Why Wait? 5 Key Points to Create Your Own Career Opportunities
Author: Nicky J. Davies |
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Categories: Career Reset
It was the summer of 2004 when I was working in the UK on a large project that stalled. Other projects that I was working on weren’t nearly as interesting as this particular one - I guess I had outgrown the original role. I started to become frustrated and the energy and enthusiasm I once had for my job had gone.
I knew I had to turn this around and started to look at other jobs that were available. Nothing really appealed to me and that nagging feeling that I needed to break away from the corporate world and create my own business grew stronger.
After many sleepless nights of tossing and turning while running scenarios in my mind, I saw an opportunity to serve my employer more effectively as an external consultant. I decided that this was it, the kickstart to my business and I was going to take control of the situation. I understood my talents and skills and put together a business case to talk through with my manager.
I was really nervous but decided that I couldn’t put up with the frustration or feeling like I was a hostage to my well-paid job any more. I took a risk and it paid off. My manager could see the advantage to all parties and it actually solved a problem for him too, namely my salary and benefits package!
My business case went in front of the leadership team and they accepted it. I was amazed! Now I really needed to get going with my business.
I reached out to my network and soon had a number of contracts set up before I left my corporate job. Each contract solved a different problem – facilitating difficult conversations in joint venture / partnership projects, managing change across large organisations, developing managers into leaders……
There are many people in my network who have introduced me to various organisations over the years, recognising that I could help solve some of their problems and this is really how my business took off. These introductions have brought in well over 2 million dollars to my business, and I am truly thankful every day to each and every person in my network – including you, so thank you for being a part of my network and for your continued support.
You don’t need a fancy website, logo and business cards to get started. You just need you – the best version of you, to take action.
And it is possible to create opportunities at every stage of your career, you just need to open your eyes and see the many possibilities. The trick really is looking for a problem that you could provide a solution to.
Here are my top 5 learning points about opportunities:
1. Many if not all opportunities have at least one challenge associated with it – this maybe something that makes you think the opportunity would be difficult or impossible even to succeed. The most common challenges are – not enough money, time, resources or not being good enough.
2. Each of these challenges is another opportunity in disguise – an opportunity for you to overcome that challenge and grow.
3. The Right Opportunity is key – what I have found is that it’s the opportunities that solve a significant problem for a group of people that work best. For example, how do you take a great manager and develop them into a great leader? How do you get a group of leaders to function well as a Leadership Team? How do you take an effective corporate player and help them start up their own successful business?
4. There are so many opportunities available, have a couple of questions that work for you to narrow the field – the question I ask myself is this “is this opportunity something I want to be, do or have?”. I ask this of the opportunity and also of the challenges associated with the opportunity. I don’t want to shrink away from challenge because I know it’s where learning and growth take place, and enables me to take on bigger challenges. Another question I ask is “will this opportunity take me closer to my goal?”. And my third question is “does this opportunity fit with my mission of serving others more deeply?”. The opportunity needs to be a ‘yes’ for all three of my questions before I take action.
5. Be open, ask questions and listen carefully – who in your network knows, likes and trusts you? Spend time asking questions and listen very carefully. I recently met with someone in my network and while waiting for our meeting, read a leaflet they had in reception talking about their company’s new principles for working. Part way through our meeting I just happen to mention that I thought the 5 principles outlined in the document were great and really consolidated the 10 principles listed on a poster in his office. He paused. “Hmm” he said. “I think there is an opportunity for you to help me embed these in the organisation”…. Opportunities truly are everywhere.
So, what problems exist within your organisation or your wider network that you know you can provide a solution to? Who in your network knows, likes and trusts you?
As Michelangelo the artist said “I am still learning…”. It is a lifelong journey – enjoy the ride! Opportunities are all around us and it’s looking at situations with fresh eyes, embracing challenges, being open to learning new things, and truly listening that brings us to that moment where you can say “I can help you with that” or even better, the other person says “Hmm, I think there is an opportunity for you to help me….”.
Nicky works with managers who are looking to make a career change, helping them make the changes needed to fall back in love with their lives.
To book a Breakthrough Session Call with Nicky to look at your current situation, where you want to be in the future, and what useful next steps could be to address challenges you are facing. Click on this link: Book a Call With Nicky to schedule a call.