The first thing to know about opportunities is that they’re rarely as obvious as they are on television sitcoms. In fact, you may need to take action just to help circumstances evolve into an opportunity. Once you do recognize an opportunity, you’ll have to be prepared to take advantage of it.
Put Yourself Out There
Sure, you may have worked hard to stand out among your colleagues, but that doesn’t mean your name will top the list for that special project. If you want to be considered for new opportunities, you have to make your interests known. If you’re hurt, because you were passed up for a promotion or a business trip, let your boss know you would like to have been considered. This may help you learn what you can do differently, so you will be considered for future opportunities.
Prepare Yourself for That New Opportunity
Once you make it known that you want to be considered for future opportunities, it’s up to you to ensure you’re prepared. This means learning new skills that will help you perform well, and learning tasks that will qualify you to participate in future opportunities. Since technology and processes are continuously evolving, your efforts to stay up to date on new innovations will help you stay relevant and competitive. The more you learn, the more valuable you’ll be to your employer.
Be Open to All Opportunities
Your next opportunity may not come from your own employer. You may raise the interest from another company’s recruiter, or you may recognize an opportunity to go into business for yourself. Whatever opportunities arise, being prepared for them will help you move forward. By continuing your education, and learning new skills, you’ll ensure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities from the outside as well as those within your own organization. Taking the time to hone new expertise will prepare you for opportunities you hadn’t expected.
These tips can help you get ready to take advantage to opportunities as they arise. By being prepared, you can appear to be one of those people who seem to have all the luck. In truth, you’ve just been prepared and observant, so you were able to take advantage of each new opportunity as it presented itself.