Your job might be the state of your career as it currently stands, but the foundation of your career is something entirely different. It includes your current job, yes, as well as your past work experience. But it also includes several things you need to build outside the job that can help you open new opportunities in the future. The best way to ensure a successful career is to build a strong foundation.
The body of work
As you’re working, ensure that you create a portfolio of the work you’ve done and what you have accomplished. This isn’t just for artists, digital and creative types. If you achieve something or you successfully complete a project, make a note of it. If you have specific numbers on how you helped achieve an aim or helped the company grow, note them down. These can serve as excellent talking points in a resume and future interviews. Show you have the body of work to keep building upon.
The ability to earn independently
Your job may be your one source of income right now. If that’s the case, you need to start building revenue outside of your occupation. Side-hustles can help make ends meet and free up a little cash but investing in markets like stocks and CFDs can be much more potentially lucrative. What are CFDs? How do you get started? Look into investment platforms and start learning how to get started. You can begin investing right now even if you have only a little money you can afford to spare. That seed can grow into a lot of wealth in time.
The list of references
Keep in mind those you have worked for and those you work with. Even if you don’t need them at the moment, it’s a good idea to start collecting references while they’re still fresh. While you’re still able to thoroughly remember what work you did with them. Cultivating references isn’t just about remembering the name of an employer or a co-worker. It’s about working with that reference to create a unified story that can help impress potential employers in future.
Be more than your job
It’s important to have a life outside of your work and some semblance of work-life balance. One of the issues of those who “are” their job is that they may not have that job in future. When they lose their place in a company, it can shake their confidence and make them adverse to trying to find a new place somewhere else. Ensure that you have interests and passions outside of work so that if you have to leave it or you lose it somehow, it won’t be quite as devastating.
Focus on your current job and do good work within it. But don’t forget to build foundations outside it. You never know where you might be in future and you might not be able to rely on your current role or employer to help you get to the next step. A foundation is what helps you get there instead.