GUEST POST BY GLORIA MARTINEZ
Are you looking for ways to improve your job prospects, but aren’t sure where to start? If your career needs refreshing, there are plenty of avenues to explore. You have to define your goals and explore ways to get there. Here are a few insights on methods for reaching new heights in your career.
1. Think through options
Anytime your career feels lifeless; it’s time for a change. However, if you try to change everything at once, it can lead to burnout and overwhelm. Instead, choose one aspect of your career you enjoy and excel at, and focus your efforts toward the next achievement in that area. Then, use that to frame your thinking moving forward. Are you interested in staying with your company, getting a degree, or heading out on your own? How you envision yourself and what gives you motivation will be the keys to developing steps toward an attainable solution. Consider what makes you tick, since the chances of you being happy and successful are better when your work meshes well with your personality and style. If your current situation isn’t a good fit, take a career aptitude test to help you find a better path.
2. Hang your shingle
One way to refresh a stalled career is to start your own business. If you have skills you’re ready to employ as a freelance consultant, pick your niche, and start setting up your platform. Or, if it’s time to see if an idea you’re chewing on could be a money-maker, start down that path. Before going too far, research what’s typically required. For instance, there will be startup costs, you’ll need a business plan, and you’ll have to choose a smart business location.
Many people dip into e-commerce these days, which can be an excellent, low-cost startup option. Consider jumping into a hot industry like dropshipping, where you sell an item without holding inventory. Pick a product you feel passionate about, develop a user-friendly website, and think about how you’ll cover essentials like customer service. The more you plan through details, the better the outcome will be, right down to how you will accept payments from customers. You can read through this guide from Square for help with all the ins and outs of starting a business.
3. Fork in the road
The road to success often requires a shift of direction. If you’re considering a complete career change, you might feel more than a bit overwhelmed. Even if you are looking at drastic changes, it’s important to know you don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Spin your resume in a manner that sheds relevant, positive light on your experiences and achievements, showing how they will feed into the next venture. Give your cover letter extra consideration, since it’s an opportune place to explain to prospective employers what is driving your decisions and how they will benefit. Even if you’re considering a midlife trip back to school, a fulfilling career is well worth it.
4. Speak up and point out
Are you interested in climbing higher at your current workplace but feel you’re being overlooked? If so, you’re not alone. Statistics indicate there is a notable disparity between women who receive promotions and their male counterparts. Men are more inclined to point out their achievements to the powers that be, so make it a point to ensure your supervisors are aware of your efforts and accomplishments.
You should also make sure you’re not being overlooked because of an efficiency issue, real or perceived. If your performance really could use tweaking, find ways to grow. Evaluate your schedule and workstyle to see if you could lift and tuck here and there. Are you working on your top priorities at the times of day you feel sluggish? If so, move your big-ticket items to when you have the most energy, and move easy or mundane tasks to other periods. Of course, the problem could be that you have too much to do. If that’s the case, don’t let it continue. Delegate more, enlist the services of others or talk with your supervisor about adding to your team. For example, NBC News, notes putting an intern under your wing can be a healthy decision for both you and your employer.
If it’s time to explore your prospects, consider what direction is best for you. Whether starting a new business, going in a fresh direction, or getting noticed in your current workplace, you can reframe your career and regain your passion. Before you know it, you’ll have that necessary boost, and will be living your dream!
Guest post author, Gloria Martinez loves sharing her business expertise and hopes to inspire other women to start their own businesses. Learn more at http://womenled.org/