5 Things To Invest In Your Career
You won't regret investing in these for your career growth.
Just like how we take care and “invest” in our appearances and the things we have, our careers need investments, too. Nope, they don’t need to be tangible things. They can be digital products, knowledge, and more.
Because the more we invest in our careers, the more ROIs we’ll receive. Also, these will affect our personal brands. So, make sure to finish this list and get started if you think it suits you and your goals.
1. Domain
Social media is okay, but it’s not yours. I mean, aren’t you tired of thinking that your personal brand or whatever it is you’re building online will just disappear during court hearings? Let’s not forget all these “Ban [social media]” campaigns by some political jazz.
But the domain is yours. You can use it for your personal space.
To get started, you can check out GoDaddy. You can snag a domain for less than $5.
My personal website is charged almost $20 a year. But I can connect it with my website builders.
2. Website
As I mentioned earlier, social media platforms aren’t ours. Even if they are our accounts. If they choose to shut them down, we’ll have to adapt to new platforms. Not only that, but the updates also affect our performance strategies.
But owning a website? Unmatched. You can put your content and not think about what if your state bans the social media network.
So, how to get started? Creating a website for your personal brand can take so much time and effort. Lucky for you we’re the same because I’m no designer but I was able to design simple websites for The Feisty Marketer and myself.
Step 1: Choose a website builder
The best options are Carrd, Canva, or Squarespace (if you have more budget). They are simple and easy to use because they’re drag-and-drop builders, so no coding skills are needed. WordPress is also okay, I just personally don’t find them as sleek since I have no advanced website development and design skills.
You should also be mindful of the SEO-friendliness of the website builders.
Step 2: Design
Choose a simple color palette (not too strong if they don’t represent you). Think of a strong copy that will make you more impactful. Keep it simple, readable, and sleek. We don’t want a website that looks heavy to the eye.
Step 3: Connect your domain
Here’s the thing… Website builders require you to upgrade your plans before connecting your domain. So, the domain might be inexpensive, but you’ll need to spend on the website builder.
Carrd’s Pro Plan is around $20 a year. You can add up to 10 websites already. While the features for designs are a bit limited (or I just haven’t explored them yet), it’s still a great option if you’re just looking to showcase your skills and work.
For Canva, all you need is a domain + Pro plan. While Squarespace is more sophisticated even if it’s easy to use because you can write your blogs in it.
Investing in a website platform depends on your goals and budget. If not necessary, you don’t need to have one.
3. Courses and certifications
There’s nothing better than investing in your skills and knowledge. And one way is through courses. There are many self-taught designers and marketers out there with no degree. Just their skills with practical output and knowledge with certifications.
You can check out these platforms to get started:
Check out what suits you best. Again, it depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
4. Books
Books are filled with knowledge and we learn a lot by reading. Not just about marketing but productivity and mindset shifts.
I won’t make the introduction long. Here are some of my book recommendations:
Badass Habits by Jen Sincero
Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck
Marketing Your Startup by Simona Covel
Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon
The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma
The Career Code
These books helped me gain confidence in my craft.
5. Time
Yes, time. Your career is more than your 8-5. Your career is you, not just your job. So, spend more time creating, networking, and exploring more of your skills. A career is more than just a job, that’s why you need to make sure you’re always on top of your game and keeping yourself employable.
If you can spend hours doom-scrolling and watching series, you have time to upskill and develop yourself.
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