You have always been a career driven person who wants to work hard and gain the respect and rewards you deserve. Recently, things haven’t quite been going your way and you have found yourself in a bit of a career slump. You are in a job you dislike and there aren’t many prospects for you, so it’s time to find your way out.
The only way you can dig out of a career rut is by doing something you have never done before. It will take some courage and determination to conquer your career dreams, but you can’t let anything get in the way.
In order to expand your horizons and get to where you want to be in your career it’s time to make some much needed changes to your life. Whether you want to further your education or search for a brand new job, it is time to take the relevant steps right now.
Here are a handful of ideas that are going to get you back on track with your career goals, so consider them all before you get started on your new journey.
8 Ways to Expand Your Horizons and Land Your Dream Career
Online Courses
There is nothing that will expand your horizons more than taking an online course and enhancing your qualifications. The beauty of studying online is that you can stick to your regular routine quite closely, whilst furthering your education.
If you wanted to hone in on a particular skill such as technology and electrical engineering, then you could complete an electrical engineering degree online.
This will give you the design and analysis skills to take on advanced electrical engineering projects and take on a career in the industry. Choose the subject that really appeals to you and you will be able to explore new career paths as soon as you have completed it.
Back to the Classroom
Perhaps you don’t have the motivation to complete an online degree or you’d quite like to relive your youth and go back to college. There is no harm in enrolling as a mature student and pursuing an entirely new line of work.
You will already have experience on college life and how much work you will need to do in order to be successful.
Some mature students find it much more enjoyable going back to school later in life; you already have some life experience to bring to the table and you might just get more out of the course than you were expecting.
Look around at local universities and see if any of them offer a course that would be beneficial to you.
On the other hand, if you don’t feel like starting over from scratch, you can try becoming a Ph. D. in your field or an adjacent one. There are plenty of interesting offers available at many universities in the country, so if you feel a little lost, you can check out this comprehensive guide to psychology Ph.D. programs.
Volunteer Work
Your current job might not be all that bad; it pays good money and you could see yourself progressing eventually. If you are looking to move up the ladder a little more quickly, then it might be a good idea to volunteer in another department.
You could use your skills to help out another team and enhance your knowledge on a different area in the company. Soon your efforts will be recognized and you might be offered that promotion more quickly than you think.
You could also volunteer for an external company that you aspire to work for one day. Working for free can have its perks, even though you might think it’s a waste of time in the beginning. As long as you are reliable, consistent and hardworking you will soon see the benefits.
Read and Learn
You would be surprised at how much you can learn and expand your horizons simply from reading literature, watching documentaries, and researching facts online.
If you are truly interested in a particular industry then consider taking out a new book from the library each week and exploring new topics. The more you can learn about your desired career the better prepared you will be to take on a job in that line of work in the future.
Be careful about where you are getting your facts from though; only read work and studies from reputable authors and try to filter out any nonsense from the online world using your current industry acumen and knowledge.
Start From the Bottom
If you have just graduated or recently started a new job, then it’s no surprise that you are starting right at the bottom of the ladder.
No matter what age you are it is important to realize the importance of working your way up in your career. Your manager or even the CEO didn’t start at the very top in their career. They would have put in tireless days and worked their way up to the position they are in now.
Make sure you don’t take your job for granted and always be appreciative of what you have achieved so far. You will quickly be able to learn more about your chosen industry by carrying out your current duties and then promotional prospects will start to become an option.
Network and Socialize
You might feel as though you are stuck in a dead-end career with few prospects in your current job. Instead of dragging your feet into work every day, you should think about talking to other people in your workplace. If you are aiming for a certain role then there is nothing stopping you from shadowing that person for the day.
Speak to interesting people that you work with and talk to them about how they reached their dream job. You might be able to emulate their career path and make the same successes for yourself in the near future.
Change Your Path
When you sit down and think about your current workplace, do you see yourself there in the next five years? Do you want to work your way up and become a manager one day? The truth is, you might be working in the wrong line of work and there is no better time to assess this than right now.
It is never too late to change your career path and aim for something completely new and different. Take a risk and try something completely new and you might love it. You never know unless you try it, so have the bravery to make a step towards a different career.
Never Give Up
If you haven’t reached your dream career yet, you shouldn’t be disheartened or feel like giving up. Good things come to those who wait and work hard, so learn from your colleagues, educate yourself and be diligent at all times. Success will be round the corner as long as you remain passionate about what you are doing and never give up trying to achieve your career goals.
There is no need to rush or panic when it comes to finding a job that is right for you. Everything will eventually settle into place and you will feel a huge sense of satisfaction when that time comes. For now, you have to work hard and show the industry what you are made of.
An amazing career will never just land at your feet, so make sure you push through your comfort zone and impress everybody around you. You might find that going back to college will help you in the long run or maybe you just need to network more. Every individual is different so use your instincts to find out the best path for you to take. It is going to take plenty of time, tests and trials before you eventually land the job of your dreams; try to enjoy the ride and never give up trying.