“透视《财富》500强”是一个互动社区，《财富》500强公司的高管们在此和全球读者交流思想并提供领导建议。本期，信安金融集团高级副总裁兼首席营销官贝丝·布雷迪回答了下列问题：“感觉自己的职业生涯陷入停滞时该怎样向前迈进？”

上大学，拿学位，找让自己高兴的工作，然后养活自己，这样的情节大家都很熟悉。那么，顺利发展了几年后，你会觉得自己已经为迈出新的一步做好了准备。如果在这个时候觉得自己被困住了，那就往往意味着今后的职业发展会转向其他行业。

我就是这么做的。我成为首席营销官的路径并非一条直线。最初我在消费品行业工作，我热爱这个行业，但最终我意识到自己不具备数字和数据分析技能，无法实现成为首席营销官的梦想。怀着这样的心情，我转而进入了金融服务业。

如果大家觉得自己陷入停滞，可以用下列方法来推进自己的职业生涯：

清点自己的资产

你的实力和技能可以让你在本行业中具有竞争力吗？如果没有，就制定让自己升级的计划。能帮你的资源很充足，比如培训团体和行业从业人员协会，以及《你的降落伞是什么颜色》（What Color Is Your Parachute?）等职场参考书籍。它们可以帮你找出自己的优势，这样你就可以集中精力来加以运用。

刚开始工作时有人告诉我，用90%的时间来做自己擅长的事情，只把10%的时间花在不擅长的东西上。发挥并增强自身优势会让你前进的更快，而且还能一直通过学习新技能来扩充自己的优势。

尝试一些完全不同的东西

大家可以通过接触此前从未做过的事情来完善自己的技能覆盖面。举例来说，目前我所在的公司充斥着大数据和分析，这让我得以提升自己的研究水平并扩展研究范围。在职业生涯早期担任总经理时，我从未有机会全身心地投入技术性技能学习之中。

自身技能转变的顺利程度会让你感到惊喜。新雇主会从你的崭新观点中看到价值，因为你给他们带去了新的知识、方法和技能。我的观点都以消费者为核心，从包装消费品公司转到金融服务公司后，这些观点变得极为宝贵，因为大多数金融服务企业都不会这么重视最终用户。

做社区服务

做志愿者是学习新技能并展示自身实力的绝佳途径。非营利组织更愿意让你做一些并非自身专项的工作。我的第一份志愿工作是为特奥会筹划一项大型活动，从中汲取的领导经验让我在后来负责保荐通用磨坊食品公司上市的过程中得到了帮助。

更重要的是，要向前迈进，你对自己的工作就得有很高的热情。要确保你做的事能把自己所在的项目和自己的热情联系在一起。我很喜欢策划广告、举办活动和制作内容，从而帮助消费者做出正确的财务决策。在这个纷繁复杂的世界里，如果你的宣传没意思表达也不清晰，消费者就会直接把你忽略掉。工作热情激励着我有所作为。（财富中文网）

译者：Charlie

校对：詹妮

The Fortune 500 Insiders Network is an online community where top executives from the Fortune 500 share ideas and offer leadership advice with Fortune’s global audience. Beth Brady, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Principal, has answered the question: “How do you move ahead when you feel stuck in your career?”

You know the story: You go to college, get a degree, and take a job that makes you happy and pays the bills. Then, after years of success, you feel you’re ready for the next move. If you feel stuck at this point, going forward in your career often means switching industries.

That’s what I did. My path to becoming a chief marketing officer was not a straight line. I began in the consumer goods industry, which I loved, but eventually realized I wasn’t developing the digital and data analytics skills needed to realize my dream of becoming a chief marketing officer. With that in mind, I moved into the financial services sector.

Here’s how you can move ahead in your career if you feel stuck:

Take stock of your assets

Do you have the strengths and skills necessary to be competitive in your industry? If not, create a plan to get to the next level. There are plenty of resources available to help you, such as mentoring groups and industry associations for networking. Career-advice books, such as What Color Is Your Parachute?, can help you figure out your strengths, so you can focus on using them.

I was told early in my career to spend 90% of my time doing what I’m good at and only 10% on what I’m not. You’ll move forward faster when you’re using and developing your strengths. And you can add to them by learning new skills along the way.

Try something completely different

You can round out your skill set by taking a job that exposes you to something you haven’t done before. For example, I am now in a company that is steeped in big data and analytics, allowing me to strengthen and expand my research chops. Working as a general manager early in my career, I didn’t have an opportunity to immerse myself in learning technical skills.

You’ll be amazed by how well your skills transfer. Your new employer will find value in your fresh perspective, because you bring new knowledge, processes, and skills to the table. My consumer-focused perspective was invaluable when transitioning from a consumer packaged goods company to a financial services company, since most of those organizations do not put as much emphasis on the end user.

Do community service

Volunteering is an excellent way to learn new skills and demonstrate your expertise. Nonprofit organizations are more willing to allow you to do something in which you may not be an expert. My first volunteer work was creating a big event with the Special Olympics. The leadership experience I gained in that role helped me when I later led sponsorship activities for General Mills.

Most importantly, to move ahead you need to have a strong passion for your role. Make sure you do things that will allow you to work on projects related to your passion. I love creating advertising, events, and content to help consumers make the right financial decisions. In our cluttered world, consumers will pass right over you if you’re not interesting and clear. My passion for my work motivates me to make an impact.