When I was a child and complained to my mother about completing my chores, she would always say to me, “It’s only work if you’d rather be doing something else.” As an adult, I’ve always remembered that saying.
Consider what you would love to do. Can you make money doing it?
When looking for a job — whether it’s with a new company or moving into a new role in your current organization — it’s important that you plan a strategy to move forward. Let’s talk about this planning process and how you can apply it.
When developing your strategy, think about what you really love doing. Should you be in the nonprofit space, a corporate environment, or higher education? What are your strengths? Where can you compete successfully? This is a great time to evaluate your career goals.
Sometimes, when we consider what we would like to do, we forget the important consideration of our ability to compete in an arena. For example, I hear from a lot of people who are interested in diversity work but don’t have the experience to compete for a job in that discipline. My advice has always been for them to focus on their skill set, get into an organization and then sit on the diversity council, committee, or whatever else that organization has in place that can give you some type of exposure to the discipline where their interest lies.
I want to emphasize the word “strategy.” In order to get to your end result, you need to have a plan. Think about putting together the road map and how you will get to the “end game.”
Step One: Research
So, now you’ve decided how you are going to use your talent. Use online resources such as LinkedIn to research people who have those roles now. What skills do they posses? How much time did they spend in a particular discipline? Where are your comperative gaps? How do you get that experience? Leverage websites like Indeed.com and Simplyhired.com to research the skills necessary for the jobs on the market today. Focus on filling those experience gaps if needed to move into the career that you are looking for as your “end game”.
Step Two: Filling in the Experience Gaps
So, now you’ve identified where you would like to land. What do you need? If you are looking to be a project manager, perhaps you need to pursue a Project Manager Professional certification (PMP). Does your current job offer training or tuition reimbursement? Many organizations offer professional development and other programs to support continued learning, so make sure to look into that and take advantage of the opportunities afforded to you. It takes a bit of work, but it will pay off in the long run.
Step Three: Mentors
Who are you mentors? Have you reached out to others who are in a position to support you? This step is extremely important in your development. Seek out people to mentor and support you who have already taken the journey. Their advice can be invaluable to help you move forward in your career. Also, as you move forward pursuing your goals, these are the people who are in your corner and can move from the role of mentor to sponsor — helping you get a seat at the table.
Step Four: Your Marketing Piece (Résumé)
At this point, you have done a self-evaluation, identified your goals, reinforced your learning or sought additional training and found one or several mentors. Good Job!
How do your experience and goals look on paper? Consider having your resume professionally written. There are tons of resources available to help you produce a resume that accurately represents your professional skills and experience. This step is crucial, and can make the difference for you in being seen by the right people as an asset to their organization. Please keep in mind, even if you are not looking to change companies — your resume needs to tell your story in a concise manner focusing on why you are a great fit for a new opportunity.
With these four steps, you are on your way. Just remember, it’s only work if you’d rather be doing something else.
