How To Lay A Solid Foundation For A New Career
If you’re feeling less-than-passionate about your current life situation, it may be time for a change. Considering that we spend 40+ hours each week at work, starting a new business or a new career may be just the direction you need to take to find personal fulfillment.
Today, we will take a look at a few things you can do today to lay a solid foundation for your new career.
Make A Decision: Entrepreneurship Or Corporate Ladder
While there are many ways to make a living, most of us choose between starting our own businesses or advancing in our current careers, either with the place we work now or competitors. Take the time to soul search and decide what you really want to do. If you want the freedom to run a business your way, entrepreneurship may be the right move. If you’re not quite
ready to accept the risks that go along with self-employment, moving ahead might make the most sense.
Refine Your Skills
Once you have decided which path to take, it’s time to ensure that your skill set matches your ambition. If you want to become a teacher, for example, start by earning a teacher certification.
Tackling your degree now (which you can easily do online) will streamline the licensure process. Further, with your bachelor’s in hand, it may be easier to pass the entrance exams needed to become a teacher in your home state. Make sure that you choose a school that responds to transcript requests quickly, as these will be part of your background check.
Another important skill to have, regardless of your employment status: communication. By refining your communication skills, which include working with a professional to help you better engage in dialogue with others, will make you more approachable. Importantly, great communication skills are also needed in all businesses, especially if you choose entrepreneurship. The way that you communicate will greatly impact everything to do with your business, from hiring employees to getting your marketing message across.
Look In The Right Place
When you’re planning to move forward in your career, you have to look in the right place for the right job. For some of us, these will be industry sites, but most people can find what they’re looking for on the top job sites, which, according to Money, include ZipRecruiter, Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. However, it pays to keep in mind that your skills aren’t always what gets you through the door. Don’t be shy about networking with your social and professional acquaintances, including family and friends. If you’re qualified for a position at a company someone you know already works for, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a personal referral or if there are jobs coming up that have hit the open market.
Update Your Resume
If it has been more than a year since you updated your resume, now’s a great time to do just that. The Resume Coach recommends cutting out extraneous information and leaving out certain details, such as salary requirements and personal hobbies. Do focus on your most recent experience, which should include the last decade or so of jobs and any pertinent experience with industry groups or events that might make you a stronger candidate.
Know The Steps To Entrepreneurship
Starting a new business, especially if you’ve been in any other career for many years, takes work. The Small Business Administration explains that it begins with market research. Then you will need to write a business plan and make sure that you have money available to get started. Ideally, you’ll have at least 12 months; worth of your family’s expenses saved in the bank to keep you afloat as you go from startup to secure business. Finding fulfillment in both your personal and professional lives begins with knowing what you want to do. The next steps include refining your skills, which may include going back to school for a degree or improving your ability to communicate. What happens now is up to you, but remember, the future is yours, and now is the perfect time to decide what that looks like.
If you need to improve your communication and executive functioning skills along your journey, Suzy Carbrey LLC offers adult-centered services. Schedule a consultation!