Firstly, some of you may be reading this article unhappy in your job, feeling dissatisfied, unmotivated and perhaps undervalued. You’ll probably be looking for a change, curious about an opportunity out there that may stimulate you more or you may be trying to find a way to make your existing circumstances more stimulating. Perhaps you’re an individual who’s more secure than that in their job. You may be maintaining a comfortable status quo and be relatively satisfied. Or you may be reading this and you currently love your job. You’re engaged, you’re energised and you’re enjoying every minute of the working day. Our goal at BTA is to help all our candidates become this latter blog reader.

No matter which category you fall into, unhappy, satisfied or in love with your job – all should be working towards the same goal in 2016: to reach your full potential and in turn help the charity you work for reach its full potential too. So how do you do it? Well at BTA we have three top tips for you to make the most of your career in 2016.

Get connected. The Third Sector is a close-knit community and within it there are fantastic networks and groups of likeminded individuals for you to tap into. In the BTA office we’re regularly finding out that our clients and candidates are sisters or neighbours or ex-colleagues and we think this can be of great benefit to people professionally as well as personally. BTA Chief Executive, Bruce Tait, is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Fundraising and we have sponsored the IOF Scottish and North West conferences for several years. Membership of the Institute is a great way to grow your professional circle, expand your knowledge base and increase your contacts. Within the Institute there are also Special Interest Groups many of which meet for lunch across Scotland giving you another chance to network, connect and collaborate.

LinkedIn is another great way to do something similar. Why not connect on LinkedIn with people working for similar organisations or in similar roles to you? Advice, support and encouragement go a long way and you can’t reach your full potential on your own. Staying connected could mean you find yourself a professional mentor, a future boss, a shoulder to lean on, a sounding board for ideas – the list goes on. The Third Sector relies on people who can build good relationships, co-operate and form strong teams – why not use the same skills for your own career too.

Be curious. To reach your full potential you need to know where that can best take place. You need to know what opportunities are out there and plan ahead for the future. Even if you love every aspect of your job – staying hungry and ambitious is important which is why staying curious is our second top tip. You need to keep that appetite alive.

There’s a common misconception that only unhappy people look for jobs. Those who are discontented, disengaged or even desperate. But this is simply not true. Often we receive enquiries about roles from the ambitious, the successful, and the excellent – far more than the unhappy. And it’s fantastic to see. Great people will always want to do greater things and sometimes that may mean moving to another team, another organisation or even another area of the Third Sector. Remember, all of our vacancies have Candidate Information Packs which we carefully craft to give you as much insight into each exciting opportunity as possible. Why not request one today and find out more about one of our vacancies? You may have ruled yourself out of enquiring for the wrong reasons, you may have an idea about the role that’s completely wrong – you may be missing out on your dream job. Staying curious will keep your mind motivated with a constant reminder that there are opportunities out there – and one of them might be yours.

Ask questions. We’re three weeks into the New Year and already social media is full of ego-massaging articles and posts trying to turn you into a career-robot. As I scroll through my LinkedIn newsfeed I’m told ‘You can do everything you put your mind to’, ‘2016 is your year’, ‘working alone is the best way to getting ahead’ and perhaps most worryingly ‘how to act the part in your new job’.

While having self-confidence is important, you can’t reach the summit on your own. You can’t always ‘do everything you put your mind to’, you can’t make every year ‘your year’and you certainly shouldn’t ‘act the part’ in any job. A career journey is all about other people. Especially a career in a sector that is built on co-operation, collaboration and partnership working.

I can guarantee that everyone reading this will have a number of questions in their head that they’re waiting for the right time to ask, anxious about asking or wondering who to ask. Whether you receive help from your line manager, your team, your Board, your funders, your friends, your ex-colleagues, your BTA contact – people are always more than willing to support you – if you ask.

Many of the BTA team have worked with candidates right across their careers from internships and entry level posts up to management roles, first Trusteeships and even Chief Executive appointments. Watching someone grow is fantastic, helping them is even better. So why not ask some questions today? What does your line manager think your aims should be this year? What does your team want to achieve in 2016? Who can show you how to do that one thing you struggle with time and time again? It’s easy.

At BTA we help people on a daily basis with their CVs, cover letters, interview skills, career direction and professional aspirations. Pick up the phone and ask us questions, pop in for a coffee and get your answers today.