Reach your dream career with proactivity

Proactivity is the vehicle that will take you to your goal.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have the freedom to choose from interesting projects and only do what you enjoy at work? It’s entirely possible to gain this freedom and earn more than you do now—all you need to do is shift your focus to a proactive career.

 

Today, you can work from anywhere within IT and Engineering. The opportunities are endless to shape your professional life the way you want it, especially given the enormous skill shortage impacting the job market today. Because companies are desperate for talent with the right knowledge, you as a skilled candidate have all the power to steer your career wherever you want.

You plan for everything else – why not your career?

Proactivity might sound like a vague term in work contexts. What does it mean, and what do we mean by a “proactive career”?

 

It simply means being ready for the next step before it becomes relevant—keeping an eye on new job opportunities before you need them, scouting for your next big move before your current gig ends, and being flexible so you’re prepared to switch companies if a sudden change occurs.

 

Long-term thinking and proactivity are winning strategies in every area of life. Most of us already think long-term and plan ahead for everything else important in life: our finances, our families, our housing.

 

Your career can become much more rewarding if you take control of where it’s headed. All it takes is the willingness to plan for the future, in more ways than figuring out how many kids you want or where you’ll go on vacation this summer.

Proactive vs. Reactive

When you are proactive, you reduce the risk of finding yourself suddenly out of work, not knowing where your next pay check will come from. This approach ensures you always have new opportunities lined up, a strong network of contacts, and, most importantly, a good understanding of the job market.

 

Given the current skill shortage in the IT and Engineering fields, it’s unlikely you’ll suddenly be out of work. But this strategy also increases your chances of ending up where you want to be: at a company you enjoy, doing work you like, with benefits that suit you.

 

If, instead, you’re reactive—meaning you only start planning when it’s already too late—you’re at much greater risk of ending up in a job you don’t really want or even feel bad about, just because you weren’t prepared for the possibility of being unemployed.

 

That kind of anxiety can easily be planned away by starting to look ahead now.

Do yourself a favour – work with something you like

You’re going to work for a long time—so make sure it’s something you enjoy. By being aware of what you want in life, you create a vision to aim for, which will significantly increase your chances of getting it. Work takes up a lot of time, but with a fulfilling role, it doesn’t have to feel like a punishment.

 

A common thread among all people is the need for purpose and a sense of usefulness to feel good. What that purpose is varies for everyone, and only you know what’s right for you.

 

Take charge of your career, fight for yourself, and stand up for your priorities—no one else will do it for you. It’s worth it.

Step-by-step: how to start thinking proactively

Now that you know why proactive thinking is smart, here are three simple practical steps to start applying proactivity to your career.

Step 1: Identify your preferences

Think about which factors are important to you. After over 10 years in the industry, we at Worko have identified the ten most common preferences among candidates:

Personal development
•   Long term engagements
•   Short term engagements
•   Cross competence
•   Technical specialization
•   Role advancement
•   Informal leadership
•   Management ambitions
•   Competence sharing

 

Salary & compensation
•   Salary increase
•   Dynamic salary & bonus
•   Pension
•   Wellness programs
•   Car package
•   Vacation
•   Stocks & ownership

Workplace environment

•   Flexible work hours
•   Autonomy
•   Fun & colleagues
•   Decision influence
•   Employment security
•   Societal impact
•   Diversity & equality
•   Sustainability
•   Company location

 

Remote options:
• Fully remote
• Remote
• Hybrid
• On-prem

We often see candidates choosing a few preferences per category. Identify the topmost important factors for you, even if everything feels significant. Narrowing it down is a great starting point to clarify the direction you should steer toward to maximize your chances of enjoying your work to the fullest.

 

This clarity will also save you time in your job search because you can quickly assess whether incoming offers are interesting or not.

For example:

•   You want to spend six weeks in Switzerland and then move on to the Bahamas indefinitely, while keeping your home base. You want to travel spontaneously but maintain the stability of working for an established company: the ability to work remotely with employment security and a high salary is most important to you.

 

•   You want to help develop the next big thing everyone talks about, dive deep into technical details with your team, and be rewarded for your efforts: technical specialization, a dynamic salary & bonus system, and decision influence are your top priorities.

 

•   You want to learn more and expand your skills at a company that you can grow with, while supporting sustainability initiatives: role advancement, sustainability, and stocks & ownership are your main focuses.

Step 2: Attend every interview you can

Even if the company isn’t ideal or the upcoming project isn’t the most exciting—do the interview.

 

There are numerous benefits to meeting recruiters, regardless of whether you get the job or not: apart from getting better at interviews, you gain market insights and become well-informed about the opportunities available, you learn what you do and don’t want to do, you gain better self-awareness, and even if you’re sceptical about the job in question at first, you could even be pleasantly surprised with an interesting offer.

 

If you’re active in multiple interview processes, you can also leverage them against each other, prompting recruiters to compete for your attention with higher salaries and better benefits.

 

Going to interviews only costs a few hours of your time but can offer a lot to gain.

Step 3: Change jobs when the best offer comes along

This final step is self-explanatory: when you get an offer you like, go for it. Quit your current job and give yourself a pat on the back for not settling for less than you deserve.

 

Enjoy the pay raise, improved company culture, fantastic projects, the exciting feeling of starting something new—but don’t forget to keep an eye out for the next opportunity!

Worko is here to help

At Worko, we’ve spent years collaborating with companies in the Construction and IT industries that are looking for skilled professionals. We’ve built an extensive network that could help you land your dream job.

 

Share what’s important to you for a potential career change by following the link below and answer a few questions. We’ll match your skills, values, and timing with the right company and help you take the next step in your career – whenever it suits you.

Want more career tips, inspiration, and insights in your industry? Read more on our blog!