Career risks that you should be taking
When it comes to your career, things aren’t always as obvious as they might seem. It’s easy to get in a situation where you’re not especially satisfied with where you are professionally, yet you refrain from taking certain risks. These risks are sometimes required in order for you to move on to a better position or even a different job entirely. In some cases, it’s easy to understand how people can allow themselves to fall into this type of situation. After all, it can be rather frightening to take a risk because the very definition implies that it may or may not work out in your favour. However, there are some risks that you should be taking in order to have the career that you want. Otherwise, you’re likely to be stuck in the same rut you’ve been in for years. If that doesn’t exactly resonate with you, here are some things you can do.
Honestly Evaluate Your Feelings About Your Current Job
Sometimes people stay in a job far longer than they should because they feel like it’s a place of security and familiarity. The stakes are even higher if you rely on that job as your sole source of income. Nevertheless, it’s imperative that you ask yourself whether or not you’re truly happy. Are you doing what you’ve always wanted to do or did you settle for something less satisfying? If you can honestly say that you love your job and you’re happy in your current position, then you may not feel the need to take a lot of big risks. However, you might be facing an entirely different situation if you’re not really happy with the position you currently hold or if you have a broader dissatisfaction with the job as a whole. In that case, it’s probably time to take a risk, decide what you want from your professional life, and start taking positive steps to achieve those goals.
Make Sure You’re Getting Paid What You’re Worth
This is a big risk and it has a tendency to trip a lot of people up. Many times, people aren’t necessarily getting paid what they’re worth because raises aren’t always automatic. If you work for a company that doesn’t do an annual review and doesn’t routinely hand out raises, you may have to go to your supervisor and ask for one. This can be a frightening experience but it’s also a necessary one. Otherwise, you could conceivably end up working for the same rate of pay you were hired at, even if you stay in that particular job for a number of years. In situations like this, it’s imperative to take the risk of asking for a raise. It’s equally crucial that you do your homework. This is accomplished by finding out what other people in similar positions are making who have a similar amount of experience. You should also point out the things that you have to offer which make you more valuable. In short, you’ll be walking a tightrope with a very fine line between sounding arrogant and being a doormat. If you really want to excel in your career and make decent money while doing it, you have to find a way to walk that tightrope without falling off.
Don’t Be Afraid To Change Careers
One of the biggest risks people take is changing their career entirely. Again, it’s understandable that this is something that makes most people nervous. If you planned on working in one field your entire life, studied for it and then achieved it, it can be terrifying to think of pushing all of that effort to the side in order to do something entirely different. However, it all comes down to your level of happiness as well as financial success. If you’re not making the money you want or you’re simply not happy in your current field, it may be time to seriously consider doing something different. That may mean that you have to take a risk that involves stepping away from your current job and into something where you are a complete novice. It might sound impossible, but people do it every day and in some cases, it’s one of the better choices they can make in their professional lives.
These risks might sound terrifying but it’s always important to check in with yourself in order to determine whether or not you’re still happy in your current job. Goals change over time, as do situations. The job that felt perfect for you five years ago may feel like more of a burden than anything else today. One thing is certain. If you’re never willing to take a risk, you probably won’t achieve nearly as much as the person who is willing to risk things, as playing it safe rarely gets you what you want in life.
