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Career change

Armbands or rubber ring?

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I was reflecting on what stops people from jumping ship, i.e. changing career. Here are the 11 most common ones from working with many different people:

  1. Lack of confidence/self-belief
  2. Not aware of what skills and qualities they possess
  3. Don’t understand how social media is useful
  4. Perceived insecurity of making a change
  5. Lack a network
  6. Don’t know where/how to find out about different careers
  7. Dislike networking
  8. Other people’s fears e.g. loss of status
  9. Reluctance to ask for help
  10. Worry about being rejected
  11. Dislike of change

What would you add? What would you recommend to help people tackle them?

20 career change tips from people who have

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Career change can feel daunting at the best of times, let alone in a downturn. What better way to get tips than from people who have already changed career. Here are 20 tips from people who have successfully made a career change.

  1. Use your network to get a warm introduction to the decision maker
  2. Anything is possible if you desire it enough but it takes planning and realistic expectations
  3. Make time to do research and understand a new career and sector
  4. Think about what you really want and if it is to do work you are passionate about or just have another job
  5. Evaluate your short, medium and long term financial commitments
  6. Evaluate your current finances for ‘survivability’
  7. Think about what you would do in a ‘worst case’ situation
  8. Don’t put yourself in ‘a box’ – open your eyes to new opportunities
  9. Believe in yourself and stay determined
  10. Research new career choices so you understand barriers to entry, competition and future career prospects
  11. Check whether you are likely to face the same challenges and frustrations in your new career as your old career, so ‘jumping from the frying pan into the fire’
  12. Unless you have money saved up and you can afford to take time off, don’t leave your job with nothing to go to until you have thought everything through
  13. Be clear if you are running away from or towards something
  14. Analyse your current position and why you want to leave it
  15. Know your strengths and weaknesses and what type of environment, work schedule and activities you like to do
  16. Think about what would make you happy, give you meaning and purpose and make you jump out of bed every day
  17. Remember that career change is a process
  18. Keep an open mind to what the future will hold and what unexpected opportunities may present themselves
  19. Make sure your desire to change your career is not projection of frustration in another area of your life e.g. personal relationship
  20. If you can, go indirectly to the decision maker and bypass HR who can have a ‘ruling out’ mentality, especially as they are overwhelmed by hundreds of CVs

With a busy job/life, all these things can be a lot to take in/make time for, especially as you are so close to yourself. That is why working with a career coach and strategist can help you to make it happen and give you support and practical advice in a safe setting and objective and confidential way. It is bit like having an event or wedding planner help you. They support you to create a great and positive result.

 

10 tips for happy self-employment: part 2

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Here is the second of three parts with tips for happy self-employment. We have been self-employed for over 14 years, and were employed for ten years before that, so can see work from both sides:

  1. Make technology an enabler
  2. Have a good support system
  3. Do ‘wants’ not ‘shoulds’
  4. Get a virtual PA
  5. Apply the 80:20 rule
  6. Go for ‘Bull’s eyes’ – make the most of the time you have
  7. Be courageous/fearless
  8. Ask for help/support when you need it
  9. Ask for feedback
  10. Never stop learning

What would you add to the list?

Back to work blues?

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Kids go back to school next week and August is over.  I find that people spend time reflecting on holiday and come back to work in September inspired to make a change. It is easy to get swept up in the busyness of everyday work and forget to follow through on your resolve.

There is nothing wrong with staying doing what you have been doing. Or is there? 55% of people want to make a career change but only 5% do at the moment. What are the consequences of staying in the wrong job? Here are 11 from our research:

  1. You feel stressed and out of sorts
  2. You feel unfulfilled and that you are not realising your potential
  3. You send a bad advert to your kids about making work happiness and fulfilment a priority
  4. You feel empty
  5. You get depressed
  6. You fill the gap by shopping, eating/drinking too much
  7. You grump at your partner/family
  8. You resent those who are happy at work
  9. You beat yourself up for staying in the wrong career that isn’t you
  10. You dread Monday mornings and it gets worse every week
  11. You are so tired by Friday that you don’t enjoy the weekend

So stay or go? Feeling energised in your work makes a HUGE difference to your life, all areas of it. Taking the first step can be the hardest, but if you don’t take it, nothing changes.

