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What’s your career strategy and plan? Part 3 of 5.

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To do hand written checklist This blog shares some tips about how to create a career strategy and plan.

“Goals that are not written down are just wishes.” Anon.

How do you go about creating a career strategy and plan?

It is a mixture of internal and external exploration and thinking and includes:

  • Having a clear S.M.A.R.T. goal
  • Creating a timing plan
  • Breaking down long term outcomes into small shorter steps
  • Having self-awareness; your needs, wants, values, motivations, skills, qualities etc.
  • Diarising time to review and update it
  • Reviewing published data on skill shortages and job/career trends
  • Researching employer needs e.g. changing competencies
  • Looking at market, economic and industry changes and trends
  • Creating an image board – a pictorial representation of what you want from your career

What tips would you add?

In case you missed them, here are parts 1 and 2.

Part 2 looks at why it makes sense to have a career strategy and plan:

http://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/whats-your-career-strategy-part-2-of-5/

Part 1 explores why people don’t have a career strategy and plan:

http://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/whats-your-career-strategy-and-plan-part-1-of-5/

Part 4 of 5 will look at the opportunity cost of not having a career strategy and plan.

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For more useful tips & insights, follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talentliberator

What’s your career strategy and plan? Part 2 of 5.

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Archery target (Companies site services image without copy)

This is part 2 in a 5 part series about career strategy and planning.

Part 1 explored why people don’t have a career strategy and plan. This blog looks at why it makes sense to create a career strategy and plan.

“Purpose serves as a principle around which to organise our lives.” Anon.

Why create a career strategy and plan?

Here are some reasons why creating a strategy and plan is a good idea.

  • Increases the chance of career fulfilment
  • Making conscious decisions rather than falling into jobs or leaving your career to chance is wise
  • What you focus on is what you get
  • Having a career plan helps you to narrow down information and networking options in a world of growing information overload/overwhelm
  • Trends show that in future, people will need a higher level of skill and qualification so it helps you plan the time and money to achieve this
  • Competition is increasing with well qualified cheaper hungry to learn talent from ‘people rich’ countries e.g. India, Brazil, China
  • More and more jobs are being replaced by technology
  • Layers of management have been stripped out making getting a job for middle and senior management more competitive; differentiation and self-marketing is essential
  • It provides a horizon towards which you are always moving, whatever life/work throws at you
  • Helps you say ‘no’ to things so you avoid wasting time/energy
  • Stops you going down the wrong path and having regrets
  • Means you are less likely to make a mistake
  • Gives you a sense of control and purpose in uncertain and unpredictable times
  • Prevents other people/external events determining what happens
  • Helps you evolve your career and be proactive rather than reactive
  • Ensures a good fit between you and your work

What would you add?

Further blogs in this five part series will examine how to create a career strategy and plan, the opportunity cost of not doing this and some tips to help you.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain.

For more insights and tips, follow us on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/talentliberator

In case you missed it, here is part 1 of this 5 part series:

http://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/whats-your-career-strategy-and-plan-part-1-of-5/

 

 

 

What’s your career strategy and plan? Part 1 of 5

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Vision sign

A high proportion of people fall into their career by accident. A few, by chance, enjoy their work, but many don’t, which is a shame as it represents such a large proportion of our time and it has a big knock-on effect on other areas of our lives.

Having a career strategy and plan is like being in a boat where you can use a motor, oars, paddle or the sails, with a compass to steer you towards the horizon to the destination of your choosing, whatever the weather. It makes sense to think about your career strategies and have a plan A, B and C and to make time to think about your career choices.

“Your aspirations are your possibilities.“ Anon

This blog, part 1 of 5, explores how having a career strategy and plan gives your career choices and thinking about your career strategies is wise.

Why don’t people have a career strategy/plan?

  • Their parents were ‘hands off’ about their career
  • They received no/inadequate careers advice at school or college
  • They are too busy/don’t make time to reflect
  • They are unsure about how to go about it
  • They live ‘in the moment’/naturally think short term
  • They find it easier or comforting to focus on immediate priorities of life; eating, sleeping, shopping, doing their current job
  • There are more and more distractions that get in the way e.g. social media
  • They have never thought about how they can influence their future

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might not get there.”  Yogi Berra.

Visit next week for the next part in this 5 part blog series.

To receive your free Energise bulletins on Career strategies, smart living and working and self-promotion topics, visit this page:

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

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”  Reggie Leach.

What next for your career in 2013?

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SeedlingHappy New Year! A new year marks a new beginning. What new career beginning do you want in 2013?

New career beginnings can be small or large, but all beginnings are growth.

New skill. What new skill could you learn in 2013 which would make you more useful and marketable in your work? Skills have a shorter shelf life than in the past and with more competition, individuals need a greater level of skill to have a competitive advantage with more people competing for less work/jobs.

New project. What new project would you love to get your teeth into to stimulate your learning and growth and build the breadth or depth of experience? Moving employers isn’t always the answer; new projects to broaden your experience may exist where you are, or volunteering could give you this.

New career. Is a new career the answer for you in 2013? Many people fall into their career or chose one with no or inadequate careers advice, so their career may not suit them. There are also many more different careers than there used to be, e.g. in the digital area.

New qualification. What studying and qualification could be another string to your bow? A qualification can be a way of showing mastery and could be the differentiator against many candidates. What qualification could be useful for you to study and perhaps could be funded/part funded by your employer?

New thinking. What person could help you to broader your horizons, support you in your career aspirations and introduce you to their network? A career coach, a mentor, someone at work in a different department could be very useful to help you to transition from A to B and achieve a goal.

New attitude. How could you change your attitude to your work? Attitude can make a huge difference to how you feel and what you do at work or in your business. How could you shift your attitude to your job, employer or business?

New something else. A career sabbatical? Go travelling? Set up your own business? Promotion?

In some ways a new year is just a date in the diary, but it is also a mark in the sand to begin again, refreshed having taken a break.

What 3 small steps forward will you take this week to mark the beginning of your career in 2013? Let us know if we can help you – get in touch.

To follow us on Twitter, follow: @talentliberator

Career cul de sac or crossroads?

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Career Ladder cartoon

How’s your career?

Making time to reflect on your career and take a step back can be hard in a busy world.

It is important to do this, because even in uncertain times, you need to create a career strategy and plan. It is a bit like having a horizon towards which you sail, but you might have to tack sideways to reach your destination. You might encounter a storm or two on the way, or head into port for a while to service the boat or do some training for the new digital equipment. Or you might decide to adjust your compass, change your career horizon, and head in a different direction altogether.

Here are some self-reflective questions to reflect on your career.

  • What have I achieved this year to be proud of?
  • What has worked less well this year and what have I learnt?
  • What needs to change to be fit for purpose for a prosperous and satisfying future career?
  • How much do I really understand my employer/client needs and priorities and how can I understand them better?
  • What is resistance to change costing me?
  • What’s working well and what’s working less well?
  • Where can I improve efficiency and be more productive?
  • How motivated and engaged about my career am I feeling?
  • What training do I need to be fit for purpose with the changing work market?
  • What goals do I want to achieve next?
  • What’s stopping my career fulfillment and what can I do about it?
  • What are my values and to what extent is my career aligned with them?
  • What’s my career plan and who or what can help me to make it happen?

For insights about the changing world of work, why not follow us on Twitter:@talentliberator

Wishing you success and career fulfillment. Let us know how we can help you on your journey.

 

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-/

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”.

 

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

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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