8 Ways To Invest In Your Career In Your 20s and 30s
While your 20s and 30s may mark the early years of your career, they are also some of the most important. The choices you make and the skills you develop can have a lasting impact on your path, setting the course for your future.
It’s during these years that you’ll want to invest in your career. This will not only help you stand out amongst the competition but can also help ensure continued career progression.
While this may sound like you need everything figured out now, that’s not the case. You can start making moves now to benefit your short and long-term goals, and focus on others in the future. Here are 8 ways to invest in your career to help set you up for success in your chosen industry.
1. Start networking
The sooner you start networking, the better it will be for your career. Networking helps you connect with others in your industry, forming relationships that could prove valuable in many ways.
Networking events such as conferences, industry events, and workshops can be excellent places to meet people who could become future clients, business partners, or even hire you for a job!
It’s natural to feel shy at a networking event, especially your first one. But there are steps you can take to overcome a fear of networking to help you build up your confidence at these events.
2. Prioritise ongoing learning
It’s important to keep learning as you progress in your career. There will always be new developments to stay up-to-date with, and new skills you can learn to progress in your career.
Undertaking some online courses, workshops and achieving different certificates can help boost your value as an employee, and help you become an expert in your field.
While most workplaces offer some form of development, being proactive about ongoing learning could put you in good standing with your employer.
3. Work on your transferable skills
Alongside developing role-specific skills, you can also work on your transferable skills. These include things like communication, leadership and analytical skills.
These are skills that will benefit your existing role, but could easily be transferable to another company, role or even career.
Remember to focus on your tech and digital skills too – these areas are constantly evolving and you wouldn’t want to get left behind. Learn some essential AI skills, as some employers are already looking for experience in this area.
4. Get yourself a mentor
A mentor can be extremely valuable, especially in the early stages of your career. A mentor can help give you guidance and feedback, while also helping you learn about the industry.
Many people credit having a mentor as instrumental for their success, a role model they can look up to and learn from.
There are different ways to find a mentor, including through your workplace or established mentoring schemes. You could also reach out to people you admire and see if they’d be interested in mentoring you.
5. Invest in a business degree or a specialist qualification
If you see a future in management or running your own business, you should consider getting a business degree. A business degree can provide you with a solid foundation in both management and strategy – giving you essential skills for leadership.
Some employers favour a candidate with a business degree, so make sure you include it on your CV and job applications.
If management isn’t for you, you could also consider other qualifications relevant to your chosen industry. Working on formal qualifications could help you take the next steps, while also helping you develop knowledge and skills in your field.
6. Gain some experience outside of your job
Many people pursue interests outside of their day job. From side hustles to volunteer work, there are ways to develop your skills and experience outside of your work, and maybe even pay the way for starting your own venture one day.
Whether you want to start a travel business or take up some freelance work, having some interest outside of work can help show initiative and independence, and may even bring additional skills to your role that your employer will find favourable.
Always make sure any work you take on outside of your main job adheres to any employee codes of conduct and isn’t considered a conflict of interest. These things aren’t worth losing your main job over!
7. Be smart with your money
Investing in your career isn’t just about the work itself. It’s about learning some important life skills that will help you in the future too.
Learning how to budget, save and invest at an early age can provide you with greater financial security – something that can pay off in the future when you want to take risks or face a setback in your career.
Being smart with money early on can help you as you progress, giving you the flexibility to change roles and focus on goals such as owning real estate or retiring early.
8. Develop your resilience
Workplaces are constantly changing – if you look at the last five years, you’ll see just how much things have changed.
Hybrid and flexible working are common in many companies, as are 4-day working weeks and other significant changes to working patterns. But these changes are not always positive, and you need to be open and adaptable to change.
Developing your resilience can help you bounce back from setbacks or rejections, ready to come back stronger for the next challenge.
While resilience is something that can be developed over time, there are courses you can take that will help you learn different skills and techniques that are worth your time.
Your early career years will be focused on learning, growing, and starting to think about where you want to be in 5, 10, 15 years and figure out how you’ll get there.
You may not have all the answers now, but investing in yourself and your career from the start can bring you significant returns in your future.
