• never stop learning
Life-long learning is ur keyword.
the world is constantly changing, & everybody is looking for new ways of doing business.
if u have decided that ur current skills are good enough, u have also decided that ur current job is good enough.
but if u want a career in the future, u should add regular updates to ur skills & knowledge.
• ask, listen & learn
A good listener can learn a lot.
listen to ur co-workers, ur boss, & ur superiors. u can learn a lot from their experience.
ask about issues that interest u, & listen to what they say. let them tell u about how things work, & what u could have done better.
most people will love to be ur free tutor.
• fulfill ur current job
ur current job might be best place to start ur career.
it is often very little that separates successful people from the average. but nothing comes free.
if u do ur job well & fulfill ur responsibilities, this is often the best way to start a new career.
talk to ur supervisor about things u can do. suggest improvements. offer ur help when help is needed. in return ask for help to build a better career. it is often possible-right inside ur own organization-especially if u have proved to be a valued employee.
• build ur network
ur next career step might arise from ur contact network.
did u know that more than 50% of all jobs are obtained from contact networks?
if u have a good contact network, it is also a good place to discover future careers, to explore new trends, & to learn about new opportunities.
spend some time building new contacts, & don't forget to maintain the ones u already have.
one of the best ways to get serious information from ur network is to regularly ask ur contacts how they are, what they do, & what is new about their careers.
• identify ur current job
ur current job should be identified, not assumed.
make sure u don't work with tasks u assume are important. this is waste of time & talent.
when u start in a new job, talk to ur superior about ur priorities. if u're not sure about what is most important, then ask him. & ask him again. often u will be surprised about the differences between what u assume, & what is really important.
• identify ur next job
before u start planning ur future career, be sure u have identified ur dream job.
in ur dream job, u will be doing all the things u enjoy, & none of the things u don't enjoy. what kind of job would that be?
do u like or dislike having responsibility for other employees. do u like to work with technology or with people? do u want to run ur own business? do u want to be an artist, a designer or a skilled engineer? a manager?
before building ur future career ur goal must be identified.
• prepare urself
ur dream might show up tomorrow. be prepared.
don't wait a second. update ur CV now, & continue to update it regularly.
tomorrow ur dream job may show up right before ur nose. prepare for it with a professional CV & be ready to describe yourself as a valuable object to anyone that will try to recruit u.
if u don't know how to write a CV, or how to describe urself, start learning it now.
• pick the right tools
pick the tools u can handle.
u can build ur future career using a lot of different tools.
u can add a lot to ur career by studying books & tutorials. doing short time courses with certification tests might add valuable weight to ur CV. & don't forget: ur current job is often the most valuable source of building new skills.
don't pick a tool that is too heavy for u to handle!
• realise ur dreams
put ur dreams into action.
don't let a busy job kill ur dreams. if you have higher goals, put them into action now.
if u have plans about taking more education, getting a better job, starting ur own company or something else, u should not use ur daily job as a 'waiting station'. ur daily job will get more & more busy, u will be caught up in the rat race, & u will burn up ur energy.
if u have this energy, u should use it now, to realize ur dreams.