Chasing your dreams isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. In fact, more often than not, going after what you want in the professional arena involves stepping outside of your comfort zone. Recruiter.com’s Shala Marks offers prime examples of people who went for them anyway and won big.
Marks shares the story of three recent graduates, all facing cross-country moves, whether for an internship or grad school. One lived with a family friend for three months and in a hostel for three more; another put off grad school for a year, moved in with a friend and worked four jobs to be able to afford the relocation; and the last also worked multiple freelance gigs to stay afloat.
There’s no doubt these people were uncomfortable and inconvenienced at times in pursuit of their dreams, but their patience and perseverance in less than perfect circumstances paid off. The latter even earned multiple promotions and salary increases in a short period of time.
Relocation is an especially uncomfortable step to take when forging your career path, but, according to a 2013 CareerBuilder survey, 77 percent of workers who relocated indicated that they didn’t regret their decision, listing some of the greatest benefits as making new friends (31 percent), making a fresh start (30 percent), gaining a higher salary (27 percent) and having access to better long-term career opportunities (22 percent).
Often going after a promotion or even a career change doesn’t involve a change as significant as packing up and moving, but you’re bound to encounter some bumps in the pursuit of your goals. What may determine whether you achieve them is how willing you are to face new challenges and try new things.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
