An entrepreneur is someone with the ability and desire to start, administer and succeed in a startup venture involving risk to make profits. All great entrepreneurs embody meaningful traits. They are visionary, innovative, committed, original, risk-takers, willing to fail, resilient, decisive, consistent, and have a support system. You will notice that all of these ten traits are also very relevant during a career transition. An entrepreneurial spirit becomes a differentiator when it comes to finding your best-fit job. Let’s review them:

  1. Visionary: Entrepreneurs have a clear vision of their business. As a job seeker, you need a clear picture of what you want in your career. What type of work arrangement are you looking for? What work modality, industry, type of job, and company culture are better suited for you? Taking the time to develop this type of clarity is key to your success. 
  2. Innovative: Entrepreneurs are often known as a source of innovation, by bringing new ideas. As a job seeker, you are using your creativity when finding ways to make connections between your talents and the solutions that you provide. You can be creative when presenting your career story in compelling ways. You are also innovating when rebranding for new fields bringing your transferrable skills. 
  3. Committed: Entrepreneurs understand that an endeavor worth doing requires effort and sacrifices. Finding a job that is aligned with your talents, skills, and purpose requires hard work and determination. It takes effort to create your marketing materials, such as a solid resume, an attractive LinkedIn profile, and interview preparation. You also need to customize your resume and cover letters for each application. Depending on your style and interests, you might dislike doing some of these important activities. Stay committed if you want to succeed. 
  4. Original: Entrepreneurs recognize their unique way of thinking, doing, and saying. They create a personal brand to enhance their business. To be a competitive job seeker, create a personal brand that describes your unique combination of skills, style, interests, and experience that make you inimitable. A branding statement will help you stand out. Use it throughout your job campaign to present your value proposition.
  5. Risk Taker: Entrepreneurs are willing to take risks by going to uncharted territories even in the face of uncertainty and fear. There are many instances when you are taking risks as a job seeker. For example, when asking for informational networking calls to those that are strangers, or when negotiating a job offer. This ability to lean into the unknown is particularly relevant if you are going outside of your traditional career path. 
  6. Willing to Fail: Entrepreneurs know the value and gift of failure, which is feedback. A career transition is filled with disappointments and rejection. Sometimes there are long periods of silence with no responses from recruiters. You might get several rejection notices in a given week for jobs that you know you are qualified for. You might not get an offer after a lengthy interview process. It is important to know that to succeed in finding your perfect next opportunity, you need to be willing to fail. 
  7. Resilient: Entrepreneurs are willing to stay in their path despite obstacles and roadblocks. Career transitions require the ability to let go of the past, reframe the present, and create a new future. A resilient spirit helps you to manage the ups and downs of the job, bounce back from rejection, and remain focused on taking all the necessary steps in your job search process until you land in your final destination. 
  8. Decisive: Entrepreneurial spirit is a choice they make to alter their life to forge their path. In a career transition, you are the one in the driving seat, having to make many decisions about the direction that you are taking. Understand your values, purpose, and life priorities is crucial in making the right decision, especially when you have different options on the table. 
  9. Resourceful: Entrepreneurs use tools, expertise, funding, resources, and systems to plan, execute, measure, evaluate and improve their products or services to maximize profits. An effective job search requires careful planning, follow-through, an organized system, and a schedule to follow to get you the best return on your time investment. When it comes to the ideal job-landing, failing to plan is planning to fail. 
  10. Support System: Entrepreneurs surround themselves with a structure of support such as mastermind groups, mentors, and coaches. During your job transition, you need support and guidance from qualified professionals. A career coach offers a structure of support for more accountability, as well as the expertise in the world of work to accelerate your results in a competitive job market. Connect with mentors and allies from your network to get the support and expertise you need along the way. 

 Embodying these ten traits of successful entrepreneurs will make you a very solid and successful job seeker to find your next best career destination. Have a vision for what you want next. Be committed and willing to do the work, even when facing rejection and adversity. Use resources, tools, and systems to plan your job search journey and be willing to make decisions that are aligned with your values and priorities. Organizations want talent with these entrepreneurial traits. Embrace the journey, it is worth the effort.