Those of us who are just hitting our 40’s or 50’s may be looking at life and our careers and wondering not only what happened, but where are we headed? But rather than looking at this time as a crisis, it’s best to stay positive and look at this as a reason and an opportunity to update both our personal and professional brands and see where we want to steer our futures.
Whether you’re happy in your current line of work or looking to change careers mid-stream, it is important to sit down and review your career to date, as well as your own personal accomplishments. By doing this you can create a map of the past and a roadmap for your future. Let’s take a look at how to put all of this together into a cohesive plan that you can begin implementing immediately.
Review Your Current Skillsets
Go through your past work history and list all of the different skills you have acquired to date. If you happen to have an old resume on hand, it’s useful to go through that and find what’s changed and where you are currently are in your career.
This is also a great opportunity to sit down and think about new skills you would like to learn, or existing skills you would like to improve. Remember, it’s never too late to learn or tackle a new career area you’ve always wanted to explore.
Plan to Broaden Your Horizons
Once you’ve got a good idea of what your existing skill sets are both professionally and personally, it’s time to start planning to broaden your horizons. Put together a learning bucket list and take action to start crossing some items off. Whether it’s attending a class, learning how to do something new, or even reading a book to teach yourself something new or stay on top of current trends, don’t sit and wish you had more skills – get out there and attain your goals!
Find What Motivates You Personally and Professionally
This is also a great time in our lives to take a hard look at what motivates us on a personal as well as a professional level. If you don’t feel fulfilled in your current career, it may be time to make a change, whether it’s asking for a promotion at your current job or looking to switch careers entirely. One of the best things we can ever learn is that we do not have to settle. Once you have a better idea of what motivates you, take action to ensure that you are doing these things and keeping yourself moving forward in all areas of your life.
Do you need some direction for your mid-career choices? Solopoint’s experts can help guide you in the right direction!