Dream Job Blog

It’s baffling that we don’t learn how to start or build our careers given that most of us spend 30 – 50% of our lives working. Similar to building relationships, we learn organically — through trial and error, observing our role models, seeking advice from mentors and perhaps a book or two.

While investing in our education has become more of an expectation than an elective, investing in our careers is quite uncommon. You may have received leadership training or career coaching from your company, but that is oftentimes reserved for a select few. 

When it comes to making a career move, some people will invest in their professional brand, specifically their resume and LinkedIn profile — but rarely go beyond that.

Whether you feel like your career is lagging or you’re ready to uplevel, there are many ways you can invest in yourself to achieve your goals.

Here are 5 reasons to invest in yourself: 

1: You feel stuck

You may have had an organic career to date and want to be more intentional moving forward. However, you’re unsure of what you want to do or where to go. Working with a coach can help you gain clarity by assessing your career to date and understanding what’s most important to you — so you can create goals that align with your core values and priorities. 

2: You want to achieve new goals

You want to make a career move into a new profession or want to get promoted, but unsure how to make that happen. You may have imposter syndrome that’s holding you back. Working with a coach can help you break down your limiting beliefs and determine actionable steps to help you move forward and gain confidence along the way.

3: You want to gain new skills 

If we’re not constantly learning and growing, we’re stagnating. Acquiring a new skill gives us a new perspective and is also a lot of fun. If you’re interested in honing your technical skills, you can focus on specific certification or a bootcamp. Or if you want to improve your leadership skills and can join a formal program or take an online course.

4: You want to improve weaknesses

Sometimes our weaknesses hold us back. You want to grow your career, but feel like you need to get better at conflict resolution or setting healthy boundaries. Working with a career coach can help surface the core issues and determine strategies and techniques to strengthen your areas of development.

5: You want a more fulfilling career

You want a job that you love and thrive in — at a fantastic company with inspiring leaders, working with people you respect and you’re appreciated and valued for your contributions. You get to be your authentic self and do your best work. And you’re paid at the higher end of the market. Working with a job search coach gives you the know-how and support you need to make a strategic career move that aligns with what’s most important to you.

Ways to invest

Before you make an investment, make sure you have the time and motivation to do the work. If you’re ready to own your success and excited to embrace a new challenge, here are some programs that might be of interest.

• Attend an extensive and immersive leadership program such as the High Impact Leadership at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley or the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School — and even better, ask your company to pay for it.

Sign up for a data science or software engineering bootcamp at schools like Flatiron, General Assembly or Galvanize.

Check out thousands of online courses on virtually any topic at Udemy or LinkedIn Learning.

Register for a workshop at Designing Your Life or find a life coach that can help you gain clarity on your professional and personal goals.

Join a career or job search coaching program such as BetterUp or Dream Job Catcher to uplevel your career and build an intentional career that brings you greater fulfillment.

If you’re ready to make a strategic career move with intention, then watch our video and book a session with one of our Job Strategists. We’re excited to talk about how you can make a strategic career move!