when your job isn't helping your career goals: tactics to get on the right track

When Your Job Isn’t Helping Your Career

Goals

Tac$cs  to  get  on  the  right  track.  

Let  me  preface  this  by  saying  I  really  love  my  current  job.    Don’t  fire  me,  Warren.  This  isn’t  about  you  

guys.    

Okay.  Here  we  go.  

We  all  take  jobs  just  to  pay  the  bills...  

According  to  Forbes,  52.3%  of  Americans  are  unhappy  at  

work    

Whether  you’re  paying  your  way  through  school  and  can’t  work  two  jobs,  be  a  full  Jme  student  and  take  

an  internship..  

Or  you  just  graduated  and  need  to  scramble  to  get  something  before  

your  loans  are  out  of  grace.  

Working  a  job  that  doesn’t  benefit  your  future  endeavors  sucks.  

You  feel  like  you’re  stuck.  

Or  moving  backwards.  

Here  are  some  Jps  to  help  you  get  where  you  want  to  be.  

Give  Yourself  ResponsibiliJes  

Set  Goals  and  Manage  Your  

Time  Consider  Freelance  

You’re  not  actually  stuck.  Stop  acJng  like  

it.  

Give  Yourself  ResponsibiliJes  

Working  as  a  barista?  

But  want  to  be  in  business?  

Come  up  with  some  new  markeJng/

business-­‐y  tacJcs  for  the  coffee  shop.  

And  pitch  them  to  your  manager.  

This  will  improve  your  worth  as  an  employee.  

$  

And  give  you  something  to  add  to  your  résumé  other  than  “great  at  

foaming  milk.”  

…Though  foaming  milk  might  be  a  huge  advantage  in  some  offices.  

People  are  coffee  fiends.  

Set  Goals  and  Manage  Your  Time  

So  you  want  to  be  an  award  winning  photographer.  

But  you’re  stuck  sharpening  pencils  and  making  copies  

Bad  news:    

You  don’t  have  Jme  to  

become  an  award  winning  photographer.  

Good    news:  

You  have  Jme  to  take  10  pictures  

a  week…  

…And  submit  one  into  a  compeJJon  a  month.  

Turning  your  old  goal  into  incremental  goals  will  help  make  your  lack  of  free  Jme  more  manageable.  

Make  a  Jmeline  with  mini  goals.  

Consider  Freelance  

Working  more  jobs  than  you  have  Jme  

for  is  hard.  

But  if  you  really  want  it…Ge_ng  paid  for  it  is  great.  

$  

Start  with  some  freelancing  projects  on  the  side.  

This  can  be  part  of  your  incremental  goals.  

 Before  you  know  it,  you  might  have  enough  work  to  fill  up  a  full  Jme  job.  

Look  at  other  opJons.  

Just  because  your  current  job  was  your  only  opJon  when  you  took  it  doesn’t  mean  it’s  your  only  opJon  

now.  

Consider:  High  paying  internships…  

…Other  jobs  that  you  might  now  be  more  qualified  for…  

…..or  Grad  school.  There  are  even  fully  funded  programs  and  grant  

opportuniJes  for  doing  valuable  work  out  there.  

Or  you  could  become  a  teaching  assistant  in  your  job.    

Now  get  going.