Everyone has made a few mistakes throughout their careers. Being about five years into my work experiences, I’ve started to recognize areas where I could have acted differently. There is one thing I’ve done over the past few years I wish I avoided. I’d like to share this mistake in hopes allowing others to learn from it and avoid career frustration in the process.
Don’t Wait
A lot of our career is out of our hands. The opportunity you’re looking for may not be available or maybe you didn’t get a position you wanted because the company went with an internal hire. In these instances, there isn’t much you could have done to change the outcome.
Then, there are the things in our hands. If you want to build a network, take a class or build a portfolio, the task can seem like a huge commitment. It is, but it’s also a commitment you are entirely in control of. For me, I wanted to take classes and expand my skills. I love blogging and digital marketing, but I often feel I am lacking some of the conventional achievements (I.E., a degree). I should have started taking classes. My interest in taking classes probably began in 2016. Now, two years later, I don’t have much to show for it. I could have had two years of coursework under my belt at this point. For some people, this would have meant a full degree was achieved. Rather, I waited for opportunities that never came.
This is quite frustrating. I put a lot of effort into finding a good opportunity and I let me pursuit of finding this opportunity derail the efforts I could have controlled. I hoped to find a great new job that would allow me to expand my skill set and produce marketable skills. That never really came. However, I definitely could have taken classes and I would have completed a few by now.
Avoid the Frustration
I should have enrolled in a course. If I had waited a couple of months to see if a good opportunity appeared, that would have been OK. After a couple of months without a new opportunity and without losing my interest in taking courses, I should have enrolled. All of these “should haves” could have been avoided, but it’s 2018 now and I can’t reverse time. Instead, I am going to take the opportunity to get enrolled in classes and build my skill set.
Yes, I see this as a commitment. However, I don’t want 2020 to approach and to have the same regret I had in 2018. Maybe a new opportunity arises that derails my current plan, and that will be OK. If no new opportunity arises, at least I know that I have put forward an effort to improve my skill set. I am going to take control where I can.
Let the Past Inform the Future
While I would love to be able to have used the past few years more productively, the best I can do at this point is learn from any prior mistakes. It’s easy to hear other people’s stories and assume they won’t apply to you. I’m sure I was warned not to wait too long before taking action in 2014, but I ignored this. Now, I know things don’t always go as planned but there are still opportunities have plans. When you can plan things, you should try to do so. Hope for the best, but always have a back up plan.
