5 Things You Should Do Now That You're An Experienced Professional

This post is sponsored by FlexPath by Capella University.

Once you've entered the working world, your goal is to gain experience as a serious professional with real-world skills and knowledge (and a salary to match, at least in theory).

But sometimes, once you've reached a certain level, it can be harder to take things to the next level, to avoid falling into a rut and getting stagnant with your life and career goals.

Ready for the next phase of your life? Hoping to achieve certain ambitions not just in your career, but in your personal life as well? We've suggested a few goals that you can set - and meet - now that you've got some years of wisdom and experience under your belt.

1. Become a mentor.

The benefits of becoming a mentee are obvious to anyone who wants to learn from someone else's accomplishments. The boon to the mentor, while perhaps less obvious, is no less real. First, mentoring younger colleagues can help move promising employees into better roles at your business, as well as strengthen company culture. Second, you'll bolster the knowledge you've already gained every time you pass it on while practicing your leadership and communication skills. As leading management consultant Peter Drucker said, "No one learns as much about a subject as one who is forced to teach it."

You're likely to learn something new, even if you're already an expert. If nothing else, a mentee can give you fresh insights about starting out you might have forgotten. Finally, your mentee can benefit you in the future by becoming a valuable ally in your industry. Now that you've achieved your initial professional goals, set new ones for yourself and your mentee.

2. Set (and meet) a fitness milestone.

As you get older, the body you might have previously neglected begins to insist on your attention. So rather than let your aching knees do all the talking, take control of the conversation. Whether it's running a 5K after months (or years) on the couch or scaling the seven summits around the world, what better way to celebrate five decades of your body than pushing it to challenging, yet achievable goals?

Luckily, as an adult, your fitness routines aren't limited to dodgeball or whatever torments your gym teacher has designed. Think about what you want to accomplish - weight loss, strength training, flexibility, core strengthening, or overall improved wellness - and find the program that'll get you there.

3. Go back to school.

Even after you've graduated college, you can still supplement the wisdom you've gained over the years with the kind of learning you'd only get as a student. And with plenty of time left in your career, there's no reason to put off getting the degree that's been keeping you from moving up in your field or starting in a new one. Returning to school later in life also has certain advantages, since you have years of practice in setting and achieving goals.

Luckily, those in professional fields can take advantage of online degree programs that are designed for self-motivated, independent adult learners. Capella University's innovative FlexPath program, for example, is self-paced, so students can progress on their own time, no matter how busy they are in the rest of their lives. The program is specifically designed for experienced professionals, who can apply their real-world knowledge - in, say, negotiating or managing budgets - in working through the material. And with a flat quarterly tuition and no limits on the number of courses a person can complete in a quarter, a motivated professional will be able to fulfill his or her intellectual bucket list that much sooner.

4. Learn a new language, craft, or skill.

There's always room for change and ways to surprise yourself. By learning something different, you can prove what you're capable of with your mind, your hands, or both. Mastering a new language makes international travel less intimidating, while learning a craft or skill - whether it's knitting, woodworking, surfing, or computer programming - helps you carve out some space for yourself, which eventually leads to more social time. The more you learn, the more you can teach and network with others.

5. Secure your financial future.

If you've achieved significant professional and financial success, you might not think you need a financial planner. Big mistake. Formulating a financial plan, and consulting with an expert to do that, may be the step you need to take to move you into the next tax bracket. A financial planner can help you define realistic financial goals, reveal financial mistakes (maybe the ones you're in a denial about), find new ways to maximize your money, and identify risks. After you've ensured a stable financial base for yourself, devise an estate plan that distributes your holdings according to your intentions while also minimizing taxes and maximizing gains.

Learn more about Capella's new FlexPath self-paced learning program.

- Written by Sandie Angulo Chen

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