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Ready to be put ‘out to grass’? Or not! Part 2 of 2.

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This is a 2-part blog by Peter Wilford about supporting Finance Directors (FDs) to consider about whether to retire or not, and how a portfolio career can be a good career choice for the pre retirement life stag.

This is part 2.

The rest of this blog is in Peter’s own words.

Read part 1

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/ready-to-be-put-out-to-grass-or-not-part-1-of-2/

How we help our clients

Success comes from a number of factors.

We help our clients to develop a Plan ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ for their job search and marketing activity.

Each plan is carefully crafted and the priorities assessed. 

This gives the Financial Director (FD) confidence that he / she is not putting all their career ‘eggs in one basket’. This is especially important for the uncertain times in which we live.

We coach them at every stage and act as a sounding board to keep them on track.

Career plan ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’

Typically, career Plan ‘A’ might involve securing 2-3 pieces of paid consultancy work – often with an SME and where they were not likely to be seen as a threat to the incumbent CEO or Financial Director, but are able to add significant bottom line value. 

Career Plan ‘B‘ might be to focus on obtaining some interim work, particularly if they have already worked in a sector where interims are required and / or in a Senior Finance project role.

Career Plan ‘C’ might be to set up their own business and to create a web site and look at building a portfolio career to include typically:

  • non-executive director (NED) work
  • mentoring of younger finance professionals
  • voluntary work
  • paid consultancy projects.  

Also perhaps:

  • supporting a friend in their local area with their own business, to broaden their experience, leading to new future opportunities.

Age bias towards employing 50somethings

Securing a full-time role as a finance director (FD) in a large organisation in your 50’s is both difficult and extremely time consuming, unless you have a strong business network and very well-established head-hunter contacts.

Opportunities for an FD to get work more easily lie in the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) sector.

Finding your niche and how we help

One FD client, whose experience was both corporate and SME based, identified that his niche market was medical devices companies.

We worked together to write 2-3 compelling direct approach letters and he drew up a list of 50 SME organisations within an agreed geographical area.  

The letter was strong.

His value add proposition was convincing.

We coached him to be thoroughly interview prepared.

The result was a series of interviews with the MD / CEO of medical device companies.  

Proactively helping our clients

We are proactive in our approach, providing a bespoke service, unlike the large career management companies/outplacement organisations which can be ‘sausage machine’ in nature, and relying primarily on on-line career portals and a standardized approach. One size does not fit all.

Ways in which we help our clients

We go the extra mile at Energise for our clients. Ways in which we support them include:

  • Introducing them to relevant contacts in our own networks
  • Encouraging them to adopt a proactive approach to marketing, often in new areas and outside their comfort zone
  • Getting them to think ‘outside of the box’, for example to approach their Professional Institute e.g. ICAEW for possible mentoring
  • Encouraging them to attend industry conferences to broaden/widen their network
  • Sharpening up their technical skills
  • Pointing them to non executive director (NED) membership organisations.
  • Invited them to our local Institute of Director (IoD) group
  • Introducing them to local employers
  • Helping them build up their lists of head-hunters and to learn how to manage these conversations to the best effect

The result

All our clients have now been either placed or are enjoying a new phase of their working life.

Some have been introduced to our Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) contacts for fresh support with financial planning. 

Several have kept in touch.

Our clients have told us that they would not have known what to do without our help, coaching, senior experience and reassurance.

More

‘The 100-year life’ by Lynda Gratton and Andrew J Scott: http://www.100yearlife.com/

‘The new long life’ by Lynda Gratton and Andrew J Scott: https://thenewlonglife.com/

‘Future skills for a life-long competitive advantage part 1’ for the award-winning Future of Work Hub: https://www.futureofworkhub.info/comment/2019/3/22/future-skills-for-a-life-long-competitive-advantage-part-1

‘Future skills for a life-long competitive advantage part 2’ for the award-winning Future of Work Hub: https://www.futureofworkhub.info/comment/2019/6/26/future-skills-for-a-life-long-competitive-advantage-part-2

How to improve your self-esteem in 2021 – 12 powerful tips – Part 1 of 2

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This is a 2-part blog by Peter Wilford. This is Part 1.

As we start a new year, I have reflected on some of the clients we have worked with recently who have low self-esteem which has, typically, come from any one of the following reasons:

  • Recent job loss
  • Redundancy and the way it was managed by the organisation
  • Lack of progress and slow results when looking for a new job
  • Low confidence and self-belief due to a disability, an ongoing mental illness or a specific personal situation (a client who suffers from ADHD)
  • Feeling of low self-worth

This has clearly impacted on their career as well as their personal life.

