As a long-time entrepreneur with staff of my own, I’ve learned along the way the dos and do nots of both hiring and getting hired. Below are the four key entrepreneurial lessons for landing your next job, one that you love.
Discover your passion.
Taking the time to identify what drives you and what gets you excited and then finding a role that is a match is going to be a key factor in getting hired. Employers can tell when someone is passionate about what they do: they take initiative, think of new ideas, and intrinsically show their value constantly. Don’t be shy about expressing your passion with others, especially those looking to hire you. Have your 30-second elevator pitch ready to be shared confidently and authentically.
- Don’t get desperate.
If you are job hunting, or even thinking of leaving, you need to lay the foundation far into the future. Start looking early and often. Otherwise, you will be forced out of necessity to take a position that just does not engage your best work. Speaking with those in positions similar to what you might want to do is a good place to start. Which brings me to my next lesson…
- Always be networking.
You should constantly be building your tribe of influencers and collaborators. Maximize yourLinkedIn and find other ways to get in front of people. Get involved in professional organizations related to your passion. Be thinking constantly of how you can share your passion through thought leadership, such a blogging, social media and the LinkedIn publishing platform.
- You are what you accomplish.
You are no longer paid for your knowledge. Knowledge is everywhere. If I need something answered, I can Google it and get the answer just like that. Sadly, a lot of the education (and I say this with an MBA) is quite often outdated. You are also not paid for what you do. This is true for both entrepreneurs and employees. You are paid for what you can accomplish. You can’t accomplish as much without a network, without a community. You need to bring in other talented individuals, collaborators and strategic alliances.
Regardless of whether you are an entrepreneur or employee, many of the same principles apply to landing that job, client, contract, etc. and finding projects and positions that speak to what drives you.
Watch the video below to learn more about how you can use these lessons to find your passion.
Felena Hanson is the Founder of Hera Hub.
