New year resolutions

Big or small career change?

January 1, 2017 By // by Rachel Brushfield

Happy New Year!

Career change can feel very daunting and ‘all or nothing’, which is especially challenging at times of uncertainty.

At a time of slow economic growth, combined with the rising cost of living, but salaries not keeping up, is making a career change a good idea or not?

There are many types of career change, from evolutionary to revolutionary, internal and external. It doesn’t have to be a big change e.g. completely changing career direction or leaving the security of a full time job.

Here are 30 different types of ‘career change’:

Changing your attitude to your current job
Job-redesign – staying with your current employer but doing a different role
Studying for a further qualification to increase your long-term career prospects (your employer funds or you fund yourself)
Taking on additional responsibility at work to build visibility, gain new experience and skills and pave the way for a future promotion internally or externally
Volunteering to be a mentor to develop new skills and help others
Getting involved in your employer’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme to make a difference, broaden your network and increase your own career fulfilment
Setting up a business
Evolving a current business in a different direction
A career breakthrough e.g. getting a pay rise, promotion or new job
Moving from full time employment to interim or freelance work
Changing from the private sector to work in the public sector
Moving from private practice to in-house
Creating a portfolio career – a career with multiple work strands
Changing career direction completely
Securing a more junior role for less stress and better work life balance, rather than a senior role
Creating an ‘encore’ career pre-retirement
Getting on the right career path as a graduate
Switching careers without training
Returning as a Returner post maternity leave back into employment
Returning into employment having taken a career break to travel
Evolving your career to have more meaning and fulfilment
Creating a business from a natural gift or hobby
Achieving a dream job
From redundancy/gardening leave into a new job
A career secondment internally
A career secondment externally
Taking a career sabbatical to take stock and rethink what next
Moving from full time employment to part time employment
Moving from full time employment to a part time job plus freelance work
Moving from a full-time job to a full-time job plus a non-executive director position

What other career changes can you think of? What’s your career goal in 2017 and how can we help?

Here are some examples of clients we have worked with and how a career change does not have to be big and scary.

TH negotiated to stay with their current employer but from a full time 5 day a week job to a permanent contract working 4 days a week, freeing them up to develop their future portfolio career.

DW decided to improve their career fulfilment by staying with their employer working 4 days a week and using the fifth working day each week being a trustee for a couple of charities that meant a lot to them.

NW achieved a full-time role working at a less senior level saying no the high level salary and bonus plus stresses and responsibilities of a director level position, and gaining better work life balance and doing the work they enjoyed at a more junior level role.

Having already made one successful career transition with our support from working as an engineer for British Gas to working on oil rigs, DM got in touch as they had to re-think their career direction as a result of the fall in oil prices and reduced use of contractors. Result? They have found a new engineering role on land near to their home with their employer funding a qualification which will enhance their career prospects and options longer term.

EM’s employer was merging with a much larger company giving them a forced career crossroads and a culture that did not appeal to them. They decided with our coaching support to accept a full-time job with a different employer, without the responsibility of managing a department, a new role at a reduced salary but with the stimulation of lots of learning, something that was very appealing to them.

What career change are you seeking and how can we help?

What next?

Why not download one of our free reports?

Pain free career change:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/talent-liberation/

Find out your transferrable skills

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/what-is-a-portfolio-career/

Discover portfolio careers

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/

Read what our clients think about our services:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Big data or big questions?

December 31, 2013 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Big questions are a useful tool to mine insights and utilize the capacities of our minds to analyse big data, solve problems and think better.

Open self-reflective questions or ‘self-coaching’ costs nothing, can be done anywhere and usefully, your mind works on them while you are doing something else.

Here are some big questions for you:

What do I really want?

Who do I want to become?

How do I lose time?

What would make my life/work more fulfilling?

How can I minimise stress?

Where do I waste money?

What does happiness mean to me?

What does success mean to me?

What needs to change?

What is my career strategy?

What am I avoiding that needs resolution?

What fears hold me back?

What goals am I committed to?

What is my role in helping the world?

Self-reflective questions are very powerful, but it is action that creates the change, which is why having a coach is beneficial to achieve more faster; time and space to think, accountability and a supportive yet challenging sounding board.

For more insights and tips, follow us on Twitter: @talentliberator If you are ready for change, get in touch about how our coaching can support you.

Happy 2014 to you!

Career change – an obstacle course?

January 12, 2013 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Making a change in your career always feels daunting, let alone in a downturn with lots of uncertainty about.

You can choose to do nothing or do something.

