Qualify Yourself
If there’s a job you want to be doing, you should be doing it. One of the biggest things that stands between us and our dream jobs, however, is a lack of experience. If you don’t have at least decent credentials going into something, then the best letter and interview could be useless. Today, employers are not looking for someone they have to teach and train; they are looking for someone who will immediately add value to their business.
Becoming that person
Becoming that person is all about personal motivation. When employers say they want a “self-starter,” just saying you are one won’t make any difference. It takes a track record of self-driven accomplishment in order to pass that bar. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to keep your day job and take on the labors of Hercules at the same time. It just means you have to put your spare passion and effort into a project here and there that you really love.
For me, this is blogging and reporting. If you’ve read my mini-bio, you’ll see that I blog here as well as write for the Claremont Courier. Neither is currently a paying gig, because I am building up my credentials in both industries. But when my freelance writing clients see my byline and established blog, they are much happier to sign on for my services than for those of someone who just has a good form email.
Making it fun
Your self-driven projects should not be “work.” Hopefully you want a job you’ll love to do,
and so your initial ventures into the field should be the same way. If you find yourself failing to enjoy the stuff you’re doing for free, that’s a good hint that you don’t have an enduring passion for the field. If you want to be a lawyer but have to force yourself through a brief; if you want to be a blogger but can’t seem to get your posts out on schedule; if you want to be a weightlifter but just don’t want to go to the gym – you probably don’t really want to be that thing at all. Think again about it.
There’s no secret to making your job fun, besides choosing to do something that already is fun. When I sit down to write a blog post, I don’t consider it work. I’m glad that I get to share something valuable, glad that I get to improve my writing, and glad that I get to research the coolest health news on the web. I just like to do it. And if you’re able to do something like that for yourself, you should have no problem doing it in a professional capacity.
Just stick to your personal project until your resume is strong enough to bring to a potential employer in your field. And if you’re lucky (and passionate!) you just might make it on your own. Best of luck!
(Image Credit: kathyshiplet and William WM)
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