Tips For Going After The Career Of Your Dreams
From an early age, so many women are discouraged from pursuing careers. Think about it. From the toys that are marketed to use from the ages of birth up, we are pushed to become maternal figures. We are handed dolls, teddies, and other replicas of vulnerable beings that need mothering before we are even grown ourselves! That’s not to mention the hosts of kids replica hoovers, dustpans and brushes, kitchen sets, shopping sets, and other homeware products that are primarily marketed towards girls. Sure, women may well have been able to work for years now, but it’s hard to ignore the serious societal undertones that suggest that we should still be focused on children, marriage and the domestic sphere. It’s time to turn your back on these societal norms and prejudice. Don’t get us wrong. It’s absolutely fine if you want to be a homemaker. That’s entirely your decision and choice is exactly what we’re promoting. But if you are itching to test the waters of big-time careers, dive on in! It’s time to become the CEO that society tells you to try to marry!
Leaving Your Current Role
So many of us are currently filling job roles that we happened to fall into out of necessity or habit. Perhaps it was the first thing that came onto the job market. Maybe you liked the position at first but have grown out of it and want to follow a different path. Whatever your reasons for wanting to head onto pastures new, know that you are completely entitled to chase your dreams. You don’t owe anybody an explanation, and if you want to leave, all you have to do is hand in your notice and work your notice period. There’s no point in staying in a position you do not enjoy for the sake of comfort and safety. So, either make sure you have enough savings to tide you over while you seek out the next step on your career path, or start searching before giving up your current position. Only you will know what’s best for you.
Where Would You Like To Head?
If you’ve settled on it being time for a change, it’s time to start considering what the future holds for you. Perhaps you’re still unsure; for many of us, the only thing that we do know is that we are unhappy in our current careers and want to switch things up a little. This is okay. You just need to practice patience and conduct a whole lot of research in your spare time. A good place to start is noting down all of your personal and professional skills and strengths. This will help you to work out the kind of positions that you would excel in. People with strong interpersonal skills will probably be best in a social role that requires empathy, compassion, and understanding. These skills are essential in positions such as HR or other forms of people management, where you would be interacting with people on a daily basis. You could use your qualities to get to the root of staff issues and determine whether someone deserves second chances before being fired. If you are more of a solitary individual, you might benefit from roles where you can work alone, focusing on your own tasks and working to your own deadlines: business management might be an option for you. If you have high levels of patience and a nurturing mind, teaching might be more up your street. Do you already know what kind of job you’d truly enjoy? Good news! This step of the journey will be a lot easier for you. You can immediately start with a specific search. Knowing where you intend to go allows you to waste less time flitting from career to career.
Gaining the Essential Qualifications or Training
To be eligible for certain positions, you might need specific qualifications and training. Achieving these is often easier said than done, but with the right levels of dedication and a positive attitude, the time will fly, and you’ll have exactly what you need before you know it. What’s more? To speed up the process, there are certain qualifications out there that offer more intense learning. This means that you can fit more into less time and achieve the best qualifications in the shortest period of time possible. A good example is achieving a masters without bachelors. This may seem bizarre. After all, the average bachelor’s degree lasts three to four years! To achieve all of this in one or two years may seem impossible. But luckily it’s not. It’s entirely feasible with the right institution, the right tutors, and the right student. That student could be you! Ticking the necessary boxes in terms of education or official training programs will help you to get past the initial screening process. Your resume will stand up to expectation and is much less likely to be put aside. If you ever find that you’re not getting much luck with being contacted for progression along the application process, take the time to chase up your application yourself. You never know when it might have slipped past the recruitment team’s attention.
Climbing Up the Career Ladder With Promotions
Once you’ve settled into your new job, you may become aware of other positions that look a little more up your street. We are, after all, always opening our eyes to new careers that we may never have known existing before. There are so many parts of businesses and companies that are out of the consumer market’s eyes and minds that they remain somewhat of an industry secret. Either that, or you might like to progress upwards into similar but more authoritative positions. There are several ways to do this. All require a little time and patience, but the effort and wait will be worth it in the end! A good place to start is to get friendly with the company’s HR department. You’re going to have to put in the groundwork for this relationship to develop, so start early. This way, you are more likely to be notified of openings and new positions ahead of the crowd. Next, excel in your everyday role. Exceed expectations, beat your targets and push beyond your current job description. People are bound to notice, and you’ll jump straight into managers and owners’ minds if they’re looking for someone to fill a position with more responsibility. You should also establish yourself as a leader, helping those around you who are struggling wherever possible without neglecting your own work. If the people at the top see that people head directly to you as soon as they have a problem, they’re more likely to boost you up the ladder as an official manager. The final way is to simply ask. Never be afraid to confront your boss about your role and your chances of progression and if you aren’t getting anywhere after an extended period of time, don’t be afraid to ask for that promotion elsewhere with a different company. There’s no point staying in a stagnant role where your efforts aren’t acknowledged or appreciated.
Sure you may not be able to walk into the position of your dreams at the click of your fingers. At the end of the day, nobody can. But there are certain ways to fast-track the process. Follow all of the above advice to see major changes take place in your career much sooner than you’d imagine!
[Editor’s note: This post is from one of our trusted partners.]
