How can I be serious about my career?

Not everyone should strive to be the kind of person who says, "I find my value in what I do," and neither should they feel pressured to do so. But for me, starting from zero and creating a job and life that I enjoy on my own terms and through my own hard work has given me a sense of self-assurance and contentment that is unmatched by anything else. Yes! Even more so than the sense of security that I get from eating carbohydrates and watching Parks and Recreation!

These eight actions will be of assistance to you if you want to take your work life more seriously.

1. Update your resume

When you have a job that pays well, it might be tempting to let your résumé collect dust on a shelf. However, ensuring that it is up to date and impressive is an excellent way to build self-esteem and get a sense of how far you have come. Utilize these several resume templates to spruce up your application.

2. Create a profile for yourself on LinkedIn.

What? Yes. Although I can see you rolling your eyes from all the way over here, I do know a few folks who have gotten jobs after being headhunted on LinkedIn. For enticing positions that they would have never dreamed of applying for in a million years! It won't harm in any way, and it will most likely assist. Additionally, are we friends with each other on LinkedIn?

3. Do a Google search on yourself and remove, conceal, or block results as appropriate.

We have all been guilty of publishing images that raise eyebrows, writing blog entries that are poorly thought out, or leaving comments that are less than great while signing our real names. Why not just Google it first and then remove it if necessary? And go on in life a little more maturely? (I'm looking at you, younger self of 24 years ago)

4. Give some thought to the place you see yourself in the next five years.

And if all of that seems too much to handle, ask yourself: Where do you want to be in three years? Allow yourself the time and the room to think about the direction in which you would want your career to go.

Do you want to get more cash? More vacation time? Do you want to pursue a different line of work? Would you be interested in working for yourself? Because so many of us get caught up in the day-to-day, it may be difficult to find the time to daydream about the bigger picture. You will thank yourself for giving yourself the opportunity to reflect on this matter in five years' time.

5. Look for an experienced guide in your field.

Being a mentor has been without a doubt one of the most satisfying choices I've ever made, and oh, how I wish I could locate a mentor of my very own!

Finding a blogging mentor may be challenging for me since I've been doing this for such a long time, but I'd be thrilled if I could find a really skilled writer, marketer, or creative who would be willing to guide me. You too? Perhaps we need to find out more about this group.

6. Acquire one or more useful new skills.

I'm willing to wager that you are well aware of the competencies that you need to be acquiring, but that you have been putting off doing so because of the steep learning curve involved (me, too.)

What does it have to do with Google Analytics, social networking, that new data input software, and a little bit of bookkeeping? Set aside twenty minutes of your time every day to work on it, and before you know it, you'll be able to include another line of experience on your CV.

7. Stop gossiping at work

Is it really difficult to resist the temptation to chat about how the cute guy in accounting recently dumped his girlfriend, even if it may be embarrassing for him? Or how about the time you saw Betty from marketing completely wasted on Saturday? Of sure, that is the case! Is it courteous and professional, in addition to being a good idea? Of course it's not. Take a breather the next time you find yourself being sucked into a conversation about someone else.

8. If you despise your work, you need to take action to change it.

Working will consume a significant portion of the years of your life. If you don't actively detest it, that's usually for the best. Even while we can't all have our ideal jobs (and even dream jobs include things like conference calls and bills), you should try to get a career that you don't openly despise at the very least.

Have conversations with people who are now employed in fields that are of interest to you. Find out how they got there, what they do, and what they like most about their jobs.

If you already have an idea of the industry in which you would want to work, you should participate in job shadowing and informative interviews. Investigate the many educational opportunities. Determine if you despise your whole career or simply this particular job. After that, take the appropriate actions.