|
6 Steps to Re-inventing Your Career
Meaningful work honors the deepest part of your being. It is the embodiment of your gifts and talents and all that you value. Finding it in a safe, smart way requires these six steps: 1. Soul Searching. Your journey begins with some intriguing self-examination. This step goes beyond looking at your work experience and skills. You also consider your values, interests, and personality preferences. This can be done informally through the use of specially-designed exercises or it can be done formally through professional assessment testing. Taken all together, the soul-search phase allows you to come up with a comprehensive personal profile that will help you develop future work possibilities. 2. Identifying Options. The key word here is "options"?not "answers". In this step, you use your profiling "clues" from Step 1 to brain- and heart-storm as many possibilities for future work as possible. This is one of the most creative parts of the change process - and best done with one or more friends or colleagues who have a broad view of the business marketplace. At about this point, it's important to begin to create a compelling future vision for your work and life. The act of creating your vision is inspiring, and it can actually help to pull your career change journey forward. 3. Testing. Testing has three purposes. The obvious one is to avoid making a big mistake by jumping to a solution too fast. The not-so-obvious purposes are to network more deeply into an area that you think you might like to make a career of, and to learn as much as you can about it from an inside perspective rather than from afar. It is experimentation with a purpose - while you keep an open mind and heart. 4. Crafting Your Transition Plan. Out of your testing comes a clear path - where you can set a specific new career goal and create the strategy and steps that will get you there. Your goal may be radically different work, the same work in a different environment or starting a new business or some combination of these three. 5. Implementation. During the Implementation phase - which can begin even before you leave your current employer -- you begin to put pieces of your transition plan into action. You may begin a course of study, reduce your expenses, if warranted, and/or even make physical preparations such as relocation or building a home office. Of course, to minimize your personal and financial risk, you want to do as much as possible while you are still working. 6. Integration. Seekers often think that once the shift ismade, their career transition is complete. I think it's more accurate to call it the "beginning of the end". A physical transition into new work is one thing - but transitioning your "underneath" layers (like work patterns, assumptions) is another thing entirely. Career change typically takes from one to three years. And the tendency is to just 'jump in' anywhere. It helps to have a big picture view and to know that there actually is real method to the madness! Patricia Soldati is a former President & COO of a national finance organization who re-invented her working life in 1999. Now, as a career fulfillment specialist, she guides unhappy corporate professionals into meaningful work -- both inside and outside the corporate walls. For more about her approach or to receive 5 Complimentary Career Fulfillment Lessons, visit http://www.purposefulwork.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Jobs City of Rochester (.gov)
Careers Washington State University
Careers Gwinnett County Public Schools
JobFeed NSW Department of Education
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Perfect Fit: Women & Franchising
An interesting combination of factors at this time in history may be the reason so many women are turning to franchising to fulfill their entrepreneurial desires. Women's increased financial power, better education, and corporate experience, combined with their desire for more autonomy and desire to connect with others who share their values make franchising a great fit for many women.
Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position
It is often said that the majority of people are but a few checks away from homelessness. Without a consistent income, this may be a true statement.
Does Retirement Fit Into Your Busy Schedule?
Why do you work?Stop and think about it. Other than the income you derive from the various tasks and responsibilities you perform on the job, are there any other reasons you get up every morning before the birds do, drive your car in rush-hour traffic, get into the office and go to several meetings throughout the day that have yet to change life as we know it, and sit at your desk going through all the things you need to go through that are a part of what's been called, work?You've been doing this for a long time.
The Recruiting Truth...Time Is Not On Your Side
In today's marketplace things are constantly changing and so are the needs of just about each and every organization. Whether your company is growing organically or inorganically, whether your company is growing domestically or internationally or for one reason or another you just have pain, your organization must be in a position to attract top talent and attract it quickly! But attracting it is only the first part of the equation.
Five Fabulous Resume Tips for College Grads (or Anybody)
Fluffy clouds. Chirping birds.
Skills Make Labor More Valuable
As you know by now, if you have been a long time subscriber to our weekly E-zine, I'm a very big proponent of activity, labor and discipline. In fact I devoted one of the five major pieces to the life puzzle (in my book under the same name) to the subject of activity and labor.
Risk-taking - Get Your Feet Wet!
We often use the phrase, "Get Your Feet Wet" when we are just beginning to learn how to do something or are about to pioneer a new initiative. When we participate in a project for the first time, there is usually a hesitancy to step out into the unknown.
Job Layoff: Confronting Why Me?
Perhaps you saw it coming. The fall in company stock prices.
So You want to be a Bodyguard?
Then let me start by helping out. The politically correct phrase these days is not "bodyguard" but personal protection specialist, executive protection specialist or close protection operative, depending on your place of training and other preferences.
A Look At Some Out of the Ordinary Jobs
What do you want to be when you grow up? Chances are if you ask that question in any third grade class, your answers will include at least one fireman, one policeman, one cowboy and an assortment of other jobs that are glamorized on television and books.But there are far more jobs than those that make good reading and television.
The Path of Least Resistance
I spend a bit of time on airplanes. So, I was surprised by what I observed on a regional jet.
The Night Worker
In the process of musing about our perennially awake world for my Social Psych blog, I started to think about our present work world and how its operations have changed the lives of millions of workers.I manage a 24/7 emergency crew (mental health).
Why One Word Answers are Bad News at Job Interviews
It takes a lot of time and effort to get invited to a job interview. Don't blow your chances by being misunderstood by the interviewer.
Job Interviews: Ill File a Grievance!
I recently went to a retirement party with my husband for one of his co-workers. I worked at this same place six years ago (that's where I met my husband, but that's another story), so I knew most of the people at the party.
How To Win the Job-Hunting Game
When I got over the initial shock of being urged to "seek alternative employment" I found myself, like so many others, out beating the bushes looking for a job. I found that I was just another one of the sheep following the same traditional job-hunting procedures as everyone else.
Stop Whining and Ask For What You Want!
When you want something, the best way to get it is to make your request in a straightforward and positive way. You should not expect your boss or co-workers to read your mind and know what your expectations and desires are.
Working Abroad - Employment Advice In Spain
Jobs and employment on the Costa BlancaThe Council of Europe regulations forced Spain to end all restrictions on the free circulation of European Union workers as of January 1st, 1992 - which means that all EU citizens can work in Spain under the same conditions as Spaniards complete with employment contracts and employers contributions into the Spanish Social Security system on your behalf, giving both yourself and your dependants, access to the Spanish National Health Service. These rights extend even to family members who are non EU nationals.
The 5 Essential Telecommute Résumé Components
1. An attractive layout that is easy to read and follow.
10 Tips For Writing A Winning Resume
Your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the coverletter, are the master keys to opening the prospectiveemployer's mind and door so that you can proceed to thenext step in the process - the big interview!RESUME WRITING TIPS AND STRATEGIESHere are 10 valuable tips for anyone writing their ownresume, or who is having someone else write one for them.These tips and strategies are an abridged version of whatis contained in my new eBook, "Instant Home Writing Kit".
Yesterdays Project Manager is Todays Project Engineer
The rapid growth of technology, greater exposure to knowledge, higher levels of awareness are making the young project engineer act more and more like a project manager.What I mean is, todays project engineers are actively supervising new graduates, setting and monitoring schedules & budgets, interacting with clients and so on.
|