There’s something magnetic about drawing up a fresh set of goals for the New Year and, when it comes to searching for a new job, making a change within the company you already work for, or going back to study, now is the time to make your move. However, while it’s easy to get swept up in January wall charts, planners and enthusiasm, the failure rate for New Year’s resolutions is about 80 per cent, according to the U.S. News & World Report. How to do things differently? Have a solid plan mapped out for where you want to be in your career, with the steps you’re going to take to get there. Here are 5 building blocks to help you get ahead.
1. Network online
Maybe you have no idea what your dream job is… you just know it’s not the role you show up for right now. These days there are so many different ways to earn an income, whether you’re a stay-at-home mum working part-time from your couch, you’re working 9-5 for someone else or you even have several different revenue streams. To get an idea of how you could be making money, and how to do it, join some female business groups on Facebook, where thousands of women share free advice, ideas and inspiration. Notice what excites you, and then jump in and ask questions about getting started.
2. Fill in your skill gaps
If you know someone who has a job you’d love to do, but you’re missing the skills to apply for something similar, consider going back to study. Through Open Universities Australia (OUA), you can explore hundreds of degrees from leading universities across the country. Alternatively, if you’re looking to hone a more specific skill set, you can choose from thousands of single subjects. These are a great way to test the waters in a new area or fill those gaps in your CV. No matter what you choose, all of these courses are available to study online, so you can fit learning around your life – not the other way around.
3. Play the long game
Changing your career or job can take a while, so think about having a one-, two- or even three-year plan in place to get where you want to be. You don’t have to switch jobs straight away. In fact, it’s entirely possible to build up your business skills while still doing your regular job.
Take Jayn, mother of two who saw a life-changing business opportunity. “I was designing and wearing my own pregnancy clothes, and then I had a few people come up to me and say, wow, that looks really great,” she explains. Jayn decided to launch her own maternity-wear label with attitude, called Mutha Maternity, which has since gained amazing traction.
Splitting her time between Melbourne and Bali, Jayn is hard at work marketing her brand, and working with Balinese tailors to create her next range. While doing so, she was able to earn a degree – Swinburne’s Bachelor of Business, online through OUA, which gave her the confidence to make strategic decisions for her brand.
Whether she’s working on her website, promoting her brand on social media or talking partnerships with online influencers, Jayn can rely on her newfound knowledge to guide her. “Without theoretical experience on top of my practical experience, I probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to do it,” she says.
4. Take your annual leave
Aussies are famously bad at taking annual leave, but if you never step out of the daily grind it’s often impossible to give time to your dreams and goals. Plus, being stressed can make you think negatively or get stuck in a rut. You don’t need to be on a beach in Bali to dream about your dream career; have a staycation and get busy with a vision board of what you want to make happen for you workwise in 2020.
5. Support others
To be truly happy at work, you need to open up the two-way street of mutual support and understanding with others. Make it your goal this year to build on the relationships you already have, ask questions of your colleagues and people you admire, and see if there’s anything you can collaborate with them on as a way to mutually build your skill sets and practice your strengths. New opportunities often arise through your existing network.
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