I remember once laying out an obstacle course on the floor with a client, Duncan Goose who worked in advertising, with each obstacle representing a challenge to overcome.

They went on to win a Greatest Briton award and provide the water at Bob Geldof’s Live8.

Just imagine how many people wouldn’t have had fresh water in their village if they had given up at the first hurdle!

This is their story:

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

Here are four more examples of clients who have taken action and are now smiling and very glad they did!

Ever been at a life AND work crossroads at the same time?

Read Kam’s story:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs193/1102862873131/archive/1112075112149.html

Has a career change ever seemed insurmountable?

Read about Kerry’s successful transition from the public to private sector.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs193/1102862873131/archive/1112114912854.html

Do you think getting a dream job is a pipe dream?

Read how Emily achieved her dream job:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs193/1102862873131/archive/1112027555365.html

Worried about changing jobs in case it doesn’t work out?

Read how Hemal tackled this:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs193/1102862873131/archive/1112072645153.html

What most scares you about career change and what one action would get you moving forwards?

Read this blog about career change fears:

http://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/career-change-fear/

Read this blog about feeling stuck:

http://liberateyourtalent.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/feeling-stuck/

For free career insights and tips, follow us on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/talentliberator

What next for your career in 2013?

January 1, 2013 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Happy 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?

December 22, 2012 By // by DigitalJenIPC

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.

Pondering Becoming Self-employed? Part 1

December 31, 2011 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Just before Christmas, I gave a talk to a group of people who are part of the government’s Enterprise initiative about ‘becoming self-employed.’

It reminded me that the only thing I missed about employment apart from the regular salary 14 years ago was having an IT helpline to mop up my IT incompetence.

Giving the talk got me thinking afresh about self-employment and what advice to give people now. My marketing training was in the dark ages, otherwise known as the 1980’s so I thought I would ask via LinkedIn what members of the Chartered Institute of Marketing thought. The question I posed was:

“What advice would you give about marketing to someone becoming self-employed for the first time?”

In case you are thinking of jumping into the world of self-employment or perhaps being pushed, as after all, it is a young industry, here are their tips:

“Make sure you offer something that is different and be prepared to change and update what you offer as your market whatever you choose will evolve.”

“Draw up a business plan and keep within a budget. Network and build up your contacts carefully, targeting your chosen market carefully.”

“Business is about making money and protecting margin. Get your pricing, costings and overheads right, choose the customers you want in the location you want them, don’t be frightened to lose them and keep your promises. And most important – get some of your own money behind you to weather the downtimes.”

“Think niches. Think networks. Think partners. Think elevator pitch. Think about what the customers’ hurts/needs and wants are and how you can engage with the customers. Get some good books written by small business people for small business people.”

“Be concise and give a prospect a real reason to choose you.”

“Be prepared for the quiet periods and have a plan to identify opportunities in a downturn. It’s great to get a regular salary however when you are self employed income can be very irregular. Also, use your contacts to identify opportunities and network where your customers are likely to be. Have plans for worse the case scenarios.”

“Take your time. You don’t have to do everything straight away. It’s better to do it right than just to do it.”

“Have a plan in mind and listing it down on a paper is very important. You should be very clear about your Target Segment, narrow it as much as you can. Also, one more important step in marketing is to know the Opportunities and possible Threats. And not to forget depending on your business prepare the Marketing Plan!!”

“Prepare a simple marketing plan and revisit/update often. Do a SWOT on yourself, your business and your main competitors. Take a section of the plan at a time to work on, develop and understand more fully. Know your competition and identify how you stand out from them. Learn the marketing basics from webinars and meetings. Consider carefully your communications options and don’t rush into any major spend. Test and measure.”

“Build profitable relationships in the sector where you are a real “expert”. Hopefully you have some work/clients coming with you but you should also build your base. And don’t do work for free in the hope that one day it’ll come right – we all do it and it’ll suck up your time.”

“Rehearse an Elevator Test to ensure that you dont miss any points when talking to prospects. Use your track record/expertise to give credibility to your pitch. Attend any events where your target is likely to be – expect to build relationships first before a sale.”

“You are the whole company; you are the personal assistant, the secretary,the financial accountant, the driver, the messenge, .but best of all you are also the shareholder,all profits and proceeds come to you..Never ever ever underestimate the power of marketing.”

Source = Chartered Institute of Marketing LinkedIn group December 2011

If you are pondering becoming self-employed, you might find:

1) Our bulletins useful:

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

2) These client examples inspiring to make that leap, even in a downturn.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106786138562.html

Wishing you a successful 2012 personally and professionally.

Rachel