When you’re in steady employment, it can become pretty easy to get comfortable. This all sounds well and good, I’m sure. After all, comfortable employment is certainly more than many others can hope for these days. So you should just consider yourself lucky and be grateful, right? Well, you should, to an extent. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim for something more.
What do I mean when I say that? I’m referring, specifically, to the fact that having a job can sometimes get in the way of careers you really want to pursue. That might seem like an odd way of looking at things, but hear me out. Did you know that the majority of college graduates never work in careers for which their degrees would ever have any relevance? It’s not just because degrees aren’t the career guarantees they’re usually made out to be. It’s because people who have just graduated tend to go for the first comfortable job they can get. Over time, they tend to stay in that field due to their increasing experience in it. It may not be what they wanted to do. But hey, it’s a job, right?
The problem is that people get into a state of inertia once they’re employed. To seek something better would be to rock the boat. But if you want the best chance to be content with what you’re doing with your life, you should always be looking at new career opportunities. It may be some advancement in the same field that your current workplace doesn’t offer to you. It may be a start in a new career entirely. Either way, it’s something you should be considering.
The first step is to make sure you keep your CV updated. The best way to do this is also the best way to find new opportunities: to look for new jobs! While you’re employed, you have the luxury of searching without the added pressure of needing a job to pay the rent. You can browse more opportunities and aim a little higher. You can take your time. As you look through job opportunities that appeal to you, you can update your CV accordingly.
You should also look into furthering your own skills and knowledge in your spare time. This can help you feel more confident in general, even in your current job. It will also help your prospects if you do decide to plunge into a new career. You could hire a tutor to help with writing, computer programming, maths, foreign languages… Just about anything, really!
You may want to consider speaking to your current boss about your career goals. If you do want to advance within your current company, this is one of the best ways to do it. But you could even find some helpful advice if you’re looking to move over to a different career.
The main message you should take away from this article is that you should always look for something new. Of course, if you’re satisfied with what you’ve got at the moment, then this probably won’t apply to you quite so much. But even then it could be worth your time. It will help you understand your own value!
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