Finding your dream job requires a lot of action and assertiveness. But if you’re between jobs or overwhelmed by your current position, motivating yourself can take a lot of work. To kickstart your career, you’ve got to be ready, willing, and able to create and sustain your momentum.
Luckily, there are many quick and painless ways to get the ball rolling. Once you start seeing traction, checking things off your list will become easier. Think of it like beginning any wellness regimen. It seems impossible at first, but once you start seeing progress in your strength or in the mirror, getting on the treadmill is much easier.
Here are ten ways to get your career moving in the right direction:
- Make A Plan: There’s nothing more satisfying than checking things off a list. Break down the steps you need to take into bite-sized pieces. Create specific action steps to chart your course and celebrate accomplishments. Assign reasonable dates to each item, and hold yourself accountable.
- Schedule An Interview: Do you have a mentor you’d like to meet? A colleague you want to emulate? Reach out and request a casual coffee or informational interview. As long as you set expectations up front, it takes the pressure off both sides and allows you to focus on exchanging ideas. By digging deeper into your contact’s career history, accomplishments, aspirations, or plans for the future, you’ll glean essential insights into your professional goals.
- Ask, And Ye Shall Receive: Maybe your cousin’s neighbor’s girlfriend’s brother works in your desired industry. Be bold about asking for an introduction. Employers want to find the best employees just as much as you want to find the right fit. Help bridge the gap by making the connections that could get you one step closer to the recruiter or hiring manager you’re targeting.
- There Is No Think, Only Do: Yoda knew best. Thinking about something indefinitely will never make it happen. The best course of action is just starting somewhere. Start moving and create some momentum. If it’s difficult, ask your friends or family to help hold you accountable for translating you’re next “wouldn’t it be great” into “next steps.”
- Give Back: There’s a nonprofit out there that would benefit from your time and expertise. Find it. By donating your time and skills, you’ll give back to your community and gain valuable experience that easily translates back into the for-profit arena. Go further and volunteer in a fashion related to your ideal career. For example, if you want to be an elementary school teacher, try volunteering at an after-school tutoring program. Volunteering creates positive energy and momentum and provides purposeful work. You’ll also make connections, and it looks good on a resume.
- Find Meaning: Although you may be tempted to share photos of your daily latte foam on Instagram, think about how else you might contribute online. Use your social media presence to start fruitful conversations, share compelling articles, and engage in meaningful discussions about your desired profession. You want to show depth and use the online spaces for connection, not just broadcasting.
- Gather Accolades: Your friends, family, and co-workers know you are fabulous. Let them share the good news about you. Ask your people to collect “me at my best” stories to add to your work portfolio and offer to prospective employers. Plus, their anecdotes can become great “tell me about a time when” responses during your next interview.
- Hit The Books: Looking for some inspiration? Sometimes we need to get out of our own head and into someone else’s. Books motivate people differently, from memoir to biography, self-help to autobiography, and business to inspiration. Find the genre(s) that works for you.
- Expand Your Skills: Expand your repertoire through online classes or tutorials. Enroll in a certificate program or study for a professional designation (letters after the name). Potential employers will be impressed by your initiative and commitment to your craft. Plus, the best employees – and human beings – are always watching, learning, and growing.
- Stay Current: In today’s world, the only constant is change. Keep up. Study your industry. Sharpen your skills. You prove your commitment and interest in staying on top of your game by remaining relevant and up-to-date. Plus, it will help you carry on intelligent conversations with contacts, recruiters, and mentors.
Establishing and preserving forward motion is critical when you’re looking to make changes in your professional life. These ten actions are simple approaches to initiate progress. Once you begin to see progress, maintaining enthusiasm and accomplishing tasks will become less challenging. Keep in mind that taking action is the fundamental first element of achieving anything. Hence, venture out, develop a strategy, set up that interview, ask for that introduction, contribute something good to society, search for significance. With every stride you take, you’ll generate energy and move yourself closer to fulfilling your career purpose.