Career
Clarity Tips
It's Tuesday morning after a long holiday weekend.
How does it feel to be back at work?
Do you wish you had a more fulfilling job or career?
If so, you are not alone. Over 60% of employees are dissatisfied
or unengaged at work.
Most people in this situation long for a job/career that's
satisfying, engaging, and meaningful.
The problem is most people don't know how to go
about finding such a career. In the thirteen years
I've worked with clients craving a career change, I've listened
to many new clients tell me how they've spent years trying,
but failing, to find the kind of career they want.
Do any of their strategies remind you of your own career
change tactics?
Each of these strategies has a passive component to it. In
a sense, you want your new career to find you...without you
having to take much initiative.
- You spend a lot of time wishing you had another
job OR you spend a lot of time dreaming about a
particular career. But for all your wishing and dreaming,
you don't take action to implement your ideas.
- You believe 'The Answer' will appear one day--
so you keep waiting. The truth is, meaningful careers
evolve as a result of exploring your interests and trying
out new experiences.
You are doing a bit of leg work to determine your
next career move, but you don't have a plan of any sort.
If a new opportunity arises, you leap on it ...without checking
whether it makes sense for you.
- You fall into jobs. When opportunities
present themselves, you jump at the chance to leave the
job that isn't working--without fully examining the realities
of the new position.
- You choose a career because the people around
you think it's a good move. Whether the money and
status are good or the job is consistent with your education,
other people think the job is a good fit, so you take it.
- You get caught up in the 'I Could Do That' Syndrome.
You meet someone at a party who tells you about their career.
You try it on, check it out, and run into a snag or meet
someone else whose career seems more interesting. You are
so busy trying on everyone else's career, you don't know
what really works for you.
You have a direction, but you aren't asking yourself
enough questions. With a little more planning and
forethought you could transform your ideas into a workable
career. If you then find the career is not a good fit, you've
saved yourself from an
unnecessary disaster.
- You attempt to identify a new career
based on one interest or skill. Perhaps you are
good with people or you like to work with numbers. Unfortunately
working with one clue doesn't give you enough to go on.
- You jump headlong into the new career you've
chosen without testing the waters. As a result
you know nothing about the job and it's potential. In fact,
you don't even know whether you'll enjoy it or not.
- You target a career that looks great from a professional
point of view. The problem is taking the job forces
you to live a life you don't want. In the final analysis,
how good is that job?
You may already have a viable career idea, but you are your
own worst enemy. You are limiting your success by basing your
decisions and actions on beliefs that aren't valid.
- You talk yourself out of job/career
ideas faster than you can research them. As a result
you discount possible careers based on the unsubstantiated
assumptions you have made inside your own mind.
- You are afraid to commit to a career direction
for fear you won't be able to enjoy any of your other interests
ever again. Have you ever looked for ways to combine your
interests to meet several needs at once?
- You give up on your career idea as soon as you
hit a bump in the road. Rather than look for creative
alternatives, you tell yourself to give up your dream and
just accept the job you have. As time progresses, however,
you get so frustrated with your situation you realize you
have to do something! You start the roller coaster ride
one more time—until you hit the next bump.
- You don't reach out for help--you are
bound and determined to figure this out on your own. Unfortunately,
if you have been wrestling with the riddle of your next
career for some time, you may not be able to step beyond
the scenario that runs through your mind like a continuous
loop. Your best strategy is to look beyond yourself to see
yourself, your interests, and your future direction from
an entirely new perspective.
Do you see yourself in this list? Have
you been hoping for a career change for longer than you'd
like to admit?
Even if you see yourself in several of these strategies,
there is hope. It's not too late to make a change.
Now that you recognize that your strategies aren't getting
you where you want to go, you have a choice.
- You can continue being miserable, wishing
and hoping your future will be different from your past.
OR
- You can choose a new strategy--a strategy
that
supports you in proactively and consciously creating
a fulfilling career that enables you to be yourself
and live the life you want.
Since I left my corporate job 13 years ago this week, I've
assisted hundreds of clients in transforming their careers.
Over time I noticed that certain tactics resulted in new directions
faster than other tactics. The Career Clarity Program, my
8 Step
program now in its 5th Edition, helps people breakthrough
to new levels of clarity and action regarding their career.
I've worked with many clients who have completely
reinvented themselves and their careers. Periodically,
I'll include a Career Clarity Success Story in this
eNewsletter to inspire you in your quest for a fulfilling
career.
Today I share Ed's story. After spending
ten years trying to 'figure it out' on his own, Ed and I started
working together. His journey from Semiconductor Marketing
to Inn Keeping is inspiring and shows that even when things
look bleak, there's room for a breakthrough.
(This success story was recently selected as one of six
stories published in the 1st Edition of Coaching Success Stories
eBook by Milana Leshinsky. --The following is an excerpt from
the full story.)
Before:
'When Ed first came to see me, he was quite unhappy
with his work as a Product Marketing Manager for
a hi-tech company in the Silicon Valley. In fact, he'd been
unhappy for quite some time. Although Ed's career had progressed
quite well over a 20 year period, his value system was becoming
more and more at odds with the demands of the corporate world.'
'Ed had been trying to find a new career on his
own for at least ten years. Although he hadn't hurt
himself financially by staying in a job he didn't like, he
did experience huge losses at a personal level due to his
unrewarding job and work environment. His self-esteem had
plummeted, his health had suffered, and his standing in his
field had steadily declined.'
During:
'As Ed and I worked through each step of my Career
Clarity Program, we began to clarify what worked best for
Ed in terms of his work environment, his work colleagues,
and his lifestyle. We also explored his passions and interests
and began brainstorming new career options that fit his needs
and his personal style. On the surface, all was going well.
Ed had definite interests that tied to the values he couldn't
express at work. As a result of the brainstorming phase of
the Career Clarity Program, Ed determined that his number
one choice for his next career was to own and operate a Bed
and Breakfast.'
'As we defined his ideal work situation, however,
I began to notice Ed knew more about what he didn't want and
what he didn't think was possible than what he truly desired.
For instance, Ed stated quite emphatically that he and his
wife would never sell their home in the Bay Area, nor would
they ever move. Their living location was non-negotiable,
which made it impossible for him to pursue his ideal work.'
After:
'Now, five years later, Ed and Dawn continue to
own and operate the Butterfield Bed and Breakfast
in Julian, California (NE of San Diego) they purchased in
1999. They recently purchased a neighboring house to add a
private cabin to their B&B complex. Thankfully their Inn
survived both the 2002 and 2003 fires in the Julian area.'
To read how Ed moved beyond his limited thinking, read the Coaching Success Stories ebook. Ed's story begins on page 4.
All the best to you on your quest to create fulfilling work
for yourself.
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