Horizontal career: how to become an expert in their business

In one of previous articles we talked about how to climb the career ladder, that is, the vertical career growth. This way usually means getting a higher position than it was previously. But is it all necessary? Many people like what they do in office at the moment, and they want to develop in this area without any additional administrative burden.

This way of building a career - horizontal, that is, growth is not up, but deep into the professional sphere, the acquisition and accumulation of knowledge and skills that the employee becomes an expert in his case. And often the expert path is better than vertical growth, as there is an acute shortage of high-level professionals in the labor market, they are at a premium.

Horizontal growth in the professional field is considered to be much more difficult than vertical, as you have to give up many things: leadership ambitions, specific social component, a relaxing home away from home, the large monetary rewards in the form of awards and bonuses - in favor of a professional growth. It is rather a way to singles.

What do I need to do to become an expert in your field? Here are a few simple tips.

1. Deep study special

It is necessary to accumulate knowledge in the same field of activity for a long time. At the same time they should not be superficial and deep expertise that go beyond the ordinary knowledge of the studied subject. We'll have to read a lot of the professional literature and find that information, which is hidden from prying eyes.

2. Take work home

In the initial stages it is best to take work home and on vacation: drawings, projects, technical part (tools, equipment, models). You have to immerse yourself in your work with your head. Often you have to sacrifice personal life and free time. Everyone knows that at the same time hard to develop all aspects of their lives, and if you still want to become an expert in addition in some areas require much afford to refuse, because you have to pay the lion's share of his time.

3. Attend seminars on technical issues of your specialty

For your self-development training is not important, and the meeting of experts on your topic and discussion of pressing issues - what you need. It is necessary to seek specialized training, communicate with professionals to join with them in the discussion, to develop new theories and find joint answers to the questions. If you recognize a unique specialist announces the recruitment on their course or organizing a workshop, you will need to get on it is necessary. You have to learn new things in their specialty, to communicate with like-minded people, to understand the details and the specifics of the business.

4. Live performance over a certain period of his life

It sounds dangerous, but the way it is. Some period of life you have to dedicate your work: working weekdays, and weekends often, business trips, overtime, rush jobs. All for one - to become an expert in this field. You have to be at work in state of fluxIn the evening to think about any questions and problems, to try new techniques. Professionals Forums replace your entertainment portals.

Remember the rule: to become an expert in any field, you need to devote to the subject 10, 000 hours of pure time. And this is about three hours a day for 10 years, six hours a day for five years, or nine hours a day for three years.

5. Focus on the main

Decided to become the best in any field - go to it no matter what. If you are offered a large cash bonus on other work for the performance of the same tasks or old place your trust in the new mega-project like you've never implemented, feel free to choose the second. The resulting experience will give you much more in the future than the single pursuit of money.

It should be understood that to become a true professionalIt is necessary to focus not on money, but on the business.

The expert goes beyond the ordinary knowledge of the subject, he knows the answer to virtually any question on the specialty. And if it does not know what to spend all his free time to find him, and will take full responsibility, because at stake is his reputation.

The expert should never say how and what to do, it does not need to control, he distributes his time and effort. It is better to throw up his challenges, especially for something unique, disturbing his mind. It may not pay much attention to their character, their weaknesses or their social component. He lives in another world - a world of interesting facts and subtleties of specific knowledge and unique skills, which many people can not understand.

And what you have chosen: the way an expert or leader?