How to be career-ready?

Whether you are career-shifting or just graduated from college, preparing yourself for a career can be an overwhelming process. Not knowing where to start is natural, but once you do, you should make sure you are taking the right steps to avoid getting demotivated. This article will break down the important steps for you to take.

Self-awareness

This is not a step as much as knowledge that you should develop progressively as you grow older. However, sometimes you have to do the actual work of sitting down to figure out what your career interests are and what values you want that career to fulfill. Some would opt for the financial value or work-life balance, others would go for external impact; either way, it depends on the value most important to you.?

Learn about the working conditions

You should also know the working conditions that work best for you. For example, some people would prefer a desk job over another with many site visits. Nowadays, many companies and organizations offer the luxury of working remotely or on-site. This simple breakdown of your likes and dislikes will make it easier for you to narrow down the options.

Know your skills

Other than the working conditions, it should work the other way around as well, knowing which skills work best for the workplace. Knowing how to utilize your skills and how to make them work in a workplace will guide you when choosing a career, as your skills will partially act as a compass for your decision.?

Market awareness

If you’re only self-aware, it won’t be enough if you’re not well-informed about the market. There might be jobs or positions that you are not aware of their existence. Many job functions are coming out every day as technology continues to enhance the services offered, thus reshaping the needs of the workplace. With industries growing so fast too, there’s a chance you are unaware of many companies and the products they offer.

Talk with subject matter experts

Sometimes, doing online research alone is not enough to give you insight into a certain career. Reaching out to professionals and subject matter experts in the career of your choice will give you richer insight into the steps to take to get started somewhere specific. Their individual journey, which differs from one person to another, will give you new ideas and open a door of possibilities that you might have been oblivious to.?

Take on a leadership position

This is one of the most effective ways to gain knowledge and experience. A leadership position will teach you how to be professional and how to work in a team, two skills that are equally important in a workplace. This will encourage you to further take initiative when you are in a workplace.

Say yes to small opportunities?

If small opportunities come across your way, say yes to them. If you are offered to work on a relevant project to the career of your interest, it’s a great opportunity for you to learn more with experience and to expose yourself to similar working conditions.?

Summing up, to become career ready, you've got to plan well and know the two types of awareness: self-awareness and market awareness. Self-awareness can be attained with the help of a career coach or by self-reflecting. While market-awareness is gained by studying the market and reaching out to subject matter experts.