I am back with another article on the topic of careers. If you haven’t read my previous article, Career Growth Tips For The Career Driven Woman, then click over after this one as it will be another helpful article on this topic as well.

Today’s article is all about getting you to take action if you have been on the fence about starting a new career or advancing yourself in your current one. This article is brought to you by a Hello Lovely Living contributor who is sharing this helpful information for all the career-driven ladies out there. I hope you will find it helpful!

Life is full of big and small surprises. Sometimes we may feel like the path we chose, originally, isn’t quite right for us after all, or we might just have closed an important chapter already and feel ready for a brand new one.

Nonetheless, it’s the perfect time to reset your brain a bit and try to think about everything you’ve wanted to do. Going from a stay-at-home mom to starting a small business, for example, can be a huge transition, but it’s also a lot of fun and definitely a risk worth taking.

Similarly, you may want to change your career field after struggling away in the same job for years. While it may seem difficult to overcome, at first, it’s a challenge that will make you grow both personally and professionally.

Here is a handful of ways to get started on something new with your career so that you can feel like you’re heading somewhere more rewarding. It won’t necessarily be easy, and you will have to be prepared to put in a lot of work, but the end result is within reach.

First: Use your contacts

Sure, getting started with a brand new career can’t be done overnight, but with the right contacts, the whole process can be so much easier. If you try to see this whole networking process as a way of making new friends and gaining new acquaintances, it won’t feel that awkward.

Keep in mind that the people you will meet might want to boost their own careers as well. It’s an advantage to be aware of this, though, as it opens up a lot of new opportunities, and it will make it a bit easier to build meaningful connections. Go out there with the intention of helping others as well, listen to them when they talk, and try to be interested in them rather than trying too hard to be interesting.

Just like you, these people are out to make career connections and get ahead in life. Take their needs into consideration as well, and try to see if you’re able to help them. The chances will be much higher that they would like to help you in return if they sense your genuine desire to help from the start. 

Another point to this is that networking is something that doesn’t just happen at regular networking events. You could build a few more connections in the company you’re already in, for example, or reach out to the people you know who are in the field you’d like to break into.

See all the interactions you have with other people in your field as a type of networking, and you might be able to get a serious career boost out of it.

Next: Broaden your knowledge

There is no denying that those with a bit more education tend to have a better chance of getting a job interview. They will also have a higher salary, which should make it even more enticing to pursue that degree you’ve been thinking about. With the availability of online courses, pursuing something that you know is sought-after in your career field is simply a click away.

A particular form of computer literacy, for example, or even a master's in lean manufacturing to build on your existing bachelor of science could be just the advancement you need. The great news is, of course, that you can take many of these courses and degrees online to make it easy to fit into your existing schedule.

The good thing about online courses is that you won’t have to compromise in terms of your full-time job or your family, and it’s going to be much easier to follow through with the goals you’ve set for yourself.

However, to achieve the set goals, you must keep yourself motivated and encouraged. Because pursuing a degree alongside a full-time job may sometimes feel exhausting, therefore, you should do different things to keep your morale high.

For instance, you can buy a degree online that acts as a source of motivation. Moreover, hanging it in your room can act as a constant reminder that you have the ability to accomplish your desired objectives. Similarly, treating yourself to solo outings can be a way to express gratitude for the effort you have invested in enhancing your skills.

If you’re not completely sure about which course or degree you should pursue in order to get that promotion or have a better chance at landing your dream job, it’s a good idea to talk to your current employer or just someone you know who works in the field you’re interested in.

They will have a much better understanding of what’s needed and where their businesses are lacking; plus, it’s going to make it pretty clear that you’re the kind of go-getter candidate that they’ve been looking for.

Feeling stuck? Get a mentor

While it’s easy to cough up a lot of different options in terms of boosting one’s career, it’s not always that simple to pick the right one. Pursuing a new degree or spending time taking a course is going to feel pretty meaningless if you’re not feeling 100% sure that this is what you need in order to get that promotion or land your dream job.

An excellent way around this is, of course, to seek out a mentor. There are a lot of different websites you could try your luck with, or you could just approach someone with a bit more experience in your company.

Let them know that you’re looking to learn a bit more about what they’re doing and that you feel that they would be a great person to shadow or to just ask some questions. It’s more likely than not that they’ll be flattered and willing to help out someone who looks up to them career-wise, and you’ll have someone to turn to in case you should feel a bit stuck sometimes.

Keep in mind, however, that whoever you’d like to have as a mentor already has a lot on their plate. Make sure that they know that this isn’t some obligation that will take up a lot of their time, and try to find someone who you already have some form of connection with. This will make communication a lot easier, and your mentor won’t feel like they have to spend a lot of time guiding you through your career, either.

While figuring out which steps you should take in order to get to where you’d like to be can be tricky, the most important thing you can do is to do something. Anything at all, really, and remind yourself that every little step helps and is much better than doing nothing at all.

I hope this article gave you that extra push you need to go after what you want regardless of where you are at in life. It’s never ever too late!

Have you been considering starting a new career or advancing your current one?