What have you got to lose by exploring options? Don’t be down and out.

Get in touch – we would love to hear from you:

Career choices – what is a safe bet?

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‘A’ level results are out today. For young people and their parents, that is one milestone out of the way in an uncertain world. But when it comes to career choices, what is a safe bet these days?

Part of our job is to look at emerging careers, skills of the future, work trends and what employers need/want. If you are going to choose a career, or change career, you want to minimise the risk and make a considered choice, right?

So that means you need a clear strategy and plan rather than simply falling into it by chance.

Here are 8 sound career choices to consider:

  1. Managing information: Content and information is growing exponentially and we need people and tools to manage it or our heads will explode from overload
  2. Digital: We are in the digital age so a good bet as a career choice. It is definitely going to grow not shrink.
  3. Health: We have an aging population and mental illness is on the increase, so lots of opportunities here.
  4. Managing risk: Since some countries and companies have not done this enough, it will swing the other way and we will probably end up doing it too much.
  5. Stress management: Stress is on the increase so any professions that help people to manage it are good options.
  6. Time management: Jobs that help people to save time will grow e.g. a virtual PA for small businesses.
  7. Customer service: Ultimately with the whole world able to compete in many markets, what make you better than your competitors are how you care for your customers.
  8. Creativity & innovation: Humans have been around for a long time now and so it is harder to be original but we need smart creative innovative thinking to solve business and the world’s problems, so get your thinking caps on.

So 8 good options re safe bet career choices, whether you are embarking on your career or wanting a career change.

If one career route is not for you, then a portfolio career could be the answer – a career with many strands.  Click on this link to read more:

http://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/article/3899124/what-is-portfolio-working-and-why-is-it-growing-/

Career change fear?

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Career change can feel like a big step at the best of times, and especially in a downturn. Career change fear is normal. So why does it feel so daunting? Here are 15 reasons:

  1. The outcome is unknown
  2. The job market is uncertain
  3. The world of work is changing fast
  4. Change makes many people feel uncomfortable
  5. Career change often affects other people
  6. Familiarity is comfy
  7. It can lead to moving home or a change of school which is a big upheaval
  8. It is a lot to think about when you are already busy
  9. You have to deal with the fears/views of other people
  10. You don’t know that you are making the right decision
  11. People often feel bad because they cannot crack it by themselves
  12. It is hard to see your own skills
  13. It’s a big change which affects many things
  14. The news is full of doom and gloom
  15. New employment can change your employment rights re redundancy which affects your perception of security

Taking time to plan, evaluate the options, getting expert support and having a plan A, B and C helps career change fear. Our Energise bulletins have lots of tips to help you on your journey – click on this link to read Energise Career strategies, Self-Promotion and Smart living and working bulletins.

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=106

What’s your competitive advantage?

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In times of high unemployment, frozen or restricted recruitment and a high degree of competition, you need to have a strong competitive advantage to be chosen.

Here are 14 tips to help you stand out from the masses and be chosen now and in the future:

1) Skill-up. Invest in your skills – take responsibility for developing yourself and keep your skills up to date. Skills have a shorter shelf life than in the past and you need more skills than before to be chosen.

2) Connect: Create, build and keep in touch with your network. Support them and they will support you.

3) Be visible. The world is increasingly going on-line. Social media is key for visibility – embrace it.

4) Unique brand. Be clear about what makes you unique; your life and work experiences, skills and qualities combined are a unique combination. Who are they useful for? Be targeted.

5) Be pragmatic.  It is great to have an ideal, but have a plan A, B and C in challenging times.

