As a member of staff within Professional Services in the Higher Education (HE) sector there will be wide-ranging opportunities for navigating career progression and development.
Whilst this will offer exciting prospects, with such variety available, navigating those options and pursuing the right one(s) for you, may seem overwhelming.
Read our guide below on how to navigate your career progression as a member of the Professional Services staff.
Engage in self-reflection
Throughout the annual cycle in the HE sector, there are likely to be multiple opportunities for you to engage in self-reflection and to discuss feedback and ideas with your line manager and colleagues.
So, whether it’s through a more formal Performance Development Review (PDR) process, typically overseen by Human Resources, or through informal activities, such as weekly or monthly one-to-ones with your direct manager, utilise these to take stock and to identify both your achievements and potential areas for development.
It will be helpful, regardless of the formality of the meeting, to note down the ideas and feedback discussed, so that you have a clear record to refer back to and there will be scope to utilise these to inform the development of your immediate and longer-term goals.
Explore learning and development opportunities
Many HE institutions will have their own dedicated learning and development teams who will offer an extensive programme of training to support both personal and professional development.
Some of the training offered might be compulsory, for example, fire safety training, health and safety training and equality, diversity and inclusion training, to ensure that both the organisation and its staff are meeting their legal obligations and demonstrating anti-discriminatory practice.
Whereas some training courses or workshops might be optional and present an alternative route to building and enhancing your knowledge and skills.
For instance, you might be interested in becoming a Mental Health First Aider for your institution, or you might volunteer to become a Health & Safety representative, which will likely involve further training and will come with a greater level of responsibility.
Some universities might offer their Professional Services staff access to programmes of study.
Including foundation, undergraduate or postgraduate degrees at discounted rates, so it will be worth researching these if they align with your current role or might support a future career change.
Network and build your contacts
Again, universities offer fantastic possibilities to network with colleagues from across Professional Services and the institution more broadly.
Research whether your employer has a dedicated Professional Services Network or Association that you can look to join.
Even if you initially join as a member, rather than taking on a committee or formal representative role, attending meetings or events and sharing your ideas and feedback will provide an excellent opportunity to network and build your contacts.
Through the contacts you establish you may be signposted to future prospects, including training and development, access to funding or career support, or even new positions to pursue.
You could also benefit from joining other relevant staff forums or networks, depending on your circumstances.
For instance, a Parent and Carers Network, a Women’s Network, a LGBTQ Network, a Multicultural Network, or a Disability Network.
You will need to investigate and identify relevant groups within your organisation to look to join.
Be visible in your current role
Whilst you might be keen to explore and pursue opportunities outside of your role, we would encourage you to also consider potential development within your current position.
This could involve taking on additional responsibilities (though these would need to be discussed and carefully considered with your line manager), volunteering to take a lead on a specific project or campaign, or requesting to shadow colleagues in alternative or more senior roles to find out more about their area of work.
Building your professional online presence through relevant networking sites by sharing projects you have been working on and your accomplishments is a further way to increase your visibility to your immediate colleagues, those across your institution, and across the sector.
Access careers support
All HEIs will have their own careers service, typically aimed at their students and recent graduates, but some universities will also offer access to this service for their staff.
Make direct contact with your careers service staff to ask how they might be able to support you, including access to information and resources, feedback on future applications, and guidance in relation to broader career planning and goal setting.
If your organisation doesn’t offer this, then we would encourage you to access support through the National Careers Service who provide careers information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions at all stages of your career.
Consider volunteering to build an alternative experience
Although it might not always be possible due to time constraints, if you have the flexibility to volunteer outside of your regular paid role, then this could open up further chances for development.
Whether it’s a voluntary role you pursue linked to your personal interests or something that is aligned with ideas you have for your future career progression, volunteering your time can be incredibly rewarding.
Volunteering also offers a further chance to enhance your network and reach through new contacts, as well as offering the chance to build upon and demonstrate your skills and abilities to navigate your career.
Hold yourself accountable
Regardless of the options you identify when navigating career progression in your Professional Services role, it is essential to hold yourself accountable when working towards any goals you have identified.
In order to support you with this, we would encourage you to develop SMART goals to ensure you are able to realistically work towards career progression. Ensure the goals you set for yourself are:
- Specific – be specific about what you want to achieve. Ask yourself questions about your goals using the five Ws – who, what, when, where and why.
- Measurable – make sure that you can measure success by consistently checking your progress.
- Achievable – ensure your goal can realistically be achieved.
- Relevant – consider your goal’s relevance to you as an individual – is it worthwhile? Is it applicable to your current situation and future aspirations?
- Timebound – assign a manageable deadline for your goal by considering what action you can take immediately, in the near future and longer-term.
Overall, whilst navigating career progression in your Professional Services role might seem daunting, our guide has offered some tangible steps for you to consider in your current position, which can support you with self-reflection, strengthening your network, being open to new learning, as well as ensuring you hold yourself accountable.
By taking the time to consider those activities that will support you in navigating career progression you are more likely to continue on a fulfilling and rewarding path that aligns with your motivations, values, and aspirations.
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