Having a high opinion about yourself, who you are and what you do and, basically, a love for yourself is often one of the things that people miss or have too little of in today’s society.

TIP 1. 

Start to say “stop” to your ‘inner critic’.

A good starting point to help increase your self-esteem is to learn how to handle and to replace the voice of your own ‘inner critic’.  We all have an inner critic.  How well are you managing yours?

It does two things. It can spur you on to get things done or to achieve things more and to gain acceptance from the main people who are in your life. But at the same time it can drag your self-esteem down. What would you prefer to use it for?

TIP 2.

Put into action healthier motivation habits.

To make your inner critic less useful, that ‘internal voice’ weaker, and at the same time motivate yourself to take action and with it raise your self-esteem, it certainly helps to have and regularly use healthy motivation habits.  Start to think about what motivation habit will work for you and introduce it into your life and daily routine.

TIP 3.

Take a 2 minute self-appreciation break.

This is a very simple and easy to gain habit.  If you spend just two minutes working on it every day for a month you will find that it can make a real difference. Take a deep breath, slow down and ask yourself this question: what are 3 things I like and most appreciate and value about myself?

TIP 4.

Write down the 3 things that you like and can most appreciate about yourself.

Do this again in the evening. Combining the two of them can be really powerful to help you gain two self-esteem boosts every day.

Contact us for your free 20 minute consultation to explore how we can help you: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/

7 tips for healthy career capital in 2021

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What are your career capital goals for 2021?

Building career capital

Career capital is the combined value of competencies, knowledge and individual personality attributes and other career assets that you have to produce economic value.

Your career assets combined = your career capital; the sum total of your time, talent and potential. You need to consider career capital in terms of its present and future value when thinking about your long-term career prospects. If the internet is an ocean full of ‘fish’ i.e. opportunities, you need the right bait to catch the fish you want. Career capital helps you to do this. What ‘fish’ do you want to catch e.g. a future employer or amazing clients? What is the best bait to catch the fish you want to catch?

Why is career capital important?

In future, in less than 5 years, employers will have reduced permanent headcount and resource up on an as needed basis with individuals and employers rated transparently on-line.

Are you ready for the new world of work? Do you have clear differentiation from your competitors and are you visible on-line?

Career assets

Your career capital is made up of multi-faceted career assets which accrue over time. Career assets include; accolades, academic achievements, endorsements, published works, talent, networks, events, charitable activities, career credibility etc. Here are some examples of each career asset category.

Accolades

  • Patents
  • Awards
  • League table rankings e.g. Chambers
  • Who’s who listing 

Academic 

  • Higher qualifications e.g. MBA, PHD, MSc/MA
  • Links with academia or prestigious universities e.g. guest lecturer 

Endorsements

  • Client testimonials
  • Accreditations
  • Employer references
  • Peer testimonials/endorsements

Published works

  • Articles
  • Chapters
  • Books
  • White papers
  • Videos
  • Podcasts

Talent

  • Multiple mastery areas
  • In-demand skills e.g. creativity, big data management 
  • Languages
  • Good emotional intelligence e.g. empathy 

Networks

  • Professional association involvement
  • Membership of elite clubs
  • Size & diversity of network
  • Quality of network e.g. senior decision makers, high net worths

Events

  • Hosting an event 
  • Speaking at an event 
  • Conference speaking
  • Conference chairing

Charitable

  • Pro bono
  • Trustee post 

Career credibility 

  • Prestige/trophy employers & clients e.g. FTSE 100
  • Senior leadership positions e.g. C-Suite

Miscellaneous

  • Personal brand

What would you add? How would you rate your career capital?

  1. Create a career strategy and ensure your career capital is aligned with it
  1. Define your ‘fish’ – i.e. target employers or clients
  2. Audit your career capital quarterly and define career asset S.M.A.R.T. goals
  3. Ensure you have insights about what is important to and valued by your target audience e.g. who are their heroes/heroines?
  4. Measure stats for your career capital so you can monitor progress
  5. Monitor your reputation – set up Google alerts & track your name/brand on Twitter
  6. Use/monitor LinkedIn stats to evaluate the quality and profile of your network

Get in touch for a no-obligation meeting to discuss your needs: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/

FREE Webinar – “How to unlock opportunities in the unadvertised jobs market. Advice and Tips.”

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12-1pm on Tuesday 10 November 2020.

Advice from 2 experienced career experts – Rachel Brushfield and Peter Wilford.

