The year 4714 in the Chinese calendar is the year of the Monkey, the year of a smart and intelligent animal, which particularly excels in the areas of career and wealth. The Monkey’s self assured nature tends to get them ahead in the workplace, despite their flaw of being rather unlucky.
So does luck actually play a part in a person’s career?
For those of you who don’t want to leave your fate to the stars, there are three ways you can leverage your position, to make sure a bit of bad luck doesn’t hold back your inner-Monkey...
Direction
Don’t worry if, after studying, you’re not sure that you made the right decision on a career path. In fact, only 5% of people get it right first time these days. Deciding if a career is right for you can be decided by a few things, depending on your priorities. Will I enjoy it? You are more likely to thrive in a happy environment. Does it fit my skill set? Again, if you don’t have a natural affinity for the role, doing it just because you think it could be a good opportunity isn’t necessarily wise. Where do I want to be in 10 years? If you have goals and this isn’t going to help you there, maybe this isn’t going to be the best move.
Interviewing
Once you’ve decided on the direction you want to head in, you then need to land the job. Preparation for interviews is everything - make sure you learn as much as you can about the industry you’re heading into, the company, and your interviewer. Also think about what you would ask yourself if you were in the interviewer’s shoes; now practice how to answer those questions.
Finally, it may seem basic, but plan out your day – everything from what you are going to wear, what you need to take with you, and know exactly how to get there (don’t leave anything to chance!). You would be surprised how many interviews go wrong because candidates are flustered over being 10 minutes late.
Development
The day you start a new role is the day you should start thinking about the next one. Always having a goal in mind is the best way to make it happen, so finding someone above you whose actions you can emulate is a good place to start. Make sure you demonstrate your wealth to the company when you can, and have open conversations about the future with your manager, so you both are aware of where you want to be, and can discuss how to get there.
Whether you are graduate level or further along in your career, keeping a strict focus on direction, interview technique, and your personal development is key making sure that you reach the milestones that you want. Even unlucky Monkeys manage to thrive in their careers, so you can too!
