via LinkedIn, 21 de dezembro de 2022
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First off, I need to explain what I’m calling “digital careers”. I’m talking about any type of work you can do 100% virtually. Regardless of whether you choose to work remotely or not, these are professions you can experience 100% in the digital environment. Such as: design, webdesign, copywriting, translation, proofreading, ghostwriting, social media, programming, digital marketing, branding and other professions in which the Internet is your “main office”.
Now that’s settled, we can move on.
After having started an online Career School of my own (as surprising as that may have been even for me – check out my previous post to know more about this journey), I came to realize that many youngsters popping up in my DMs are somewhat clueless of what starting a career is really like.
Well, in their defense, when I first started I was pretty clueless myself. And I didn’t really have anyone to clue me in on what I could expect from my first professional experiences, but YOU do – ME! And that’s why I decided to write this article, sharing some of my Lessons Learned about building a successful career: to right some wrongs in your own mindset, to give you a proper reality check and make sure you set realistic expectations for what’s to come. Maybe get some tissue in case you shed a few tears – I’m pretty sure I’m gonna burst your bubble. Ready? Here we go.
- No specific knowledge will work miracles in your career. This means that no specific course, workshop or method will be single-handedly responsible for your professional success. I get some youngsters in my DMs who ask me “what is your course going to do for me?” Well, nothing. It’s a course. It doesn’t “DO” anything. YOU DO. Knowledge is a TOOL. You need to USE it in order for it to work. So, make sure you don’t project your responsibility onto courses, college, professors, teachers or mentors. You are the only one truly responsible for your results.
- Trying to make it as an entrepreneur/self-employed isn’t much different from looking for a steady job, so make sure you’re willing to make the same effort. A lot of people seem irritated when I tell them they need to look for opportunities if they want to make it as a translator or any other digital profession. I’m afraid it’s because they think there’s a magical profession out there where you don’t need to make an effort to get clients. But that simply isn’t true. It’s pretty much the same as looking for a job: you need to put yourself out there, knock on some doors, look for opportunities, send out résumés and keep doing it until something pans out. Why would it be any different for freelancers or self-employed talent? Make sure you’re ready and motivated to do the work of looking for work.
- You don’t need to expose yourself, but you can’t hide either. Many people ask me if they need to have active social media accounts, create content or show up on stories like I do. No, you don’t need to be a content creator in order to succeed professionally. However, you can’t simply hide. In order for you to find opportunities – and for opportunities to find you –, you do need a résumé, a portfolio and an active routine for customer prospecting. And of course, having a profile on social media where you share what you do with the world (or at least include it in your bio) helps A LOT. The truth is, people won’t hire you for something they don’t know you do. So, don’t feel like you need to become an influencer. But don’t hide from the world either.
- Success doesn’t grow on trees and there’s no specific timeline for success. Work for it. A lot of people who are interested in my courses ask me what is the timeline for making R$ 5k a month, or for getting their first job. I always tell them there’s no specific answer I can give them, simply because the timeline is not connected to the course itself, but to the student. I have students who sign up for the course motivated and eager to do their part and, in under a month, they get their first job. On the other hand, I have students who sign up for the course and put off watching the classes as much as they can (even though all my courses are super short, perfect for binge-watching – and I’m sure your favorite Netflix show doesn’t prepare you for a career, but my courses do. So, to these students, maybe rethink what you choose to binge… 👀). Then, when it’s time to start prospecting, they cave to their fears, insecurities and self-sabotage, and stall again. All of this to say… it’s not about the course, it’s about how hard you’re willing to work to get fast results.
- Don’t expect from online courses under R$ 200 what you won’t even get from college. I have this awesome student who is almost graduating college as a Translator. She chose to buy my translation course. She told me, even though she was almost finished with her college studies, she still felt a little lost and insecure about her first steps as a translator. But my course made her feel better and have a clearer sense of how to get started. So yes, after this, I understood my courses are able to teach you some things that even college apparently won’t. And I feel truly thrilled about that! But believe it or not, a lot of people who are interested in my courses have the strangest expectations about the opportunity to learn from me: “do you write résumés for your students?”, “do you get jobs for your students?”, “do you create portfolios for your students?”. Apparently, for some people, it’s not enough to teach a clear path towards becoming a professional, prospecting customers and building their portfolio themselves. I also need to get them their first job, write their business proposals and sing them to sleep. All of this for under R$ 200. I mean, really? Realistic expectations, guys. Stop trying to get other people to do for you what you’re not willing to do for yourself. Learn the path, then walk it. Which brings me to…
- Having a mentor works wonders, but they won’t walk your path for you. People love “outsourcing” their own responsibilities to others, for thinking it’ll make things easier. It won’t. As much as I may want to help my students, I can’t do their part for them. And I definitely shouldn’t, or it would make them incapable and completely dependent on me, instead of helping them become independent and empowered, successful professionals. Having a mentor is amazing, because your mentor is years (or in my case, over a decade) ahead of you. A mentor is able to warn you of the risks and wonders of certain professions, and is capable to share their successes and confidence with you. A mentor is able to train you, to advise you. Anything more than that, it’s on you. So, make sure you walk into any mentorship opportunities with clear expectations.
I know some of these truths may have been hard to read, but they are necessary mindset adjustments in order to reach success. And that is what I deeply wish you all: success. I want everyone to be able to find their place in the job market, and to build a career that makes sense for them (even if other people don’t understand your career choices). I want everyone to be able to “test drive” professions in an accessible way, before committing to them in the long run. And I do what I can to make that happen, through quick and affordable online courses that can help you take your first steps into professions you may be interested in trying out.
As I always say: careers are choices, not death-sentences. You don’t have to choose just one profession, and you don’t need to stick with what you choose. The 2 main reasons why people feel miserable in their careers are: they were forced into choosing (when they wanted more than one option) or they didn’t really understand what they were signing up for (and they only found that out years later, when it felt too late to change their route). So that’s why it’s so important to test drive careers and choose professional paths that allow for other career choices in the future (such as the Multicareer lifestyle I teach).
You’re free to choose your path. And your path is as alive as you. Allow yourself that freedom, and make sure to have the best possible mindset when making these choices.
💬 If you found this article helpful, please react and comment to support my content creation efforts. Talking to myself isn’t as fun as getting to know all of you! 🤣 So, let’s interact! 🦄✨