This 1 hour free webinar will share:

  1. Direct approaches to create new opportunities
  2. Proactive approaches using LinkedIn
  3. Leveraging your network to gain advice and new options
  4. How to build your marketability confidently + comfortably
  5. Strengthening your network with new on-line networks due to Covid-19
  6. What’s your USP? Why you?

Benefits

  • New ideas and approaches.
  • How to turn Covid-19 into a positive for your networking.
  • Practical tips to make marketing easier, effective + expedient.
  • S.M.A.R.T. actions to move forward.

Book your place on EventBrite now:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-unlock-opportunities-in-the-unadvertised-jobs-market-advice-tips-tickets-126722086171

Career Reinvention

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Many people at the moment, because of shrinking sectors are being forced to rethink their careers. They may have been with the same company or in the same profession for their whole lives, so this can feel very very daunting.

In times of economic growth, I help people change career direction because they want to, e.g. for better work life balance, to have more fulfilling work, or to turn an enjoyable hobby into paid work.

Experience of career reinvention

I also have alot of experience of helping people reinvent themselves, because they have to, i.e. redundancy. My company was one of the first to be awarded a contract to do ‘Steer your career’ workshops after the credit crunch in 2007/2008, so we have lots of experience to support people being made redundant at this time.

I have also done many career events and workshops for membership organisations including the Law Society, ICAEW and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) on portfolio careers, career reinvention, career strategy, personal branding to name a few.

Why I love career reinvention

I love career reinvention because it is helping people to see what they find it hard to see themselves as they are too close and seeing their confidence grow as they work out what they are going to do and how they are going to make it happen, with my support.

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Career coaching is both practical and creative. One of my favourite client briefs is starting with a ‘blank sheet of paper’ i.e. a client who doesn’t know what else they could do, but do know that they have to or want to reinvent themselves in their career.

I have reinvented my own career. See my LinkedIn profile for detail: Rachel Brushfield’s LinkedIn profile

One trick pony

Often my career coaching clients feel that they are ’one trick ponies’ having done the same thing for years, when actually they have hugely transferable skills and just need help to see this and to market themselves, as they feel rusty, not having updated their CV or had an interview in ages.

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Career transition client examples

My clients’ career reinvention transitions include:

  • An insurance broker becoming a teacher of children to learn the piano
  • A barrister becoming a company secretary
  • A direct marketing expert becoming a self employed photographer
  • A human rights lawyer retraining as a dance therapist
  • An education lawyer moving into music management
  • A project manager setting up a company doing cheese holidays in France

Common barriers to career reinvention

There are many barriers in people’s minds to career change, some actual and some perceived:

·       Fear of change/uncertainty

·       Resistance from partners, peers or parents

·       Worrying about money, making the wrong decision or taking a step down the ladder having worked so hard to progress up it

·       Not knowing what you don’t know

·       Being in the dark about how to find out about new options 

·       Believing they are ‘too old’ to change

·       Pleasing others e.g. parents living their lives through their children’s success instead of focusing on their happiness

·       Lack of time

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·       Not wanting to let go of a benefit of the current job e.g. being admired at parties for being a Doctor

11 Tips to reinvent your career

1.  Research employment growth areas; sectors and jobs

2.  Think about when you have felt most alive and fulfilled in your work and how you can have more of this

3.  Source examples of achievements and initiatives from outside your career to demonstrate your marketability

4.  Think your career change through thoroughly and create a long term vision with small short term steps

5.  Make time regularly to make your change happen

6.  Research your options and ensure they will give you what’s important to you e.g. security, learning or challenge

7.  Consider retraining and acquiring new skills to become more marketable

8.  Analyse what makes you distinctive to other people in your field – that unique combination of your skills, qualities and life and work experiences – this is your unique ‘brand’

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9.  Speak to people already doing what you want to do to get inside knowledge

10.               Be creative about how you can get experience to prove your capability and demonstrate the transferability of your skills in a new area e.g. do voluntary work, help out a friend’s business etc 

11. Enlist the support of an experienced career coach

Get in touch

Client testimonials

“Energise helped me focus on my strengths at a very negative time for me, during redundancy. I found the whole process very rewarding.”

“Coaching has given me extra confidence. The process was very rewarding. The CV now looks punchier, and I feel ME again.”

“Coaching with Energise has given me choices, freedom and liberation.”

“Coaching gave me an objective, practical and understanding sounding board when I needed to get my life back in gear again. It really is a personal service that works around who you really are and what you really want to do. “

“Coaching gave me a positive attitude, confidence and insight. It has been instrumental in my success and by setting targets and deadlines it has speeded up the whole process of finding another job.”

