5 Ways to Rock Your Career Path Like a Boss
Not everyone is an entrepreneur, nor do they need to be. We encounter business owners or disruptors daily, who make their mark in an industry by shaping our experiences with new products and services. Here are some behaviors I observed from successful entrepreneurs that can be adapted to one’s career path.
Courage to Act
Last year, a former mentee suggested I launch a blog as a way of documenting some of the guidance I’ve given him during our mentoring relationship over the past three years. After some thought, I enrolled myself in classes to learn more. However, it was overwhelming because there is a class on every aspect of blogging. There was so much I did not know, and wanted to learn before I felt I would have enough information to decide when to jump in. One day, I decided to just do it. If I were at the office (my day job), I would have gone for it, despite not achieving perfection. Why was this different? The entrepreneurs with whom I met recently at Spirit Forward, sponsored by Barcardi and PUNCH, told me they jumped right in. Some did so while keeping their day jobs. In all instances, their situations were not ideal, but they felt confident their product or service filled a gap and could be monetized. Figuring out one’s career path is not easy for everyone. But, once you do have a direction identified, what’s next?
Taking this leap can feel like jumping out of a plane without gear, at least that is how I felt at times. I’m ready…not ready…yeah, I am really ready. Sound familiar? Preparation is important and some activities I adapted to my action plan were:
Complete a SWOT analysis. This allows you to learn about your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for success and the threats that could prevent success. When adapted to a career path, this could look like:
Research job responsibilities for similar roles internally and externally by leveraging your network or LinkedIn job postings.
Explore the growth potential in an area of interest. Periodically, one may want to review the Bureau of Labor Statistics site, which gives indicators for expected job growth in the next 10 years. This indicator can provide guidance around the skills to add that may keep you relevant as the market shifts.
Solicit feedback from others, who have worked with you or know you well. They have seen you at your best and in stressful situations.
Taking the leap requires belief in oneself. Everyone has insecurities at some point in their lives, but awareness of one’s strengths helps as the challenges, and disappointments surface.
2. Develop a Vision
Simply, the vision is what one wants to achieve. Make sure your vision reflects what you really want to accomplish. A common trap is to get too broad in what is desired, that it becomes overwhelming in deciding where to start. An entrepreneur would be clear on their offering in the market, and so will you.
When adapting this approach to your career path, it is highly recommended:
Your vision includes something you are passionate about or have a sincere interest. Pursuing a path because it is predicted to be one of the hottest fields may not bring happiness.
Keep it simple, yet big. Do not limit oneself, even in this dream phase.
Create a personal mission statement. Yeah, I know you are thinking, “This sounds ridiculous.” The mission statement gives you the opportunity to summarize your vision of your aims and values.
Mindmap or my SimpleMind+ App has been a useful tool for me when I mapped out my ideas, as well as the actions that would help me achieve the goals aligned with my vision.
3. Stay Focused
Focus, focus, focus! Some of my entrepreneur friends find working in co-working venues, such as WeWork, a productive option to working at home or from the random coffee shop. While focus is broad and extends beyond the physical setting, it included delivering on the smaller actions contribute to making the vision a reality.
When my mentee incorporated this into his action plan, he used SMART goals to keep himself accountable. His goal was to make a career change and he needed to learn new skills, in addition to leveraging his transferable skills.
4. Hire People with Skills You Don’t Have
Business owners may hire employees as their business grows. However, if you are an employee in a non-managerial position, this opportunity may not present itself. For anyone developing their career path, it is possible to surround yourself with others that have some of the skills you do not. Often, some people only think of technical skills, but this also includes soft skills, such as conflict resolution, time management, or organizational skills. These resources may be found though mentorship, local community centers, or training through Dale Carnegie, which offers a variety of professional development programs. There are programs available based on one’s budget and availability. The emphasis is not to become an expert in everything, but to work smarter and get the support from others, who have the requisite skills and experience to give you appropriate guidance. At some point you may need to learn basic skills in a field or elevate your cursory knowledge. Do not be afraid to take a class or additional training. Many employers offer online courses through their Learning & Development platforms. LinkedIn also offers training via Lynda.com. Explore the free options, but make sure to invest in the appropriate resources, as needed, for your career path.
5. Skin in the Game
The entrepreneur’s I’ve had the pleasure of meeting have all made investments in their companies. Yep! They have taken some risks by investing in their pursuits. These investments include time and money. From my experience, mentors, managers, and sponsors invested in me when they observed my commitment to my professional development. There were times I saved for several months to attend a conference my company would not pay for or enrolled in programs to improve my proficiency in advanced Excel skills or improve my consultative skills. There are times I leveraged peer mentoring, which was most effective.
Treating your career path as if it were your own company, is an essential step in keeping your career GPS in good working order. As I have more life experiences (a nice way to accept I am getting older), I recognize more overlap between entrepreneurs and those who prefer to work for others. Employers have their priorities, but it is imperative that all employees take ownership of their career path. Please share any steps you have recently taken to rock your career path like a boss!
