What does the word “reinvention” mean to you? For some people, it has a negative association. They think that reinventing themselves in business means starting over from scratch. They worry that they’ll always be at a disadvantage compared to others who are already established.
This mindset, however, can be very dangerous. Fear or complacency can keep you locked into a job you’ve outgrown or are no longer suited for. It’s much easier to stay at a ho-hum career than to take risks and branch out into a new opportunity..
There are a lot of reasons to consider reinventing your business life. Maybe your skill-set has changed over the years. You might also be at a new chapter in your life, ready to change direction or find a career path with more potential for upward movement.
Every professional reinvention follows a few universal steps:
1. Step Back and Re-evaluate Your Goals
Reach out to people whose opinion you trust. Ask them for an honest critique of your weaknesses and strengths. Contact people in the industry that you want to move into for their opinion of your resume. Ask what talents you will need to cultivate for your new career.
2. Understand and Control Your Image
Type your name into a search engine and multiple social media networks. Make sure that everything you find there helps your job search. If you find anything that might put off a potential employer, ask the service to remove it.
Think this step is a waste of time? A recent report states that almost 90% of prospective employers look at a job candidate’s social media presence.
3. Evaluate What is and Isn’t Working
What was it that made you unhappy at your old job? How can you keep from running into the same problems at your new career? Spend a few days coming up with a clear five year plan for your life. Be patient with this step. Reinventing yourself is hard work; you may need to take a little time off to ‘recharge’ and clear your head for the next stage.
4. Find a Mentor
You don’t have to go through a career reinvention alone. Seek out someone who is already established in your new field of interest and ask for guidance. Picking the right mentor is essential: you want someone who won’t see you as potential competition and is willing to help you and answer all your questions.
5. Build a Reputation, Online and Off
Are you social media savvy? If not, now is the time to learn. Networking online is no longer an optional skill. According to a 2013 report, over 80% of jobs are now found through networking. Your “online brand” is now one of the most crucial parts of your business image, so be sure that it’s projecting the right image.
6. Choose the Right Talent Solutions Agency
One of the best ways to reinvent yourself in business is through a job placement agency. This offers you a number of advantages by letting you:
- preview different jobs to determine if they’re a good fit.
- network and cultivate contacts.
- get your foot in the door of a competitive industry.
Ad-VANCE Talent Solutions has been helping people move into exciting new professions for over two decades. This ranges from varied and exciting seasonal work to temp positions with the potential to become full-time. We’ve created staffing partnerships with a number of industries in the governmental, healthcare, and hospitality sectors. Perhaps if you’re interested in hospitality jobs Sarasota has the answer.