Career advancement is one of the most important things on the minds of the average employee. It represents a reward for working hard, and providing consistent results to a company. Let's take a look at some of the simple things that you can do to advance both your pay and your career.

Be Friendlier

The simplest way to conduct your job with an increased efficiency is to adopt a friendlier attitude. You're part of a machine, and that machine only works as well as its least functioning gear. Friendliness, and a general commitment to serving others, is the oil that makes that machine of business run smoothly. It helps you solve more problems, and enables you to work better with other employees and customers. There should be no wonder as to why friendly employees tend to outperform cold and uncaring individuals, and why they tend to be the first ones to advance in their careers.

Concentrate on Working Smarter

Efficiency is one thing that will get you promoted fairly quickly. The trick is finding how to increase your productivity without increasing your working hours. You can learn to work smarter by training yourself in a variety of ways. These include: time management, the use of computers and other information technology, and group management skills.

Advance Your Skills

Another way to advance your career is to advance your skills. You should take what you already know, and advance them so that you can partake in more demanding and specialized positions. A legal aid that works at a law firm may be able to advance their career by studying for a master's degree. A master’s health policy can help you get jobs that allow you to make a bigger difference in the world of health care. Whether you get an advanced degree, attend seminars or learn on your own, advancing your skills can make you more marketable in any field.

Network with Other Professionals

A time-tested method of advancing your career is simply creating the right connections with the right people. This may include your boss, your boss's boss, the company president or simply your other co-workers. The practice of networking, however, is not enough to advance your career by itself. It merely presents the opportunity to showcase your skills to the right people.

From receiving a raise to advancing to a better position, one thing remains the same: you must always be capable of demonstrating that you deserve your promotion. When you can reliably demonstrate these things to the right people, you will slowly begin to advance your career. If you can stick to improving your skills and your ability to communicate, you will find that higher paying position is closer than you might have thought.