Careers sometimes can stagnate. The enthusiasm with which you approached your first day of work fades. Soon your job becomes routine. And if you don’t continue to advance, your work life can feel like treading water rather than an invigorating swim.

However, it can be hard to figure out how to take a career to the next level. Below are some tips to change how you approach your job so that you can stop stagnating and start moving forward.

Upgrade Your Appearance: There is no job in which your appearance does not matter. Unfortunately, sometimes we can become complacent with how we present ourselves at work. And you have to present your best self in order to advance.

That may seem shallow, but that is how the world works. We, in part, judge the competence of others based on their appearance. So, if you come to work and your hair is not neatly combed or coiffed, and your clothes are wrinkled, folks will think, “Well, if he can’t handle a simple matter like dressing himself in the morning, how can he handle meaningful work responsibilities?” As a result, even if you are highly competent at your job, your appearance will lead people to question whether you know what you are doing.

Young people, in particular, face this issue. Often recent college graduates want to dress like they are still in college. However, employers typically don’t put college students in leadership positions. They put adults in leadership positions. So, you have to adjust your wardrobe after college and dress for the job that you want.

Long hair is a particularly tricky issue. I think long hair on women can be quite beautiful. However, it is hard to look professional when your hair is halfway down your back. If you want to take your career to the next level, you need to cut it to a professional length (or, at a minimum, wear it in a bun).

Knowing how to look professional is no longer a challenge. You can read articles and watch YouTube videos on professional attire and hair. Do your research.

If you think you may not be presenting yourself at your highest level at work, then make some changes. It doesn’t have to be a costly venture. You just need to make professional choices regarding your attire and your hair (and makeup for the ladies).

Consider Switching Employers: Some employers simply don’t promote from within. If that is your situation, you can get stuck at a certain level through no fault of your own.

For instance, let’s say that you are working as a secretary now, but you have aspirations of becoming the head of marketing. Your colleagues and bosses may have trouble seeing you as anything but a secretary. And they may hold that perspective against you, even if you go back to school in the evenings and get a marketing degree. If those are your circumstances, you will have to find another employer who sees you with fresh eyes. Someone who sees you as a job candidate with administrative experience, but who had a marketing degree.

I will admit that it is hard to leave a job. I never have been good at leaving jobs in order to advance my career. I am not as professionally strategic as I should be. And I always have felt a great deal of loyalty to my employers.

However, when life circumstances have forced me to leave one job for another, it always has resulted in my advancing in my career. I never have left one job and gone backwards professionally in my next job. So, while it is good to stay with an employer for as long as possible, if the employer doesn’t give you opportunities for professional growth, it is time to look elsewhere.

Acquire New Skills: Once we’ve completed our education and gotten that first job, it is easy to become complacent and stop improving ourselves. However, even after your traditional education is over, you should continue to acquire new skills.

There are all kinds of low-cost ways to obtain new work skills. There are many inexpensive online classes to become certified in computer skills, such as Excel or PowerPoint. Or you can study to become certified in a foreign language and add that skill to your resume.

There also are many classes in those all-important “soft skills.” When I first started working, I took classes on etiquette, makeup and professional attire. I wanted to make sure that my demeanor was as flawless as possible. Beyond that, there are classes on public speaking, negotiating, organizational skills, writing, etc. You can find books on these topics, YouTube videos, or attend a class at your local community college.

The point is that professional improvement is a lifelong activity. It doesn’t end the day that you graduate from high school or college. Throughout your career, you should be looking for ways to fill the gaps in your skills.

The good news is that the new skills that you acquire will be noticed! And they will put you in the position to make that next professional leap.

You work long hours. You deserve to have a career that is rewarding, both personally and financially. The only way to have a great lifelong career is to keep improving yourself so that you can continue to move ahead. Today, take those first necessary steps to have the career of your dreams.

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