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Getting Your Foot in the Door: How to Prepare for Career Success

23 January 2026

Getting Your Foot in the Door: How to Prepare for Career Success

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Career preparation starts at school. Exploring your interests, understanding your personal values and developing transferable skills are the building blocks to a successful career.

However, it can be hard to know where to start as a student, and gaining early exposure to careers is not always easy. So, how can you get a foot in the door to explore various career paths and start building your future?

Develop In-Demand Skills That Employers Seek

Understanding the top skills that will get you hired in an AI-driven world is key to standing out to employers worldwide. Core skills like communication, digital fluency, creativity and adaptability are essential for those entering the job market today.

The best way to develop and demonstrate these skills is through work experience, which helps you prepare for future opportunities. Learning how to present your ideas, collaborate with co-workers and think critically gives you confidence and builds your personal value. These skills are transferable and will support you throughout your career.

Understand Your Values and What Motivates You

From career trajectory to salary potential, there are many things lot to consider when pursuing a career. It’s important to prioritise your personal values and discover what motivates you in life.

Do you enjoy helping others, solving complex problems, being creative or working in fast-paced environments?

Taking time to reflect on your values can help refine career options tailored to you. When your interests align with your values, motivation comes more naturally.

Explore Your Interests in the Real World

Turning curiosity into understanding is a key step you can take as a student. You will never know if a career is right for you until you experience it firsthand in a real-world setting.

This provides an opportunity to learn from others, ask questions and discover your strengths and weaknesses. It also helps you rule out careers that may not be a good fit, which is just as valuable as finding your dream career

Seek Early Experience

Experience doesn’t always mean gaining a summer internship or securing work experience at a global company. Students should explore opportunities to network with industry professionals, shadow others and gain exposure to professional environments.

It is all about learning how industries operate, understanding expectations and discovering how roles differ. Early experience builds confidence and helps you feel comfortable in professional environments. Students can also refer to these experiences during interviews and applications, showcasing their motivation to pursue a career in the industry.

Take the Next Step with InvestIN

At InvestIN, we know that getting your foot in the door isn’t easy. We believe that early exposure to professional environments and the opportunity to develop in-demand skills are key to shaping future career success.

Our Weekend Programmes are designed to help students build a strong foundation for their future. Through immersive, hands-on experiences led by industry professionals, students gain real-world insight into competitive careers.

Learn more about our Weekend Programmes here and test-drive your dream career with InvestIN.

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