Entrepreneurship may sound like a dream to some, especially if you’ve been on the job hunt for several months with no luck landing a new job. But it’s important to first determine if entrepreneurship is the right direction for you before attempting to launch a new business venture in this economy.
Are you on the fence? Ask yourself the following questions to gauge whether you should consider being an entrepreneur or stick with your current career:
1. Do I have a great idea for a product or service? Obviously, to be a business owner, you first have to have something to sell. Do you know what you’re great at? Where your product would fit into the current market? How about who your competitors would be? There are a lot of factors to launching a new product or service to take into account before jumping in with both feet.
2. What is my tolerance for taking risks? Taking on entrepreneurship involves many risks: quitting your current job, putting your money into a new business, hiring employees, etc. Is your tolerance high enough to make it through these stressful situations?
3. Can I take on multiple roles? Being a business owner means you are responsible for payroll, human resources, marketing, etc.—all aspects that are normally delegated throughout a large organization can fall on your shoulders.
4. Am I passionate about my industry, product, and/or service? You’ve heard that passion in your career is essential to success—and that’s even more critical when you’re launching a new product or service. “As the business owner, you’re also chief salesperson for your company,” said Colleen DeBaise author of The Wall Street Journal Complete Small Business Guidebook, in an article on WSJ. “Your enthusiasm for your product or service—whether it’s hand-knit sweaters or top-notch tax preparation—is often the difference that hooks customers, lands deals and attracts investors.” You’ll probably find yourself doubting whether or not it was the right choice when no one is interested in buying from you, but if you have the passion and the drive to make it happen, you’ll surely be able to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
5. Am I willing to put in the necessary time to make my business successful? Many people think being your own boss means working less hours, but any entrepreneur will tell you that’s simply not true. Most startup founders end up spending more time working than they did at a 9-to-5 job.
6. Am I willing to commit to continuous learning? Being a business owner means you need to be open to learning more about managing, leadership and your industry. Most entrepreneurs have their own favorite resources for information (mine’s Inc. Magazine!) that they turn to in order to continue their personal and professional growth.
7. Am I resilient?“Experts have found that the ability to overcome failure is a key indicator of whether a small business owner will be successful,” said Emma Johnson in a Forbes article. Look at how you cope with difficult situations in your life. Do you bounce back, or wallow in disappointment? You’re bound to face challenges and failures when starting your own business, but how you deal with those will determine your future success as an entrepreneur.
8. Do I realize I can’t make everyone happy?“There will always be critics,” said Richie Frost in an article on Under30CEO. “There will always be SOMEONE who is upset with what you’re doing or what you believe in. Take this quote by Herbert Swope, ‘I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody.’”9. Am I prepared to take responsibility for any success or failure that might result from this new business venture? Your business might completely flop. Or it might be bigger than you imagined. Either way, you have to be prepared for the unexpected—and be able to handle the responsibility that entails.
Do you have any tips about becoming an entrepreneur? How about any success or failure stories to share with individuals who may be interested in entrepreneurship?
Heather R. Huhman, founder & president of Come Recommended, is passionate about helping students and recent college graduates pursue their dream careers.Read more » articles by this approved career expert | Click here » if you’re a career expertPhoto credit: Shutterstock
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The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
- How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
- The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
- How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
- The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
- And, a lot more hacks for job search success!
Let us show you the secrets to getting a new, better-paying job you actually love. Sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp today.
Are you ready to land the job of your dreams (and leave the job of your nightmares)?
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