6) Set goals. Have a clear SMART goal for where you want to be and break it into small steps for a busy world.

7) Be proactive. Make your success happen by asking for introductions, sharing ideas, developing thought leadership.

8) Be strategic in approach. Look at market trends, skill shortages, new careers to stay one step ahead. Have a vision and a plan to get there.

9) Review. Everything is changing fast, the whole world are now your competitors, technology is replacing many jobs.  Keep up with the changes – don’t get left behind.

10) Be confident: in who you are and what you have to offer – this can make a huge difference to success.

11) Be creative. How can you overcome employer objections e.g. ‘not an exact fit’, ‘expensive vs. younger candidates’ and get experience of a new area without having a job?

12) Be smart. Get support. We would love to help,

13) Be targeted: Don’t scatter your efforts and dilute the potential results. Do your research and go for a ‘bull’s eye’.

14) Be responsible: Take responsibility for your career and development, don’t leave it to someone else.

Recommended reading: Lynda Gratton “The Shift” and Reid Hoffman (founder of LinkedIn) “The start up of you”.

 

Are you at the end of your tether?

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We are finding stress on the up with people at work, and with the heat and pressure of uncertainty, it can be wise to make a move elsewhere.

There are many reasons for changing career for something better; here is a compilation from the various people we have worked with.

  1. Redundancy
  2. Early retirement
  3. Need to fund retirement
  4. Dislike of politics
  5. No career progression prospects
  6. Fed up of doing more for less
  7. Desire for variety
  8. Partner moves job/location
  9. Shrinking prospects
  10. Sacked
  11. Hunger for broader/more diverse role
  12. Boss staying put so prospects blocked
  13. Kid on the way – need more money
  14. Young family – need a pay rise to support
  15. Increased competition
  16. Fancy a change
  17. Desire to focus work on what enjoy
  18. Want to line own pockets from effort put in
  19. Changing values over time
  20. Need more money
  21. Want more satisfaction from work
  22. Burning ambition to have own business
  23. Feel bored
  24. A merger
  25. Divorce
  26. Partner made redundant – need the money
  27. A big birthday – catalyst for change
  28. A change of boss
  29. Your role changes without you having a say
  30. You need/want more flexible work
  31. Having kids – need more flexibility
  32. Company moves their office base too far away from your home e.g. BBC
  33. You see someone making a successful career change so think that you can too
  34. Someone dies who you are close to and it makes you revaluate
  35. You inherit some money which gives you choice
  36. Your children leave home freeing you up

Which can you relate to? If you are at a career crossroads or know someone who is, our Energise bulletins provide free insights and tips to help you when changing career:

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=106

What do our clients think?

http://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/energise-client-testimonials/

Copywriter to rocket scientist?

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A change in career can be a step or a leap. I was pondering how dramatic the career changes of my clients have been. They have been really varied – here are 3.

From design management to explore cheese holidays in France:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106787631322.html

From advertising to charity:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106786590378.html

From market research to face workouts:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1108092201346.html

What is the most radical change in career you have heard about? Do share it.

If you are pondering a change in career, our bulletins are full of insights and tips:

Previous bulletins:

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=106

Opt in to receive future bulletins:

http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1102862873131&p=oi

We especially LOVE helping people change career who do not fit in a box, who need to reposition themselves and who know they want something different but don’t know what.

Follow us on Twitter: talentliberator

What Will You Do When You Grow Up?

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Train Driver? Ski instructor?

One of our clients has landed their dream job!

Like many people, they fell into their career by accident. Most people never do anything about it.

Career change is not always radical. Finding a new boss or company that matches your values can make a BIG difference.

This sign quoting Steve Jobs sums it up. Isn’t life too short?

Is your career constipated? Read this:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1104344499290.html

How passionate are you about your career? Read this:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1103660821089.html

To receive future Energise bulletins, click on this link:

http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1102862873131&p=oi

For work and career trends and quotes to inspire you, follow us on Twitter @talentliberator