The business world is a competitive one, and to succeed in it takes hard work, dedication, and appealing credentials. You may think you have the skills to get a foot in the door with your desired company or to start your own business; however, you need to remember that there are thousands of others just like you, and they’re eager to succeed as well. Therefore, it’s worth taking the time and making the effort to develop your skills and make yourself someone that people will want to hire either as a freelancer or employee. The following list will give you some ideas on where to focus your energy and provide the top routes to help you grow towards being successful.
Find An Internship
Employee: There’s nothing like becoming an intern in your favored company to get insight into what your working life would be like. Whatever the role you’re after in the long run; interning and work experience will add valuable credentials to your resume, not to mention the potential relationships and contacts you’ll make while there. If a senior member of the team spots what you do and appreciates your effort; they could recommend you for an interview and back up their decision should you get one.
Freelancer: If you want to start your own thing but unsure where to start, being an intern can give you great insight to yourself because 1) you will be working for little to no money so you need to be extremely passionate about it 2) you will learn how you like to work best, whether that is in an office, remotely, with other people, by yourself, etc. and 3) you can start building your portfolio and making connections within the industry for leads!
Ensure You’re Qualified
Employee: Before you step into any career; you’ll need to ensure that your resume speaks volumes. If you feel you could use extra certification and qualifications, but can’t go back to college due to your work commitments; it’s worth looking into AACSB online MBA programs where no GMAT scores would be necessary, and you could fit your studies in as you earn. As previously mentioned, your work experience should also bulk out your resume and put you ahead of the crowd in an interview setting.
Freelancer: Get licensed in your field or get a certificate to show off your skills. This will help your potential clients understand the value of what they are getting and trust you immediately. Anyone can say on paper that they are a graphic designer or a massage therapist, but one with a degree or certificate to prove it helps your customers make the decision to easily book or hire you.
Make Looking For Work Your Job
Employee: If you’re not already interning or working for a company you want to grow with; looking for the right role should become a job in itself. If you are stagnant, your career will be too. Make sure you’re spending your free time searching relevant websites for job alerts. You can also begin to contact companies directly, just in case they’re considering hiring in house, but you seem like an appealing alternative.
Freelancer: Without a company putting you to work, this is the most important part of sustaining yourself as a freelancer. Unless you already have a steady stream of repeat clients and they are helping refer more clients to you – you need to be out looking for work!
Be Confident
Employee: Once you have been called in for an interview; it’s your time to impress your potential employers with your confidence. In order to do that you need to first master your mindset. Make sure you’ve planned what you’re going to wear in advance and lay it all out the night before. This will help ensure that your day will run as smooth as possible and your focus can be the interview and not on anything else, the worst thing to do is arrive flustered!
Freelancer: When you present your packages or services, you must be confident in them. Not only do you need to be confident in your services, but also in your pricing. If you don’t value your work enough, when the client negotiates too low, you will crumble and not get paid what you are worth.
Consider Your Options
Employee: If you’re lucky enough to be offered a role, or more than one; there’s no need to rush into any decisions. Remember that the action you take now will affect the rest of your career, so take some time to consider the position and choose wisely. You might be offered less money in one company, but there could be more room to develop there and more future prospects. Therefore, you need to weigh up each offer and get back to them with a response.
Freelancer: Not everyone will be a good fit to be your client. Just like employers choose employees, you have a decision to make to see if you are a right fit. Even if you are just starting out, the people you reach out to and work for will become a part of portfolio… who do you want to be in that portfolio to show other clients?