, there are a lot of things that can be done to make your current job happier, more lucrative and fulfilling without leaving. Don’t just sit there and follow routines. The surest way to upgrade yourself is to put out plans or proposals and approach the boss or people of influence, who might see profit in what you’re proposing. Remember business exist to solve needs and make profits. Make your presentations in form of ”what ‘s in it for you guys” rather than ”what I want out of the deal” and watch where it would take you.

2. Map out your career plan:

You can not leave one job and join another without a laid out strategy. Your first move is to define your perceived ”ideal” situation. Bear in mind the tasks you enjoying doing, what energizes you and what you are passionate about?Then look for jobs that match your passions. Find out what the positions requiring such skills are called, what organisation require such positions and what skills and experience that are require. From there, you can gradually execute your transition plan. Also map out how to acquire the needed skills for the job positions and finally put a time-frame to your transition plan.

3. Gain a new valuable skill:

Learning is endless. With an array of free online courses and Youtube to the rescue, one can learn many skills be it technical tools, business practice, languages or leadership training. Some courses/ training may come with a cost. Nevertheless, the goal is gain a valuable skill.The key to success here is to be focused and do the needful. It is better to be a master of one trade than to be a jack of all trade and a master of none.

4. Establish thought leadership:

People who usually excel in their career have one thing in common- they are leaders. They are not just lucky but have been able to deploy strategies to market their knowledge, talents and personalities in the right places and at the right time. Social media makes thought-leadership accessible to the people. One can use LinkedIn, Twitter or any social media platform to showcase expertise and passion in any particular field. The internet can be used as a leverage for establishing oneself as an influencer.

5. Connect with people within a professional network:

Staying in touch with your professional circle at all times has advantages. You might not necessarily tell then you are job-hunting but when opportunity comes up, you are likely to be the one they approach because you have presented yourself as a problem solver. Again, the social media is platform to have leverage on your professional network.

Like they say, make hay while the sun shines. With four solid months to go, you can still make positive changes career-wise before the holiday season creeps in.