Discovering & seizing career opportunities

The world is all openings, prospects and strings of tension waiting to be struck. But striking them is possible only if you can see and identify them; and which is possible only if you adopt a cautious line of action. If you genuinely seek to switch roles or move ahead in your career, you need to know how to track and trail opportunities that go well with your personality and skills. But this is a long drawn-out process and calls for forbearance and tenacity.

Opportunities do not come with their value stamped on them. They have hair in front but are bald behind. How do you discover and seize career opportunities? Here are some tips:

· Harbour the correct outlook:  The world around you is saturated with opportunities and you have to be perennially on the lookout. You need to cultivate this as a habit. Whichever opportunity you discern, make a note of it; the list can always be pruned subsequently.   

· Hunt for veiled opportunities:  There will be many openings that may not be advertised publicly, including some in your current organisation; you should always be on the lookout for them. Increasing your contact base and interacting with people should also be high on your agenda so that you remain abreast with all developments. If necessary, assistance in introduction to people who matter can also be taken. You could even think of doing some professional work without compensation for public good; besides affording you knowledge and experience, this will help you expand your network and in the process identify new openings.    

· Know your fortes & limitations:  It is essential that you understand your plusses and minuses to discern opportunities that go with your personality and qualifications. To be able to know your fortes, you should recognize tasks that you take pleasure in while executing, those that you tend to avoid or those that you can accomplish better than others. There will be certain principles and standards that you subscribe to and which others may be lacking; a discernment of these will help you identify opportunities relevant to you. You must also catalogue prominent people whom you know and who could be used to exert influence, if the need arises. The opinion of others should not be disregarded and hence, you must know how others perceive you. You may have specific inherent traits that go against you; it is necessary to reflect on them also. Having identified your fortes and limitations, you should reflect on the possibility of converting them into prospects by making the most of the former and jettisoning the latter.

· Pinpoint elements relevant to you:  What are various issues that hold relevance to you? Aspects like lifestyle (present and desired), salary package, job satisfaction, life and career objectives and prospects of acquiring additional qualifications need to be considered by you to discover a work that is best suited for you. And most importantly, you must consider if the opportunity at hand is exciting and stimulating or not. There could be several other factors that you may consider and which will help you trim down your preferences.

· Trim your preferences:  Having understood your fortes, weaknesses and inclinations as also opportunities available to you, you need to shortlist the finest opportunities. This is necessary to prevent pointless exertions. You must ponder over each opportunity, what it routinely entails, how it measures into your life and the returns accompanying with it. You also need to simultaneously think about on the modus operandi to be adopted for clutching it along with an introspection of your capabilities and additional skills required to facilitate drawing utmost optimum benefits. No endeavor is without hazards and you must reflect on them too. After a holistic evaluation, you will be able to identify the best opportunity available to you.

· Get ready & make a start:  The opportunity having been identified, you have to get on your marks and go. The best way of doing so is to integrate it in your individual objectives. You can then mull over various actions required to be taken by you to derive full benefits. Should it be necessary for you to acquire additional qualifications or expertise, you must appropriately do so. If the opportunity happens to be in the organisation which you are currently serving in, you ought to focus attention to create impact to boost your success prospects. 

Any effort made or time spent to investigate career opportunities will never go waste. Remember that they will multiply as they are seized and will die when neglected. And the doors of all opportunities are always marked ‘PUSH’. Push yourself forward and you will succeed.