Design Your Career With These Key Steps To Someday Become An Entrepreneur

Examples of successful entrepreneurs are everywhere. McDonald’s was founded by an entrepreneur. Facebook was launched by an entrepreneur. Coca Cola was created by an entrepreneur. Name a well-known company, and there was probably an entrepreneur behind it. With genuine passion, hard-work, great ideas, and a knack for learning, anyone has the potential build a business and become successful. How can you tell if the life of an entrepreneur is for you? There are certain traits, qualities, and values that most successful entrepreneurs share. While they don’t guarantee success, these entrepreneurial characteristics lay a strong foundation for a life of smart risk-taking and reward.

First and foremost, entrepreneurs value independence and accountability. They want to be their own bosses, set their own schedule, and run their own lives. They are people who dread the thought of a boss micro-managing their work, although entrepreneurs will have hundreds, thousands, or millions of bosses; they’re called customers. In addition, entrepreneurs are confident and self-reliant. They enjoy being responsible for their own success and take pride in building something greater than themselves. They must also be able to handle risk. Due to the higher levels of risk involved in a startup, long-lasting entrepreneurs are actually risk averse and frugal.

Still want to be an entrepreneur? Then you must “manage” your career steps in moving toward the opportunity to be an entrepreneur. It’s no different than any other career plan. Setting a target, putting in the work and building skills are all critical. Here are some of the key preparation steps you might take towards becoming an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurial awareness and education. Knowledge, skills and experience are key to career success. If you believe you can be an entrepreneur, then hang out in networking groups with entrepreneurs. Work for an entrepreneur. In a corporation? Then look for managers who embody corporate entrepreneurship launching new products, departments or divisions. Ask entrepreneurs what books they are reading, then read those books.

Find the industry or niche market you admire. If you want to work in fashion, in film, in ecommerce, then check out that industry with an internship, an entry level job or attend a trade show or convention event. Immerse yourself in understanding the industry and the trends. Approach people in the industry who are mid-level and ask them how they got to their current position.

Separate yourself with skills and certifications. Everyone hires knowledge and skills. If you are in marketing, find out what certifications are necessary for your field. In data analysis or finance, then get certified in Tableau. One way of standing out in a crowd is to become strong in a niche within a job category; you might quickly become a resident expert in that niche and then you can expand on that to get promoted.

Work for an entrepreneur. This is the fastest way to learn about the wins and losses, the ups and downs and how entrepreneurs learn to pivot and move forward. You can’t learn this by taking a course or reading a book. You must see it in action. Keep an eye out for startups who successfully raise a Series A investment round as they will have the cash to pay people fairly. Then go work for that entrepreneur and learn as much as you can.

Build yourself to get ready for launch. If you are preparing yourself for an entrepreneurial career, then you almost must see yourself as a startup. What is your focus? What are your unique offerings to employers? Where and how will you invest in yourself to be successful? Do you have a strong network that will support and refer you for opportunities? Are you strengthening your skills and neutralizing your weaknesses? Are you following several entrepreneurs as you admire them or the industry they are in? You cannot wish to be an entrepreneur and hope it happens. You must put in the work and take all the little steps to “design your luck.”