Successful Career Checklist: Things You Should Do by The Time You’re 30

As we grow up, our dreams and visions change. When I was a teenager, I wanted to be an engineer. However, further down the line, due to decisions I made and circumstances that happened, my inclination isn’t towards engineering.

When you are in your twenties, it is time to shape your future and forge a path that you want to take. Our comrades seem to have it all figured out yet some of us are still on the journey of discovery. Maybe you want to enroll in an MBA program and are drafting your common application essay .

Or perhaps you have no idea what to do or how to start. In this article, we hope to help you have a comfortable journey of discovery as we list the things you need to achieve before age 30, on matters career.

Things to do before turning 30

• Have a Career Emergency Plan

Whatever job you are in, or field, there’s no assured security in any position. What happens if you get laid off? You need to plan for the next step if, by an unfortunate event, you lose your job.

Getting fired is a terrible experience but a massive wake up call. It’s no debate that technology is taking over almost every industry. Have a ready to go action plan. It will come handy at the opportune time.

If you don’t like the job that you are in, it’s now the right time to quit. Have you ever been to an office where the employees look like lifeless conditioned robots? You don’t want that to be you, all your life.

You only got one life to live, don’t forget that.

• Build your Brand

In your sop for MBA, you have to sell yourself on your suitability to a particular position. You need to work on your brand. Build your online presence through social media.

Try to ensure that you appear top of the list when you Google yourself. Revamp your LinkedIn profile. It’s a vast networking site for professionals.  Treat it like an online real estate.

Delete any incriminating posts on your social media accounts. Change the privacy setting of the photos of your happy-go-lucky phase.

• Know your Strengths and Weaknesses

Find out what you are good at. Tina Roth Eisenberg, a serial entrepreneur, said that many of the successful people she knows, know what they are best at. Do you consider yourself successful even if it doesn’t look like it now? Then be on the lookout for your strengths.

Coming to terms with your weaknesses shouldn’t make you feel bad about yourself. It will help you understand how to compliment your skill set. You will be able to distinguish between the tasks that you can comfortably complete and those you can delegate.

• Keep Learning

Just because you have your college degree doesn’t mean that learning has stopped. Theirs is so much to learn. You don’t have to go to class or sit through a lecture.

Start an online course on a subject matter of your interest. Learn a new skill. Read and read some more. You can also set yourself a reading goal.

Learn a new language.

• Start a Side Hustle

Do you dream of being your boss someday? Then you’ve got to use the opportunity that your twenties offer. You are probably not considering marriage at this time. If you already have one, you still have time to make a better future for your family.

Don’t let the statistics hinder you from trying. Yes, out of three startups, two fail in a year. If yours is among the two, what you gain from experience will steer you in the right direction, when you take up the next project.

Try and have something on your resume that you are proud of. It doesn’t have to be something that will make you money or famous. It is something that you find delight it. It’s for you and you alone.

• Write a Vision Statement

To get to where you want to go, you have to know where it is first. Your vision statement doesn’t have to be a lengthy manifesto. The most critical aspect you need to capture in it; is the “Why” of what you do.

You will have to tap into the feeling you’ve been ignoring, every time you think about going to work. Is it satisfying or do you feel like you are in the wrong place? Dig deeper and analyze whether it has a positive influence on your life and that of others.

• Get yourself out of debt

Yeah, I know, you probably wince every time you think about the massive amounts of student debts that you have accumulated. Debt is a stressor and may hold you back from great opportunities. Pay them off while you still can.

If possible, stay out of debt. As you pay off your debts, remember to save for the future. If you can’t restrain yourself from spending, it’s time to set up an automatic investment or savings account.

Focus on the longtime and not the fleeting short-term delights.

• Learn how to network

Networking is essential to both your personal and professional career. Step out of you secluded shell and build strong bonds with new people. Make an impression on influencers and employers.

The will only be a phone call away when you need to advance in your career. Take this bold steps early.

Conclusion

It is never too late or too to work on your personal developments. Let your years after reaching 30 years be different from your current experience. Learning never stops, keep at it.

After age 30, you need to look back to your twenties and pat yourself on the back and say, “I’m glad I did what I did, then.” And don’t forget to work on creating the best statement of purpose for MBA.