Gambling with Your Career
Gambling can be a fun and exciting proposition if you have an adventurous spirit and a tolerance for risking your assets. There are those brave souls that venture into the casinos, gaming halls, and private games that find the risk taking involved thrilling. They don’t mind the fact that the odds in every game favor the house and not them. These armature gamblers don’t mind the “sucker bet”. They fearlessly go against the odds in the hope that “lady luck” will smile on them. They get an adrenaline rush; their pulse quickens, the excitement builds for them from the thought of going against the odds, making a long shot and beating the house.
But the professional gambler does not trust in “luck”. When playing against the house the professional knows that the odds are against them. To play and play well in this arena the professional prepares. here is no “chance”. There is only skill. The professional plays the odds. They calculate the odds of their game of choice. They bet with intentionality. They watch each move carefully.
When playing against other gamblers the professional players track the cards played and look for “tells” from other players that might give them an edge in the game or insight into how others play it. They take all this information, formulate a plan, and play the game accordingly.
Your career development is a lot like gambling if you are not intentionally, actively, calculating your best moves and managing your career.
What can you do to eliminate the “gamble” and increase your odds of winning? Here are five things to get you started.
• Assess where you are now and where you want to be in your career
o Reflect on what you have to offer an employer
o Assess yourself and your potential
o Develop a plan to get you where you want to be
• Keep your skills and your resume updated so you are ready when the opportunity comes
o Plan for your professional development
o Seek out learning opportunities and training
o Become a Life Long Learner & look for the learning in every experience
• Network, Network, Network
o Re-establish contact with past friends, co-workers, clients, etc
o Nourish your network
o Strengthen your network by investing in it
• Promote your product; promote yourself
o Establish your Brand
o Protect your Brand Reputation
o Develop your “elevator speech”
o Practice interviewing skills
• Work with a Professional
o Establish a relationship with a Career Coach
o Resume Writers
o J ob Center Staff
o Find a Mentor
Don’t gamble with your career like an amateur. Where your career is concerned don’t leave things to “luck” or “chance”. Instead, be a professional. Understand what you’re up against; calculate the odds against you, look for opportunities to take the advantage, manage your career like a professional.
Contact us for assistance in turning from “career amateur” to “career pro”.