When going up the ranks in your career or profession, there’s usually no reward received without risks. When opportunities present themselves, determining how to perceive them takes careful calculations and a brave leap into the unknown.
As adults, people have been taught to secure themselves and their futures. They sleep better at night, have security cameras, fire insurance, and FMO health insurance policies in case of any eventuality. This is great. Career-wise, however, it could do you good to take calculated risks once in a while.
Risk-taking is crucial to one’s success and acts as an important influence when well-timed and used strategically. Taking risks in your career isn’t always easy, especially when your livelihood is at stake. But when handled correctly, you’ll be reaping the benefits in no time.
Here are more reasons why taking risks can be beneficial to your career and why taking no risks is the riskiest move you can make in your career.
Open Up to New Experience
If you never take risks, you’d never expose yourself to many possible experiences. It’s a matter of perceiving the future as bright. Whether it’s accepting a promotion for bigger challenges and rewards or transitioning into a new company for better work culture and colleagues, having this mindset can take you to a better career pathway.
The only thing you can do is measure the likelihood of failing against succeeding. In essence, if you do get more benefits, stay and, if not, search for something better.
Understand What you Do and Don’t Like
Although job-hopping may have been a poor reflection of a person’s ambition in the past, nowadays, changing jobs often can give you the chance to discover what occupation works best for you. Changing directions several times and taking unique journeys throughout your career, whether that involves transitioning to a new workplace or studying for further qualifications. It allows you to find your ‘true calling,’ leading to better career fulfillment and higher success levels long-term.
Gives You More Time to Make Up for Mistakes
Young individuals are often encouraged to take risks when investing since there will be a lot of time to make up for mistakes that may come up. If they take a considerable risk and lose their principals, they’ll have decades to shift their focus to retrieving those savings. This logic also applies to your career.
So, if you ever crash and burn after taking a risk, tarnishing your professional reputation, you’ll have 30 to 40 years to rebuild everything from the ground up. In essence, the younger you are, the more opportunities, career, and job options you have before it’s time to think about retirement.
A Learning Experience
If you take risks, no matter if you succeed or fail, you’ll gain new skills, connections, and inspiration. Remember that failure isn’t the end, and learning how to accept it and make the most of it is another advantage of taking risks. Learning from failure is a crucial process that can give you the courage to try again, ultimately leading you to succeed.
Gives You More Control
Making smart decisions can free you from an undesirable state of limbo. If you have a job that you hate or think you suit a different industry better but are too afraid of making a change, you’ll be stuck in a position without any chance of growing. Taking risks can improve your chances of getting out of your current situation, build self-confidence, allow you to take on new ventures no matter the results—giving you more control and make better decisions for yourself.
Risks are ultimately still ‘risks,’ posing significant downsides to a career. However, taking well-calculated risks can be empowering, benefitting your career and life in the long run. The benefits mentioned are just a few ways efficient risk-taking can grow your career—allowing you to achieve more success over time.
