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rachel brushfield

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?

Success at work?

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I had a lovely e mail from a client this week who had left their job because they couldn’t stand it anymore, and were loving their new role, working 3 days a week in a culture conducive to their values and feeling they were making a difference and living life ‘on purpose’. To quote their words:

“I earn less than I did in my first job out of university but at the moment all the other things more than compensate.”

Their e mail made me think. What is this obsession we have with a bigger, better job title, house, car etc. when often, from the work I do with people, I see that it makes them miserable, endure lots of stress, have no time to see their kids, and exist in environments that do not fit their values?

It reminded me of a brilliant book I read a while back, ‘Enough’ by John Naish – really recommend it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Enough-Breaking-free-world-more/dp/0340935901

In a week of news about rising fuel costs and food prices, in a world where people choose to bet on food prices, from which they could get rich but cause people in poor countries to starve, it got me thinking about success.

The dictionary definition of success is: ‘The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted.’

What does success at work mean to you?

  • Getting to Board level – the ‘C’ suite
  • Work that honours your values
  • Flexible working
  • Minimising stress and politics
  • A role that plays to your strengths
  • Freedom & autonomy
  • Winning an award
  • Being able to be yourself at work
  • A culture/company that matches your values
  • Being acknowledged for your unique contribution at work
  • Having a job in the downturn

What does ‘success at work’ mean to you and are you getting it?

If not, what are you going to do about it?

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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 3

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Here is part 3 – tips for self-employment based on our fourteen years of self-employment.

  1. Have a distinctive niche/personal brand
  2. Make time for sales
  3. Structure your diary
  4. Believe in yourself
  5. Be flexible – have a plan A, B and C
  6. Plan ahead but be present
  7. Take your ‘work head’ off at the end of each day
  8. Make time for holidays
  9. Plan tasks to match your energy
  10. Have a financial cushion

What would you add? If you are thinking about self-employment, let us know if we can help.

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?

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-/