How to become a senior executive?

Do you dream of being a senior executive one day? Start working in that direction now. Middle managers can take actions over the next five or ten years to increase their chances of becoming department heads or CEOs. These include achieving certain goals and mastering certain qualities that recruiters consider to be desirable qualities for executives. Here are seven tips to help you get started: 1. Gather a variety of experiences

Don’t just limit yourself to your job, role, or even the field you work in—try to do at least two or more over a period of time Three different jobs. When hiring executives, HR leaders and recruiters place a premium on those with diverse work experience. Even having worked in a different city or country will be taken into consideration as it can show your ability to adapt.

Satish Kalra, a professor of human resources at the International School of Management in New Delhi, said that the saying that rolling stones gather no moss is no longer applicable. It will grow more moss. If you've tried something before... then you have first-hand experience doing it.

Unfortunately, recruiters say, people are often reluctant to change jobs or locations and instead try to maintain the status quo. If you are engaged in fields such as information technology or human resources, it is indeed difficult to change positions, but that only means that you need to work harder. Further education or a lateral move within the company can be helpful. 2. Become an expert

This may sound contradictory to the above, but experts say that ideally you should become an expert in at least one role. That will go a long way in earning the respect of your colleagues and subordinates.

Aparna Sharma, chairman of Noam Management Consulting, said that it is important to have broad exposure to different jobs, but at the same time, having professional skills in a certain field is key.

So, if you are a professional in the financial field, you should keep working in that field until you become an expert or authority in that field. You can then consider doing one or two other tasks for a short period of time to get a general idea of ??how they work. 3. Continuing your education Obtaining on-the-job education can help you advance your career. What you study depends on what you hope to achieve. An obvious choice is to sign up for an executive or full-time management program to learn about business strategy, corporate development, and more. Alternatively, you can take professional courses in leadership development or people management, which are essential skills for an executive.

You can also choose a field that is completely different from the one you are currently engaged in, says Nirmit Parikh, executive director of international headhunting firm 3P Consultants Pvt. Ltd. Education can also serve as a bridge to transform your career.

He suggested that after having at least five to seven years of work experience, you should go to a well-reputed institution to receive such an education. 4. Take Risks

An easy way to get noticed by the big guys is to take on difficult projects. Maybe the company is looking for someone to launch a new initiative in a remote town, or maybe you think outside the box and come up with a great idea that will increase your team's productivity.

Then go and work hard for it. You need to take possible risks. Of course, that means that your life may be unsatisfactory or very hard for a while, but the rewards can also be huge. When recruiting executives, HR leaders and recruiters often look for people who are willing to learn and do things eclectically. 5. Join a startup

If your current company doesn't allow you to boldly try new things, your best option may be to join a startup. This is a risky extreme because it could mean a reduction in your salary (if you're still getting paid at all) and the potential for failure is high. However, it is a great way to learn about business operations, people management, and other things in a short period of time.

Parikh said that young companies always lack manpower, so you need to be a generalist and be able to handle some daily crises. He added that two years at a start-up is equivalent to five years at a large company.

A less risky approach, says Martha, is to talk to small business owners because they understand everything from cash management to marketing. 6. Keep up with the times

To become an executive, you need to know a lot about what is happening in your industry and even related industries.

Professor Kalra of the International School of Management said that nowadays, many jobs have become knowledge-driven. He noticed that today's manufacturing industry is highly dependent on technology that is developing rapidly. It is almost impossible for a manager who cannot keep up with the times to sit in a senior executive position.

You also need to understand what's happening in the world on a wider scale, from the global economy to monetary policy, especially if your company has international operations. 7. Build a social network

Building a social network is the key to a successful career anywhere in the world. This is especially true for high-level positions that are often not publicly advertised.