Millions of students graduate from college and universities every year. Since there are few jobs in the market, most graduates find themselves taking what is available. Such people are hardly happy with their jobs. They just work because they need to make ends meet. Such people usually have ideas of what they can do to shift into a new line of career but are reluctant in getting started. There are others that remain trapped in jobs that they don’t like simply because they are afraid of what their friends and relatives will say. Fortunately, there are ways of overcoming such stumbling blocks. Here are useful tips on how to start a new career.
- Work as a Freelancer
Working as a freelancer is similar to starting your own business. This is because you are not employed by any company. In fact, you serve the people that need your services. For instance, if you are a coder, you will be contracted by various companies to develop websites and apps for them. This means they will not pay you unless you have finished the task they hired you for. The advantage of freelancing is that it gives you an opportunity of testing the waters of entrepreneurship.
Most people actually consider it as a stepping stone toward starting up a new career. This is due to the fact that you don’t have to quit your current job when freelancing. Quitting actually comes after you have gained the necessary experience and clients’ base. It’s even recommended you give your new career at least six months. You should not therefore think about quitting just because you have managed to secure a few gigs here and there because a career takes time to develop.
- Find a Mentor
Pursuing a new career without a mentor is a huge mistake. This is due to the fact that you will be overwhelmed by challenges of the business and eventually throw in the towel. In fact, every career has an equal measure of challenges that must be faced head on in order to succeed. Besides that, you will have a long learning curve and you will learn the hard way. Having a mentor makes the going to be a bit simpler because he will teach you the ropes. However, your mentor should be someone that has already ventured in your field of interest. For instance, if you want to become a professional photographer, you can’t seek mentorship from a chef or a nurse because they don’t know much about photography.
- Offer Pure Gold
When getting started in a new career, you should strive to offer more than what your clients ask for. This means you have to be willing to go an extra mile in whatever you do. This strategy works like magic. Clients actually prefer to do business with a professional that’s able to take care of all their needs. Moreover, it gives you an edge over your competitors. For instance, if you run a car repair shop and a client tows his car to your premises because the brakes are not working, you should repair them and anything else that’s faulty.
- Start Small
Most people are reluctant in pursuing their dream career because they feel that they don’t have what it takes to get started. If you opt to wait until you have enough seed capital or the right equipment, you will never realize your dreams. In fact, you should focus on starting with the little that you have. Some of the giant companies that dominate the markets nowadays were started from garages and bedrooms of their founders. You should therefore embrace humble beginnings because it’s what will lead you to your dreams.