Categories
Career Planning

How to Explore New Careers While Keeping Your Job

A professional change always involves a challenging and complex plan but if you are in no rush, take your time to “experiment” following my advice.

Is it time to move on from a meaningless job?

Are you looking for a career that will give you a paycheck that matches your expectation AND a sense of fulfillment?

You might get lucky and find your dream job through your existing professional or social network. Or, as it’s more likely, you’ll need to put more thought into your search if you have set higher expectations from your next job.

In fact, a recent Gallup poll found that only approx. 13% of full-time employees consider their present jobs ‘meaningful’. Can you relate to that statement?

If you do, it’s time to do some deep self-assessment and find your answer to the question “What else could I do as a job”?

As a professional Career Coach, I meet so many people – in real life and online – who get stuck at this specific stage: they have a job, they know they want a change but have no idea about where to start as they have many ideas in their head!

Here’s my advice to start your journey of change by yourself, if you are not ready to fast-track your plans with a personal Coach.

Dream Job road sign

3 steps to identify your next “Dream Job”

Step 1> Map out what you have Vs what you are missing

Be grateful for your present job.

The starting point is always to recognize what you have already. Assuming your present job covers all or most of your ongoing bills and expenses, take a moment each day to appreciate that you are in a privileged position: you can take your time to find a more satisfying activity to do.

Identify what are the key factors that make the difference.

Try doing a simple Pros Vs Cons exercise or write down a more thorough Likes Vs Dislikes Vs Tolerances worksheet. You could also write a list of all the qualities that matter to you (e.g. “A flexible work schedule”) and give a score to your present job against each one of those factors.

Decide what trade-offs you’re willing to make

Once the list is written consider what would be the top 3 must-have factors you couldn’t compromise on in your next job. By exclusion, you’ll be able to outline additional ones that act as ‘nice-to-have’. The latter are the ones that surprisingly make a difference sometimes when it comes to accepting a new job offer or taking a new career direction.

  • Ultimately, you need to define black on white all the things you like and those you would change in your future.

Step 2> Use your spare time to have a taste of new career paths

Identify pockets of time you can use for ‘other activities’

You may be doing the 9-to-5 right now or you may be a freelancer working on flexible schedules driven by client and project deadlines. Whatever your current status, we all have approx. 16 hours per day of awake time and have the ability to choose what activities fit within this time-lag. All you need to do is carefully plan your time and identify what slots you can free up, for which activity and with what frequency.

Volunteer in a field that is close to your heart.

Find an interesting organisation in the not-for-profit sector and approach them with a proposal for how you could get involved in what they do. Focus on a specific project or ask them about their needs. You could pick a group that you already follow or contact local organisations to investigate your options.

Develop your skills by offering your services for free to a mentor.

Identify one person that you know and admire professionally and contact them to propose to shadow them a few hours per week as their mentee. Once you start this collaboration, you’ll soon realize how your service hours are gaining you a range of new skills or developing your soft skills. Consider this an investment in yourself.

  • Acquiring extra-curricular skills is a massively useful especially if you have little previous work experience.

Step 3> Cast a Wide Net to understand what your new future could look like

Do your research.

If you’ve realised that you want to move into a completely different field, ensure that you understand all the requirements at entry point into that sector. Browse relevant websites, forums, blogs and social media groups online and talk with experts. Ask about the income potential and whether you’ll need additional qualifications or certifications.

Undertake further studies and training into your field of interest.

You can build on your existing skills and expand your knowledge into a specialist area of your current job or dip your toes into a new professional area. Depending on the sector, you could advance your education by signing up for distance-learning courses online or choose an organisation that provides intensive learning at week-ends or on one-week in-class formats.

Practice and persevere.

You may need to be patient when you’re trying different things at the same time. It’s possible that you will start a new course or training with heaps of motivation and energy investment and soon realize that it wasn’t what you were expecting after all. If and when that happens, remember that you do have options and you get to choose the next one!

  • Remind yourself that your efforts will pay off if you’re willing to take risks and devote your time to find the right road for you.

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How to get ready to make the transition into your new path

We probably spend about one-third of our life at work. So, being innovative about your career path will help you to make those hours more rewarding. True, you can’t be on “new job pursuit” mode all the time because this would drain your energy quickly and you would end up underperforming even in your present job.

So, what steps can you take to be well prepared to make that change once you find your next chosen path? Here’s a little extra advice.

1. Maximise your network. Build a strong off-line and online network where you can share both practical and moral support. Ask others for help when you need it. Be generous with sharing information and referrals.

2. Increase your visibility. Be active on social media and promote yourself in your professional area(s) of interest as somebody who is an expert or has an opinion on relevant topics. Write articles for your company’s website or publish your own new blog.

3. Get the right mindset. If you want to excel at work, you’ll need to move beyond your comfort zone. Focus on gradual growth you can sustain, and the small victories will add up. For example, deliver a presentation at an important team meeting as a way to prepare for a bigger public speaking event you are due to host.

4. Stay positive. Your professional career may last 30 years or more, so an optimistic attitude will help you to persevere. Look on the bright side of difficult situations and learn how to laugh at yourself.

5. Key takeaway: start planning today your future career. Your journey to your Dream Job can be a long one, so the sooner your start gaining clarity about your Likes, Wants and Needs the smoother you will get to your happy professional state.

Thinking it’s too hard to do all alone? I am here to help!

Chat To Me.