More client testimonials

Are you ready for career change?

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Some of our clients have been unhappy at work for up to 10 years before they contact us and in some cases, have are ill having resisting the change that they need to make – they are so ready for change.

The outcome for some of our other clients is that they choose to stay put rather than change career, and improve what they can influence where they are.

In a challenging jobs market with increasing uncertainty, taking responsibility for your career is not something you can afford to ignore.

Self reflective questions   

What’s stopping me from making the change I seek from work a reality? 

What’s the question I most need to ask myself?

4 tips to check if you are ready for career change 

  1. Identify your personal values so you know if there’s a mismatch between you and your organisation.
  2. Keep a diary of how you feel about work for 2 months and notice the patterns and factors that affect your highs and lows. Review what’s frustrating you and what you can influence.
  3. Do a satisfaction audit of the different aspects of your role. What does it tell you?  
  4.  Are there opportunities to progress in the way you want at work? Explore job redesign as an option with the changing needs of the organisation.

Get in touch https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

Chris Jones guest blog about his portfolio career part 2

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This is a 2-part guest blog by Chris Jones for Energise – The Talent Liberation Company about his portfolio career. This is part 2. 

Biog

Chris Jones is a multiple business owner based in Oxford. His current businesses are:

  • Glooo: digital analytics
  • Boys and Girls Promotions: events staffing business
  • Boys and Girls Events: events management business
  • Oxford Influencers: Oxford Instagram solution

His events business, both Corporate and Private events, provide event design and staff in #Oxfordshire and #London. Clients include: The University of Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Soho Farmhouse, Oxford City Council, The Westgate Shopping Centre and many colleges and venues.

Chris is husband to Julie, father of 2 young adults finishing University, and a social butterfly.

Read part 1:https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/chris-jones-guest-blog-about-his-portfolio-career-part-1/

The rest of this guest blog is in Chris’ own words.

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

My portfolio career and the whole digital world growth happened at the same time.

I.T. developed off the back of IBM and Microsoft delivering personal computing solutions and from 1983 web sites developed at a rapid rate.

It was very interesting being at the forefront of PC / website delivery in the UK.

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

The continued changes and improvements to the digital world, so it is always been a learning curve of new technologies and solutions. 

My ‘skill’ for want of a better word is that I’m very good at understanding technology and seeing where it can be implemented. 

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

I think it’s a ‘self-improvement’ journey, either in a broad format for your whole industry or specialisation in specific areas.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

It always will be for me working in the digital world (although a marketing mix is important) first and foremost and then backed up with networking. I network 2 3 evenings per week. LinkedIn is our key social media platform for my businesses.

Image below: Boys and Girls Promotions doing the ticketing for Countryfile Live at Blenheim – one of our greatest achievements in winning the work and delivering on the 3 days of the event.  

What if any, is the personal brand used for your portfolio career?

Have fun, be professional, and deliver on promises. That’s it!

I won’t work with people who are going to be difficult (don’t tell the bank manager!)  and I need to enjoy and be inspired by my work.

What advice would you give to someone considering a portfolio career?

“The journey is long, don’t worry about things you can’t control.“

What 5 tips can you share for people considering a portfolio career?

1 Gain in-depth knowledge of your sector

2 Have an individual career plan a), b) and c)

3 Work with likeminded people, and be easy to work with

4 Always trust your ‘gut’

5 Value yourself and don’t compromise

More

View Chris Jones LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-jones-8a88b05a/

Browse the Boys and girls promotions web site: https://www.boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk/

Want to discuss a future face to face event? E mail Chris Jones: chris@boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk

Interested in a portfolio career yourself? Contact us for your free report ‘Discover Portfolio Careers’: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

Thanks to Chris Jones for making the time to write a guest blog about his portfolio career for Energise. We are looking forward to his future original events, when the world returns to normal socialising and networking, post lock-down!

Emotional resilience

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The dictionary defines emotion as ‘any feeling that disturbs or excites the mind.’

Some people are naturally more emotional than others with more highs and lows than people who are more logical and analytical. Likewise, some people are more positive and see the glass as half full, whereas others see the glass as half empty. Life and work can present us with situations and people that we find challenging and sometimes threatening.

The good news is that how we react to these situations is within our control. Nelson Mandela and how he handled his confinement is an example of being in a hugely difficult situation, and coming up trumps.  Emotions are often created by thoughts so having self-awareness of your values, motivations and insecurities can help you to have emotional resilience.

