Saturday, March 14, 2020

Should You Wait for Your Dream Job, or Settle

Should You Wait for Your Dream Job, or SettleIf youre like most people, youd love to have your dream jobthe one that pays a great salary, energizes and motivates you to get up and go to work every day, and makes you happy in generalthe one that, in short, completely fulfills you. But what if its not coming along? Should you settle?Catherine Willbrand welches in just that dilemma. She graduated from the University of Missouri, and set out for Los Angeles to find a job in the field of public relations. She sent out a lot of resumes, and got a lot of interviewsbut nothing seemed to work out.Willbrand isnt alone. In fact, in recent years, almost 50% of people have taken jobs that they really didnt want, just so they could afford to live. In fact, a study undertaken by Rand Ghayad, an economist, in 2014, showed that people who are unemployed for six months or longer have much greater difficulty finding work than those who have been out of work for shorter periods. Is it any wonder why peo ple settle?The trouble is that settling takes you out of the field you dont have the time to look for the job that you really want. So what do you do?Before you take a job that doesnt really appeal to you, perhaps you should rethink your strategy. Accepting a job is a lot like getting married, and who really wants to forego Mr. Right for Mr. Right Now?So, how do you get out of the rut? If youre being rejected, think about what youre doing wrong. Could your cover letter be better? Are you not dressing properly for your interview? Ask your family and friends to critique what youre doing. You might be surprised at what you discoverThe other thing is, if you really want a job that youve applied for, show that youre excited Dont ask about salary, benefits, or schedulingtoss ideas back and forth. Tell your potential employer about relevant projects youve spearheaded. Talk about whats going on in the industry.Of course, you may have to settle in the short term. But the general rule of thum b is that if youve been unemployed for three months, you should keep trying. If its been more than three months, time to settle. You can leise look for something better, but you do have to keep food on the table.Dont give up, though. Reassess. What Catherine Willbrand did was think completely outside the box. Shed been looking for a job in PR, but she loved acting, so she decided to give it a shot. Now shes acting in commercials and music videos, and says that the difficult job market actually encouraged her to find another path.

Monday, March 9, 2020

How To Turn Your Hobby Into A Career

How To Turn Your Hobby Into A Career Everyone wants to have a job that they love. But what if you could actually turn your favorite hobby into a real career?It sounds too good to be true, but with the amount of resources that are available today, its entirely possible to turn your passions into a sustainable and profitable career. Side hustles and portfolio careers are becoming increasingly common, and many women are using them to explore the plausibility of a career change.If you daydream about what it would be like to pursue your passions full time, weve got your next steps covered. The below tips will get you closer to turning your hobby into a career that you truly love.1. Ask yourself if you can combine work and fun.Before you make any significant investments, you need to know whether youll still enjoy your hobby once it becomes your work. This isnt a decision that you should make lightly take the time you need to come to your conclusion. Youll be moving from doing your hobby wh enever you feel like it to doing it on a deadline and for a profit. If thats something you wont be comfortable with, then you should reconsider your next move.2. Make a plan.You already have a long-term goal (to make your hobby your career), so now its time to set short-term ones. Figure out where you want your business to be in six months, and work backward to figure out the specific steps youre going to use to get there.3. Have a weekly schedule.If youre going to balance your hobby with full-time work, family, a social life, etc. you need a plan for how youre going to maximize your time. Initially, you may have to sacrifice some free time (and some sleep) to help your business grow. Planning what that looks like ahead of time will save you stress down the road.4. Research the market.Its crucial that you know what your new industry is like before you enter it. Look at your local market for potenzial competitors, industry trends and resources you can rely on. Is there a small busin ess network that you can join? Is there a need within your community that hasnt been met? Do as much research as you can so you can figure out what other businesses are using to succeed and how yours can stand out from the crowd.5. Test out your services. The first step to treating your hobby like a job is to figure out what that looks like. For an example, if youre pursuing photography, how long will a photo session last? What kinds of packages will you offer? What range will your prices be?An easy way to figure out answers to those questions (aside from research) is to test out your services. If you have a friend who is interested in your services, offer to provide them for free in exchange for customer feedback. Youll gain insight as to how your run your business as well as proof of concept for your business.6.Get social.Social media is a free absatzwirtschaft tool, so take advantage of it Publicize your services to your network, make a branded Facebook page and get the word out any way you can. Dont be afraid to interact offline as well. Meeting other business owners in person and attending local events is a great way to promote your business and expand your network.7. File paperwork. Once youre ready to transition your hobby into a legitimate business, you need to file the appropriate paperwork with the IRS. Now that you have a business plan and a stronger understanding of the market, you should know what kind of organizational structure youre going to use and what paperwork that requires. No, its not the fruchtwein exciting step on this list, but officially filing the paperwork to legalize your business will make you feel like youve accomplished a big step because you have