by Todd Pheifer

Created on: January 08, 2009

You've been working and working and working, and what do you have to show for it? Nothing! OK, perhaps you have a bit more than nothing. After all, many people have a lot of things that they take for granted. Sometimes things are not nearly as bad as they seem on the surface. However, there are those people who are stuck in a vocational "rut" and feel like they cannot possibly get out. Therefore, here are a few thoughts on how to take command of your career.

Documents

Sometimes people have to start with the basics. This can include things like their resume and cover letter, which may not have been updated for years. If people are going to take charge of their career, they may have to seek opportunities that are outside of their current organization. This will require the necessary documentation, which means that it is time for some updating.

Seek opportunities

Taking charge of one's career may mean "stepping out." This means considering new situations and new environments. It means scouring the want-ads or trying out some job search engines on the Internet. Overall, it doesn't hurt to look, does it? A few discrete applications and a few emailed resumes may send someone on the way to a better life.

Try something on the side

One way to experiment is to try something on the side, like a part-time job. Sometimes people wonder about that one career that they have always pondered. In order to truly know, they may have to take a chance and take a small leap of faith. Granted, they don't have to quit their current job in order to try something else on for size. Many people can "dabble" without totally changing their life or upsetting their obligations.

Go back to school

Finally, some people might be able to take positive steps toward career success by going back to school. There are plenty of people out there that never went to college or never finished that elusive degree. Today, many adults are going back to school and finishing up. It is no longer a young person's game on the college campus.

Overall, people who want to take charge will have to make some decisions at some point. They will have to decide what they really want and what they are willing to risk in order to get it. Sometimes people like their current organization but lack the drive to seek out new challenges. A well-timed meeting or some personal courage may be all it takes to grab command of one's career.

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