If you’ve become an expert in your respective field, it’s possible to start feeling constrained by the niche that you’re in. You may be daydreaming about diversifying into something much broader and more interesting, and if so, now is the time to think about how you could branch out into somewhere new. Have a think about ways in which you could explore new territories, and how you could start to specialize in a new field of work. If you need some help, be sure to read on for some useful tips.
Change your mindset
It’s said that the reason we have a tendency to stick to one job and limit our future potential is that we assume the first choice we settle on is the safest and most reliable. It’s natural that we would want to keep a certain amount of stability in our lives; however, it’s worth considering that pushing ourselves may not be so staggering when it comes down to it. It may be a little bit anxiety-inducing, but it could be worth it for our future ambitions.
Travel jobs
Learning a new language or traveling to different parts of the world is an easy way to start diversifying your experience within your role. Working with people in a different culture, and perhaps in a different language, will give you a unique set of skills that will help you to stand out from many other job candidates. If you are a student nurse or are looking to apply your medical specialism to roles abroad, then Fusion Medical Staffing, for example, could potentially put you on a placement overseas.
Work experience
One of the best ways to start gaining a unique experience is to ask for shadowing or work experience. Of course, this will take time out of your evenings and potentially weekends, but if you have a longer career goal in sight, then this could be worth it. For example, if you wanted to take up an educational role, then volunteering in community projects would be a good way of volunteering your time outside of your working hours.
If you are struggling to figure out where to apply for work experience, you may want to start drawing out some of your research. Creating little diagrams of jobs related to the niches you want to explore and researching potential career paths will not only be quite gratifying, but it will also create some inspiration.
Chase up on demands
If you have reached out for work experience and heard nothing back, or asked your manager for a meeting to discuss your career options and not received any follow-up, make sure you chase up your demands. Giving yourself some agency is far more likely to earn you some progression than being passive. Don’t assume everything will fall into place; achieve your new ambitions by being persistent.
You may not find the job diversification you want with your current employer, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t find it elsewhere. Staffing agencies and recruiters may have some exciting options open to you, and the best way to find them is to start researching them.
