Grasp career opportunities to succeed

All opportunities are like buses – if you miss one, there is another one coming. Two pertinent questions that therefore arise are “Have you ever slogged to get a job?” and “Did you ever miss a chance to move ahead in your career?”

If you seek to make progress in your career or want a changeover, it is essential that you are able to make out opportunities that serve you and also follow them. Opportunities are invariably difficult to recognize, but not that difficult that you miss out on them totally. However, the process is quite time-consuming and calls for fortitude and resolve.

Besides achieving an apt role for yourself, you also need to gain insight into various alternatives available to you. You ought to be always geared up to appreciate areas where you could improve upon. So, how do you identify and select right career opportunities? A six-stage process helps you do this:

·   Have a proper outlook:  You are perennially surrounded by opportunities; it is you who has to incessantly scout around for them. If you do so on a daily basis, the better will it be; and recording them for reference is the best thing that you can do. The list can always be pruned later.

·   Track down openings:  Not all posts are advertised; you must have ways and means to know about them – they could well be in your own organization or outside. Besides getting to know about them, you should also reflect upon the road that will lead you there. It will not be out of place to state that taking on honorary assignments could be a great facilitator in this context; you would also be able to build a network and improve upon your practical experience thus.

·   Be familiar with your capabilities:  It will be meaningless to hunt for opportunities without an idea of your strong-points and limitations. To be able to discern your capabilities, you should know aspects that you get pleasure from or are good at and the wherewithal that is at your disposal. In addition, your distinctive principles, contact base and image in the eyes of others also help you to identify your plus-points. With regard to your vulnerabilities, you can discern them by listing assignments that you tend to shy away from and also recognizing your negative attributes. You have to embark upon a plan to ensure that your strengths get transformed into opportunities.

·   Know your priorities:  You should be cognizant of various aspects that have a bearing on you and your life; cataloguing them in order of precedence will help you spot opportunities. Relevant facets that warrant contemplation are your aspirations, remunerations, job satisfaction, prospects for acquiring additional qualifications and job security. If you know your priorities, you will be able to select the best from the good ones.

·   Pick from your picks:  If you know what you stand for and are clear about your capabilities; and also comprehend various opportunities that have come your way, you can well decide which ones need to be progressed further. You need to concentrate on the best few by examining them in detail for what they entail, how they are compatible with you, the recompense they can offer, the prospects of contentment and the degree of difficulty associated with each of them. You will thus be able to narrow down your list and then take a final call after a holistic consideration. 

·   Get ready & proceed:  It is always advisable to first explore opportunities that exist within the organisation that you are serving in. You will thus be able to determine those that are your cup of tea and promotion avenues that exist therein. Remember that an early bird catches the worm, therefore, the earlier you start, and the better it will be for you. Once you decide to move forward, you should identify methods by which you can increase your knowledge base and acquire additional qualifications.

  Discovering new openings ought to be a continuing procedure and should not be regarded as an ultimate objective. You have to be highly observant, uncomplaining and unrelenting in your efforts; and simply cannot prognosticate when an opportunity will come knocking at your door. And to succeed, you will have to jump at it as perhaps you would be doing at conclusions.