Finding a career fit for you can be a tedious task. But with a few expert tips, you can take charge of your career journey to live a life full of adventure, joy, and success.
Ann Hiatt, author and leadership strategist, joined Meetup Live to share advice on how to learn from mentors and build an influential network. Learn more about the hidden job opportunities that surface when you know how to make purposeful connections. Discover the common best practices of super performers, the keys to engineering serendipity and creating growth opportunities, and how to reinvent and reinvest in yourself personally and professionally.
Main Takeaways:
- Have a conversation with yourself about what you want out of your career. What’s your passion? What do you want to live for? Discover your mission, vision, and values statements when answering questions. Then, notice moments of opportunity to level up your skills and be brave enough to volunteer for things that will move you closer to that ideal.
- There are more jobs than appear on the surface. There are some that just don’t yet exist. Your dream job might not even have a name yet, and you might not know exactly what it is that you want to do. Be prepared for opportunities of the future before you need them.
- You don’t have to be an extrovert to be successful. Know what fills you up and know what drains you. As an introvert myself, if I don’t make time to fill myself up, then I can’t do my job. Find your rhythm. Make time for hobbies, family, and to take care of your mind and body. Make it non-negotiable to have time for yourself.
- If you have your eye on a promotion, be as specific as possible. Share with your manager what you’re planning to do to become qualified, and ask for what you need from them to make it happen. Make it as easy as possible for them to say yes. Managers don’t come to you and note all of your untapped talent, so you have to advocate for yourself. If you can’t gain the skills needed within the company, find experience outside through avenues such as volunteer projects.
Top Q&A Questions & Resources:
How do you transition to a new industry without experience, without having to start at the bottom?
- Be very explicit about how you have transferable skills. The burden is on you to make the case about how your experience applies. Say, “While I might not have the traditional experience, here’s what I have, and here’s what I’m doing to make up the difference.” Show how much you want it!
How do I know what I love doing?
- The Japanese concept of ikigai comes to mind. It’s about discovering your purpose while letting go of external influences, such as prestige, power, and money. Once you’re free of those expectations, you can start to see what might be passion-aligned. If you could do anything, what would you want to do?
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Last modified on July 26, 2022