If you are ready to see some changes in your career or business, let’s chat!

Categories
Career Planning

How to Make Your Dream Job a Reality

At some point in your life, it’s common to dream of something better when it comes to your career. Can you relate to this desire?

To dream or not to dream: “Can I change job?”

No matter how cushy a job may seem, you may find yourself wishing that you were working somewhere better or doing something different for work. Over time, this wish can grow inside you until you recognise it as being a “need” you have.

We are all on a unique personal journey in our career path. Sometimes it’s a deliberate one or more often than not, it’s accidental: we end up sticking to the first or second job we land after finishing our studies. We all have to start from somewhere and unless you feel a natural inclination or a strong vocation for one field (i.e. “I want to be a doctor”), the majority of people go on a trial-after-trial journey.

It often takes a big external event or a deep emotional trigger to question if the job we have is actually THE job we want to be doing right now.

Having observed the patterns from over 50 people I’ve coached just in the last 6 months, I have identified some common scenarios that ultimately reveal a need to change job.

Time to change jobs

5 signs it’s time to change your job

1- You are stuck in a rut

You are conscious you have to go to work because you have to pay the bills but you don’t feel any motivation other than waiting for your salary at the end of the month.

You are used to your daily and weekly routines: the sense of stability you get makes you feel ‘ok’ with your job. Your work commitments keep your mind engaged during the week and by the time you get to Thursday, you start counting down to the week end.

In your mind, you have started to associate the word “week-end” with the word “freedom”.

2- You want a career – not a “job”

You made a choice about your career path a while ago. You have specific ambitions and have likely changed a couple of jobs so far to try and fulfil your aspirations. You have been on a learning curve for several years and you feel confident about the professional growth you have gained so far.

You have a desire to have your accomplishments recognised by your boss and your colleagues and this is where the problem lies: you don’t feel you are getting that from your present job.

You know that you want more than what you have now.

3- You feel something is missing

You have been developing your career for years. You’ve gone through the ups and downs of working for different employers. You may have dipped your toes in a new activity – a passion project involving your extra-curricular skills – but you think that’s just a hobby.

You don’t feel satisfied but can’t quite explain why.

You may not realise it but what you are missing is a purpose – your unique reason that makes you want to go to work because what you do as a job makes you feel happy.

4- You feel there are elements of unfairness in your job

You have been working in your field long enough to know what is to be expected in terms of employment conditions, salary level and work environment conditions.

There’s only a certain amount of time we can cope while being underpaid or working excessive hours or being stuck in a toxic environment.

At this point in time you feel that you can no longer sustain your current conditions.

5- You feel itchy feet

You are a type of person that welcomes frequent change: new challenges to face, new career paths to explore, new people to meet or new places in the world where – just maybe – you could be happier.

You don’t like the feeling of having strings attached; so, you’ve started to ask yourself “Is it time for a move of jobs, a move of country or should I change both?”.

What you may not have realised – just yet – is WHY you feel that way: what is it that you are trying to chase.

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How to take the first steps to get your ideal job

The good news is that you can go out and make your dream job a reality! Whatever the field, you can find a way to turn something you enjoy into a career.

By following these steps, you can be on your way to a happier and less stressful work life:

1. Ask yourself: “What do I really want to do?”.

One of the best ways to achieve your dream is to find something that you already enjoy doing and make a career out of it. By doing this, the “work” doesn’t feel like work, as it’s something you’re happy doing anyway.

The beauty is that you can now make money doing this. There’s no better feeling than knowing you get paid to do what you do for fun! In a nutshell, that’s the concept of a true dream job.

2. Break it down into steps.

Sometimes when looking at the big picture, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel intimidated. By breaking it down into a series of smaller steps, it’s less daunting and much easier to manage as you progress forward.

The advantage of this approach is that it will also boost your self-esteem. You can feel a sense of pride in knowing that a step has been completed. The knowledge that you’re actually going out and doing what you set out to do will also enhance your feeling of confidence.

3. Don’t be afraid to start on the low end of the totem pole.

Some grunt work will be involved no matter what field you work in. Think of it as a sort of initiation rite. Even if it’s a lower end job at the company you want to work for, it still gets your foot in the door: the right door you want.

With more time and the know-how that you’ll develop working on the job, you will also be able to plan your strategy to make your way up the ladder.

4. Find a mentor.

Mentors can be very helpful when it comes to getting your dream job. They achieve a dual purpose of showing you the ropes and passing on to you the skills you need, while also acting as a great reference for when the big moment does come.

If you’re having trouble finding a suitable mentor, a good role model or icon will work just as well. E.g., if you wish to become a writer, follow in the footsteps of your favourite one.

5. Ignore the pessimists.

Depending on the field you work in, there may be some negative feedback from cynics and even friends and family. For example, if you want to work for NASA, you may be asked what your “real” job is or you may hear all the time about how unlikely it’ll be that you’ll land such a job.

Put it all aside. Remember that your goal is in the realm of possibility, even if it takes some work to break into that field. Just remind yourself that it’s what you want to do.

6- Key takeaway: don’t lose focus. 

Just think of the benefits you’ll enjoy once you succeed. While your dream job may be a challenge to acquire, it’s very possible to reach it, no matter how hard.

If you put in the effort and follow my simple guidelines, you can find yourself working the dream job you always desired.

And if you feel that you want some guidance to speed up the journey, reach out to me. 

Chat To Me.

If you are ready to see some changes in your career or business, let’s chat!