Unique personal opportunities for career and personal advancement, in fields that we are interested in, are all around us. Sometimes they don’t manifest as quickly as we would like. However, we shouldn’t get discouraged, because there are some very specific things that we can do to prepare ourselves for future opportunities, and when they manifest, because of our preparation, we will be ready to provide immediate and significant value.
This article will give six tips that we can do right now to prepare ourselves for future opportunities. Even if we aren’t working in our dream job or business right now, if we do these things, opportunities will come into our life. What we do after that is up to us.
1. Stay informed about developments in our field.
We should stay informed about what’s going on in our field. What are the trends? Where are the opportunities right now? In a year? In five years? Developments will inform our education and networking efforts; however, if we aren’t aware of what is going on, then we may miss out on opportunities that will manifest for those people who are in the right place at the right time. We can be that person by staying apprised of what is going on in the industry.
2. Build our platform / portfolio.
There are things that we can do right now in our chosen field to build our platform or portfolio, even if we think we aren’t working in our ideal setting. Look for writing and speaking opportunities. Start a blog and create a meaningful contribution to the advancement of our field. Get involved with organizations, and research any volunteer or mentoring opportunities. The more we do, the more that opportunities are likely to come our way.
3. Make learning a habit.
Embrace the opportunity that we have right now to educate ourself in our field. Make learning a habit. Schedule time for it daily, and stick to our plan. How bad we want this opportunity will determine the priority that we place on our self-directed education. Do we want it badly enough to forsake our regularly scheduled TV session tonight? The more we educate, the better prepared we will be to immediately contribute when we have the chance.
4. Establish positive relationships with people in our field
Network, network, network, but do it in an intelligent way. Look to add value to people. Find ways that we can be a benefit to those who we are looking to associate with. People always make time for those who can add value in their life. Be one of those types of people. This is where having some form of positive contribution (like writing or blogging) can be a value entry into a new relationship.
5. Determine how we are going to create value
Ask ourself this question: how I am going to create real value for others in my chosen field? Take time to answer this question thoroughly. Make a plan to create the value, and then begin at once to execute our plan. The more value that we can create for others in our chosen field, the more successful we will be in our field, and the more opportunities that will continually come our way.
6. Place ourselves where our heart wants to be.
We should consistently show up, that is, place ourselves, where our heart wants to be. We say we want to be a writer? Well, where is our writing? Where is our book? Where is our blog? We don’t need someone’s permission to write; we simply need to write. We say we want to be a business person? Well, where is our business? We don’t need someone’s permission to start a business; we just have to do it. Are we interested in working in finance, in public relations, in healthcare, in a particular industry sector? Then are we attending the important conferences and networking events in these areas? Have we received the education that we need to actually contribute value in these areas? If not, why not? If we truly want something, we will place ourselves where our heart wants to be.
