Grow your career one step at a time

Where to start

Most people who want to get ahead at work have more ideas than time. They know they should learn something new, ask for a review, or reach out to old colleagues, and none of it happens because the week fills up first. The staircase above breaks career growth into seven steps. Each one has a guide and a small first move you can make this week.

You don't have to climb in order. If you are tired all the time, start with the burnout guide, because the other steps are hard to take when you are running on empty. If you feel stuck and can't say why, start with setting a direction.

A one-week starter plan

1. Write down what you want your work to look like a year from now, in two or three sentences.
2. List three things you did well in the last six months, with a result for each if you have one.
3. Pick one skill that would help with the goal and find one way to practice it at work.
4. Ask your manager or a trusted coworker one specific question about your recent work.
5. Send a short, friendly note to one person you have lost touch with. Ask for nothing.
6. Block out one evening with no work email, and notice how you feel the next morning.

None of these steps takes long. Done together, they give you a clearer goal, evidence of your work, a little feedback and a slightly bigger network, which is a good base for every guide on this site.

What we can and can't tell you

Careers depend on things no website controls: the job market where you live, your employer, your field and plenty of luck. We can't promise that any step here will lead to a new job, a promotion or a raise. What the guides can do is help you make clearer requests, spend learning time well and avoid common mistakes.

For questions about your rights at work, such as pay, overtime, discrimination or safety, go to an official source. Our official resources page lists the main US agencies and explains when to talk to an employment lawyer.

Common questions