MAKING A CHANGE

Whether you’re considering doing something completely different, or  just exploring ways of building on previous experience but in a new environment / sector, then taking stock of your key strengths, reminding yourself of what you truly value and what you really enjoy is a great place to start.

Imagine having a 1:1 with your own career coach  -Go through the bite-size sessions below to get your thoughts flowing:

 

Identify your key strengths

Knowing what you’re good at isn’t easy sometimes, especially if you’ve been out of the job market for some time or if  you’re considering doing things differently.  Try  responding to some of these questions for starters:

 

• How are you when you’re “at your best”?  Consider both work and other situations
• How would previous / current colleagues and managers describe you ?
• If you were to ask 3 people close to you to list your strengths, what would they say ?  Why not ask them if you’re not sure !
• Are there any skills you’d like to develop ?

 

What do you value at work and beyond?

Use this prompt list to prioritise what you value – of course, you can always add your own values.

Prioritise into high, medium and low – see if you can identify your top 5;

 

Challenge	Environment	Learning	High profile
Family	Recognition	Flexibility	Status
Travel	Money	Being an expert	Helping others
Respect	Teamwork	Power	Friendship
Competition	Fun	Professionalism	Structure
Balance	Freedom	Excitement	Independence
Social interaction	Responsibility	Promotion	Variety

     

What do your outcomes tell you about your needs / desires in a new role ?

 

Unsure about your next career move?

Again, imagine that career coach sat in front of you and asking:

 

• What have you particularly enjoyed / disliked about your current  / previous role(s) ?
• Remind yourself -  what made them enjoyable or not ?
• What really motivates you?
• Describe your ideal work setting ?
• Imagine you’ve just had a great day at work…. What happened and what were you actually doing ?

 

Looking at all your responses so far, do a quick job “Needs analysis” identifying:

Essentials / Desirables / Not Desirable / Avoid    

 

Clarifying your options

Now that you have a clearer idea of what’s important to you in a role, take a moment to write down any ideas you currently have about your next  work move…. Be aware of what you might dismiss and stick it down on the page anyway.

Have a good look at what you’ve written – where does your attention go first and why ?

For each idea on the page, consider:

• How realistic is it?
• How does it stack up against your Needs Analysis ?
• What might be the stumbling blocks and how might you address them ?
• If you’re not sure, what additional information do you need to have which will help you progress your thinking ?
• Who else might be able to help ? (friends, family, Professionals)
• Construct a plan of action to help you focus

 

Making a change can feel exhilarating, frightening and everything inbetween.  Planning your journey, taking small, measured steps and being realistic will certainly help you along the way.