5 Steps to your Career Change.
With the economic slowdown predicted to last up to 2 years there is likely to be continued upheaval in the employment market. For some this will bring exciting opportunities yet for others the prospect of finding a new job or different career can be traumatic. There are a few important steps to go through in order to successfully transition to a new career.
1. Remind yourself of all your successes.
2. Examine your own core values
3. List your strengths
4. List the roles that really interest you.
5. Practice talking about yourself.
Reminding yourself of all your successes is the key to maintaining your confidence. At time when you may be feeling rejected it is easy to overlook the fact that you have been successful in the past. Spend some time listing and expanding on all the tasks / projects and events to which you positively contributed.
Examine your core values. This means finding out what in your life you place the most value on. For example, if being close to family is very important to you then looking for a job at the other end of the country would conflict with this value. If you value working in a team then a job where you spend a lot of time alone may not suit you. How important is money, status, influence, relationships etc. Once you are clear about these you make better choices about which jobs to go for.
List your strengths. In my experience when I ask someone to tell me their strengths they invariable struggle. This is not a time for false modesty. Write down ALL your strengths. What comes easily to you, are you enthusiastic about, or enjoy doing well etc. Include things you do in your social life, for example committee work, hobbies or care work. The important thing here is to write a long list.
Scan the papers and internet sites for jobs that sound interesting. What is it about these jobs that interest you? Make a note of those interests. Once you've built up a list of the things that interest you, look through it and see which ones are supported by your strengths and values. Now you are getting close to matching a new role with your best attributes.
Finally, perhaps this one seems a little bizarre? Talk to yourself, out loud! The idea here is to reinforce your strengths, past achievements, values and interests. By speaking these out loud you are doing 2 things. One will be an increase in your self-confidence; the second will develop your ability to talk positively about yourself.
With increased competition for jobs the above 5 steps will go some way to help you find a new job. If you need more help then talk to me about coaching to get you back to work. I have a track record of helping people get the jobs they want!