Unless we are very lucky, we don’t get taught how to be emotionally resilient, but learn it as we go along and using shopping, alcohol, drugs and busyness can be an easy way to anaesthetise difficult emotions.

We can learn to be more resilient and challenging situations have a lot of gifts, even if we don’t see them at the time, e.g. opportunity to be more creative, assertive etc 

What situations test our emotional resilience?

Coping well in one area and struggling in another is normal. 

  • The Coronavirus period
  • Redundancy and unemployment
  • Mergers over which we have no choice
  • No pay rises over a period of time
  • People pulling rank
  • Lack of planning by others affecting us
  • Unreasonable behaviour and bullying
  • Bosses and employers with values different to our own
  • Trauma and crisis e.g. end of a relationship, death of someone we are close to
  • Financial pressure and hardship
  • Covert undermining behaviour e.g. passive aggressive

5 FREE tips to maximise your emotional resilience

  1. What’s the worse thing that can happen and what is the likelihood of it happening?
  2. Ask yourself ‘What are the positives of my challenging situation?’
  3. Ask yourself what qualities and resources you have to help you to deal with the challenge you face
  4. Focus on what you can influence not what you can’t
  5. Map out vicious circles of the thoughts and emotions and work out how you can create virtuous circles 

Self-reflective question

“When have I been most emotionally resilient and what enabled me to do this?”

More

A portfolio career is a resilient career. Why? Because it is made up of different components, so you can change direction or ‘pivot’ as external trends change or your own circumstances change.

Contact us to receive your free report ‘Discover Portfolio Careers’: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

Christina Blacklaws’ guest blog about her portfolio career part 2

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This is a 2-part blog for Energise – The Talent Liberation Company by Christina Blacklaws. This is part 2.

Read part 1: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/christina-blacklaws-guest-blog-about-her-portfolio-career-part-1/

Biog

Christina studied Jurisprudence at Oxford and qualified as a solicitor in 1991.  She now runs her own consultancy business advising domestic and international law firms and legal businesses, speaking globally and holding a number of non-executive directorships. She holds a range of public appointments including chairing both the LawTech Delivery Panel for the Ministry of Justice and Innovate UK’s Next Generation Services Advisory Board and sits on the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Support Advisory Group. She is an advisory board member for Elevate, 20-First and Thompson Reuter’s Women in Leadership in Law programme.

Christina is the Simon Professional and Industrial Fellow at the Alliance Manchester Business School. Christina was President of the Law Society of England and Wales until July 2019 and continues to represent the Women Lawyers Division on Council and the UK on the International Bar Association Council.

She is passionate about diversity and inclusion, technology and access to justice and uses every opportunity to advocate and progress positive change in these areas. Christina is a multi-award-winning published author, lecturer and frequent media commentator.

What do you most love about having a portfolio career?

Being my own boss and in control of my life. If I don’t like a particular role, then I can move on without any major issues. I can take time off when I want without feeling guilty, and I can influence my own work life balance.

A portfolio career is endlessly interesting and challenging and every day is a ‘school day’!

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

In many ways, the same as the opportunities! It’s difficult to manage your time, you don’t have much support and you don’t have the stability of full-time paid employment.

Also, you can never really have a day when you’re not on top form. People are paying for you to be fabulous – and this means you have to plan in some downtime into your routine.

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

I have an amazing bookkeeper; Rachel Brushfield has given me some sterling advice and I am currently investigating employing a virtual PA.

Personally, I try hard to create space when I’m not working and reflect often about the mix of work and whether it suits me and what I want to achieve.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

I have been fortunate in that the work has come to me. However, I use social media (LinkedIn and Twitter) to publicise my speaking engagements and thought leadership work and, if I have time, I write articles too.

What 5 tips can you share for people considering a portfolio career?

1 Think carefully before you embark on a portfolio career, especially if you will be leaving a secure, full time role and craft out exactly what you want your portfolio career to look like.

2 Speak to others who have experience in the relevant areas who will be able to give you advice and insight and reality check your plans.

3 Make your intentions known widely – get others to be on the lookout for you be your ambassadors.

4 Start or ramp up your social media engagement/ presence and start to produce some output in your chosen areas

5 Just do it. I’ve loved every minute and encourage others to take the plunge!

More

Christina’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinablacklaws/

Our book for the Law Society ‘Career management for lawyers. Practical strategies to plan your next chapter’ is available now in the on-line book shop: https://bookshop.lawsociety.org.uk/p/career-management-for-lawyers-practi-paperback/

Interested in a portfolio career for yourself?

E mail us to request your copy of our free report ‘Discover portfolio careers’: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/