Being in charge of your own career often involves dealing with some change. You might not be doing what you want right now. Maybe you’d like to start your own business, get a better position in your current company or explore a completely new career path. Here are a few points to consider when becoming the architect of your own career:

Trust yourself

Becoming the architect of your career and really taking charge of your life might mean going against the norm. Many people stagnate at their companies and just go through the motions of their 9 – 5 jobs. This doesn’t have to be you.

Trust yourself enough to take a risk and go about things a bit differently. While it can be difficult to quit a dead-end job, sometimes you need to take the leap and be true to yourself. Create your ideal professional journey.

Know the end-goal

What do you want your career to look like? When you think about being successful in your career, what do you see? Visualise where you’ll be working, what you’ll be wearing and what you’ll be earning. In order to take the right steps, you have to know where you want to end up. Once you know this, it becomes much easier to plan and strategise.

Upskill accordingly

Study via distance learning while you’re still in your current job to accommodate your budget and schedule. Take a course relevant to your desired career, research on your own and learn the industry to increase your knowledge and qualifications. This is especially important if you’re entering a new industry, but can also be helpful if you want to see real progress in your current industry. Remember to update your résumé online and offline.

Network

Get to know the movers and shakers in your desired line of work. Ask questions and learn all you can from the people you respect. This might lead to future collaborations or partnerships and can open up new windows of opportunity.

You can do this by attending events, workshops and conferences that could benefit your career.

Work harder and smarter

No matter which form you want your career to take, this point applies. If you want a promotion at your company, take the initiative and go the extra mile. If you’re not being recognised at your company, apply for the job you really want. Follow your ambition, but never underestimate the importance of discipline.

The same applies if you want to switch careers or start your own company. Devote more of yourself to your goals. This should be easier if you’re pursuing a path you’re passionate about.

At the end of the day, you are accountable for where you end up in your career. Don’t look back on your life ten years from now and wish you’d done things differently. Start pushing for what you want and deserve.

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