Have you been feeling “stuck” lately? Perhaps you’re the ambitious type, and you’ve been working in a dead-end job. Maybe you love what you do, but you want to improve your financial situation by going after a big promotion. Or perhaps you have an entrepreneurial spirit and dream of working for yourself while traveling the world or spending time with your kids. Whatever the case may be, there are many ways for women to improve their careers and change their lives all at the same time.
1. Update Your Resume
Whether you want to change careers or apply for a big promotion at work, you’ll definitely want to make sure your resume is in top shape. When updating your resume, try to condense your skills and work experience to one page. That way, recruiters and hiring managers can skim to find your most important skills and experiences at a glance. You might also look online for resume templates that can enhance the professional look of your resume while guiding you through the resume creation process. Resume templates can help you choose the perfect eye-catching color scheme and layout for your resume. They’ll even guide you through the process of entering your work experience, skills, and other information to help your resume stand out from the crowd.
2. Start Your Own Business
If running your own business appeals to you, this might be the year to go after your dream. If you’re passionate about what you do and you believe it would make a great business model, why not give it a try?
Even if you don’t have a particular business idea in mind, you might consider starting an e-commerce business. Online stores, such as e-commerce businesses that follow the dropshipping model, are growing in popularity. And dropshipping can be a great way to test the waters and see if you have what it takes to run your own business before quitting your day job or fully committing. Thanks to low overhead costs, dropshipping companies are easy to start and require relatively little effort or maintenance, compared to some other business models. For best results, make sure you have an in-demand product, provide excellent customer service, and design a website that looks and works great on a desktop or mobile device.
3. Consider Your Passions
Whether your dream is to climb the corporate ladder or run your own mid-size consulting firm, this could be the year to go for it. Even if corporate work environments aren’t your cup of tea, there are many other ways you can level up your career this year. When weighing your future career options, consider your passions. The things you love not only bring you joy, they can spark ideas for a career change or a business idea.
For instance, if you enjoy yoga and meditation, you might open your own yoga studio. Meanwhile, if you love technology but hate working in a corporate atmosphere, you might consider applying for a job at a tech startup, which is often the complete opposite of a corporate business environment. Or, if you’re stuck in a job that’s going nowhere, you might learn a new skill or switch fields altogether. According to Forbes, it’s always a great time to start a business - especially if you have an innovative idea.
If you decide that a career change is for you, there are many ways to start brushing up on the new skills you’ll need. From coding classes to college courses, the internet provides a plethora of ways to learn crucial job skills. If you’re a natural autodidact, you’ll have no trouble finding new ways to learn over the web, from DIY videos on YouTube to website coding tutorials on Treehouse to classes on sites like Skillshare. With free and affordable resources literally at your fingertips, there’s never been a better time to learn a new skill. Who knows -- it might even boost your career.
Ready to Take the Leap?
Whether you want to run your own business, work from an exotic beach with a drink in your hand, or build a career that allows you more time with your family, there are steps you can take to start making those dreams a reality. By improving your work-life balance, building resilience, and finding a job you’re passionate about, you can supercharge your career -- and your life. If you’ve been unable to find the perfect career in the job market, you might also consider starting a business that focuses on your passions. After all, life’s too short. You should spend more time doing something you love.
We invite you to download a recent chapter from a book Joanne Flynn, our founder, co-authored: Breaking the Concrete Ceiling: Empowerment Tools for Women. The chapter, "Organizational Currency 101: The Basics of Career Currency", shows you how you can embrace your career currency, currency exchange, and the use of power.
This blog was written by Gloria Martinez of WomenLed.org
