One of the three pillars of Save My Cents’s framework for financial success is increasing your income, no matter what you do or how old you are. I’m excited to feature a guest post today that gives some great tips on how to increase your odds of success in your career. This blog is targeted at those in their 20s, but is relevant in multiple areas for others too!
Your teenage years have passed, and you are now stepping into adulthood. Yes, you might still be in college and thinking about which career path you should choose or have decided on a career path already. You are still young, confident, focused, and can achieve anything you can put your mind to.
Before you step into your professional life, it is important that you build a solid foundation from which to launch your career. For this, you might have to make some career moves right now. These career moves will set you up for a great career and a bright future ahead.
1. Always be networking
Don’t shy away from networking, no matter what age, because it is a skill that will help you build long term relationships which could open doors for new opportunities.
Networking will expose you to people from different backgrounds, which will develop interpersonal skills. There is nothing wrong in getting in touch with mentors on social media, but you should focus on meeting them face to face because it will add a new dimension to your relationship.
2. Volunteer for experience
Look for relevant volunteering opportunities in your city. It will help you to create a strong bond with your community. More importantly, it gives you an edge over other candidates without volunteering experience. Even top CEOs, community leaders and social activists don’t shy away from volunteering at events so you should not either. It will also help you gain useful experience and understanding about the industry you are planning to step into.
3. Learn new skills
When you are in your 20s. you have a lot of time on your hands. Put all that time to good use and learn new skills. When you add those skills to your resume, it will increase your worth as an employee and employers will start to see you as a valuable resource and be willing to hire you over other candidates.
You can take up free and paid courses to help you learn new skills. The more skills you have, the higher chances you have to get an interview call which could pave the way for a dream career. You can also use your free time to put the skills you have learned to good use and pick up a side hustle to earn money online.
4. Keep an eye on your industry
Irrespective of which industry you belong to, it is important to keep a close eye on the latest developments. Use your free time to learn about the latest trends and technologies that are changing your industry. This will go a long way in helping you impress the interviewer because in many cases, you’ll be asked to use your industry knowledge to answer some key interview questions.
If you know someone who is already working in the industry, it is good idea to talk to them and talk about recent trends, developments, and implications. This advice is also applicable even if you are already employed and planning to switch careers.
5. Take risks
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”—Mark Zuckerberg
When you are young, you don’t have much responsibility. Due to this, you can take more risks. As you grow older, you have increasing responsibilities that make risk taking more difficult.
You can start your own business or move to a new country in search of better job opportunities or choose a different career path. There is nothing wrong in taking risks, especially if they are calculated ones. Remember, the greater the risk, the higher will be the reward.
6. Diversify, diversify, diversify
You may be wondering, why bother switching jobs if you’re comfortable in it? If you are making great progress, you should hold on to your job. But what if you feel stuck? You need to get unstuck, and consider switching jobs or moving to a different location. Job hopping is not as frowned upon today as it used to be. More importantly, it exposes you to new experiences which will help you learn a lot of new things and see how things work in different organizations.
7. Ask for help
There are times when you will find yourself stuck in a career rut and not know how to get out of it. Reach out to a mentor or a friend and seek help. These career experts can help you find the type of work you are looking for. They can also hold you accountable for your actions and empower you to find your dream job.
Which career moves would you suggest are important for people to make in their 20s? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below.
Irfan Ak is a marketing and content strategist at Branex.ca & a guest blogger on various websites. He is a passionate digital strategist. He has worked with various other brands and created value for them.
