By Robin Ryan, RobinRyan.com
What does it take to achieve a happy and successful life? To have the job of your dreams?
Would you take on the challenge if you knew the end result would be a richer more rewarding life? Nathan did. This client left his $60,000 engineering job behind, and made a move into the marketing field, securing a $20,000 raise. He was promoted twice in the next two years and now makes $120,000. That’s career success!
No job search is ever easy. Lots of hours and effort go into the process of career transition. But the end results are more than worth the effort. The steps that lead to success include TAKING A RISK, DREAMING BIG, SEEING YOUR VALUE; ACTION, FOCUS, PERSEVERANCE AND COMMITMENT. Following these steps will put you on the path to a great new, rewarding career!
Taking a Risk: You’ll never get to enjoy a great job without putting yourself out there, exposing yourself, and taking some chances. Everything worth obtaining means stretching beyond what you have achieved to push for something else–something more. The risk is worth it when you consider the potential reward–a better job, better company, more benefits, a higher salary, and more satisfaction and meaning from the work you perform.
Dreaming Big: No major goal was ever achieved by not first clearly deciding to go after something you want. Why can’t you land the perfect job? Why can’t you have a more challenging job if you want it? Why can’t you feel worthwhile, enriched and satisfied every day you go to work? The only thing stopping you is YOU. Set a goal that’s high as the sky. Push yourself–you can get it all!
Seeing Your Value: You must see for yourself how valuable your own talents and skills are. List your strengths and talents. Remind yourself of these and praise yourself often. Note what you did well, what you’d like to improve, and how you’ll do that. Stay focused on the positive. Develop friends and supporters who praise you often, those who want and believe in your success.
Action: Dreams, are just fantasies without a clear-cut action plan to reach the goal. Write out the steps, and work at it every week. Even if you have a job, you must devote 5-10 hours to your search efforts. If you’re unemployed, you’ll need to devote 30 hours to pro-active job hunting pursuits. Move outside your comfort zone–talk to more people, research more employers, write better letters, polish your interviewing skills–work to achieve your goal. It’ll never happen without concentrated effort, investing in yourself, and action on your part.
Focus: Concentrate on the goal–visualize the success in your mind. See yourself working at the new job. Become obsessed with obtaining it. Pay attention to potential opportunities and learn to become a good networker. Prioritize your time to make career advancement activities important. Visualize your success. The new job, office, perks, and the nice things the new salary will buy. Don’t get distracted or procrastinate. A clear focus and a success objective must be your motivators.
Perseverance: No success will come without calculated effort. Calvin Coolidge said it best: “Nothing in the world can ever take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Commitment: Go for it! Commit yourself whole-heartedly to your dream. I know you can and will succeed! Simply follow this last piece of advice and before long YOU will be enjoying the rich rewards from your brand new job.
