Leave Your Dead-End Job: Network to a Better Career

We've all heard the phrase. Many of us have even felt the pain - the pain of being stuck in a dead-end job with no easy way out. You know the drill: same pay, same thing everyday, same interaction (mostly limited) with the same people, day in, with each miserable day out. Maybe this sounds like your situation, but you wouldn't necessarily classify it as a dead-end job. Well there's one surefire way of knowing you're in a dead-end job other than your cubicle walls closing in on you: you've reached the point in your company where with all your hard work your role cannot be taken to the next level. No advancement, no increase in pay anytime soon … unless someone, scratch that, more than one member of middle management has a tragic hang gliding incident.

So what do you do when you're running fast and hard - and going nowhere? Like any goal you set, having a game plan is integral to your success.

Realize it's time to move on.
You can't move on, and move forward for that matter, unless you acknowledge it's time to make a move. Think about where you want to go and what you want to do. Visualize your dream job and be realistic and be general. Once you have that broad idea of what you want to do, you can fine-tune along the way.

Do your research.
Research. Research. Research. It cannot be emphasized any further. This is where the fine-tuning comes into play. Get familiarized with the industry or job market you're about to enter. You may have been out of the game for sometime. Things change. Know the players and what they're playing so you don't get played. Read the trades and follow the top trends.

Learn to spot opportunities.
This is probably the most difficult and may rely more on your instinct and your confidence in that instinctual hunch. Start by listening to those around you. Someone once said - okay, maybe it was me - that God gave you two ears and one mouth, to listen twice as much as you speak. Start getting curious about other people's opinions, views and issues. Ask questions and follow up questions. Pick people's brains, especially those whom you consider are in a better situation.