Many people have been displaced and unable to return to their usual careers in the recent economic climate. They had to ‘sink or swim’ which might include considering Plan B. It could mean a lot of things, and one is to find out how skills and experience might translate for an online career.
Whether there is a technical, administrative, accounting, marketing, sales or management skill-set, there are unlimited possibilities for just about everyone on the World Wide Web. If you are one who has been considering an online career, the path of least resistance is probably advisable just to get ‘off and running as quickly as possible.
The idea would be to generate income as soon as possible and this is why that perhaps using the skills and experience you already have would be the best way to start. However, there is also a lot of training available online if your idea(s) include expanding your horizons as you build your business. This may be a great time to be creative and it would be worth it to learn something new or maybe ‘update’ your current level of expertise.
One of the best things about this opportunity, is that you are in control of your own destiny. This is empowering in itself, although some may be intimidated. It has been customary for us to have a certain structure that has been provided by our employers in the past and we did the best we could working inside their parameters. If we are now wanting to go our own way, then we have to create our own structure.
People may just have done their job, enough to get by; and others may have gone above and beyond expectations for the positions. Particularly if we are among the latter, when we are considering a new career, those employers who we had a good working relationship with may be of assistance to our new endeavors, whether by testimonial or reference. They may even become an actual lead to a possible job or business.
There are a lot of things to think about if you are going to switch careers. A smart place to start brainstorming might be to create a list of your skills, experience, contacts and professional alliances. This will help you in formulating your plan, (what can I do?) as well as to create a resume or advertisement for your project (who would believe in me?).
Online careers have limitless potential precisely because you are in control and have millions of resources at your fingertips on the Internet. Just put it together, mix it up, and see what you can come up with!
