| |
| |
|
Careers & Employment Information |
|
|
|
In a Rut? Ready for a Career Change?
Are you unhappy at work? Tired and lacking energy and drive? Don't worry, you are not alone! Studies in the US show that up to 70 percent of the workforce is unhappy with their job at any given time. We all feel dissatisfied and frustrated with our jobs at times. So, how do you know when the feeling of dissatisfaction and frustration means it is time for a career change? There are a few key signs which point towards a need for change: * feeling overwhelmed by your workload * unable to balance your work and life responsibilities * confused about roles and duties in your job * easily irritated and ready to explode at the slightest provocation We choose our career path for many different reasons: because of our parents' encouragement; because it is a successful occupation; or for the financial reward (to name just a few). However, you may be in a career that doesn't support your core values. This could be the root of your discomfort. Take a personal and professional inventory. Ask yourself some important questions. 1. Look at your current job. How did you get there? 2. What are your personal attributes (artistic, adaptable, creative, leader, etc.)? 3. What are your core values (autonomy, growth, helping others, financial security etc.)? 4. What are your greatest strengths? 5. Identify your accomplishments. 6. Identify your career satisfiers and dissatisfiers: For each position you have had throughout your career what activities or responsibilities did you enjoy (and not enjoy) doing? 7. What is important to you, personally and professionally? 8. What you would like to do or accomplish during your lifetime (personally or professionally) so that you will consider your life to have been well-lived? 9. What are you most excited about now? Take a look at your answers. Is your present career in line with who you are, what you value, and what you are good at? If not, then it is time to make a change. Once you have established that you are ready for a career change, start thinking about and noticing what you want. If you could do anything, what would you do? By assessing your accomplishments, skills, strengths and weakness you will be able to see a link between what it is that you value, what you are good at, and where the "juice" is for you - all things that you can turn into a new career. Decide what you want and create your opportunities. MAKE A PLAN. Then, use this plan to switch from resentment in your current job to looking at the positives you can take to your new career. What are your transferable skills? What are you learning in your present position that you can take with you? Once you have a plan, stay focused on your intention, and pay attention to opportunities that present themselves. Despite your present frustration and your excitement at the possibilities ahead of you, it is natural to feel afraid about starting a new career. Feel the fear and do it anyway! Remember, the power to do so is within you. Copyright 2004-2005, Cecile Peterkin Cecile Peterkin is a Certified Career Coach, Retirement Coach and Speaker. With over 17 years of managerial, leadership, empowerment counseling and personal development experience, Cecile specializes in helping Middle Managers overcome the "Middle Syndrome" of being stuck in a middle position in mid-life. To learn more about Cecile, visit her website at http://www.cosmiccoachingcentre.com or call 416-782-5001, Toll-free:1-866-486-4112.
MORE RESOURCES:
Employment - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Assess Your Transferable Skills One of the most important parts of a job search is assessing your Transferable skills. These are skills which you can use in other jobs such as: Communication, Information Management, Human Services, Managerial, Manual/Physical Labour, Personal Attributes, Organization. The Chicken or the Egg? Even before I checked my calendar on Monday morning, I knew the appointment would be there. Passed over for promotion again, Ralph wanted specifics on why I hadn't chosen him for the position. Taking a Survival Type Job Is Good For You. Ugh! Arg! How can a survivor type job be good for me? I'm barely hanging on to what I found and at minimum wage. (I have been promised a ten cent an hour increase in one month). A Career in Image Consulting You might have seen them while watching TV shows such as Extreme Makeover, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, or What Not to Wear. Or you might have heard that Martha Stewart needed them to give her advice on how to look sympathetic to a jury. History Reports: When Your Resume Equals, I Did This, I Did This, I Did This Do these sound familiar?"I worked for?" "My responsibilities were?" "My duties included?"Does a prospective employer care about what you "did for other companies"? Of course they do, but that doesn't mean that's what they really want to know. Conducting a job search is a marketing campaign, moreover, a sales process, not your personal history lesson. What is a Career Anyway? A career is the sum total of all of your work-related contributions to society in a lifetime. This includes time and effort spent to provide goods, services, or benefit to others. A Bit of Pollyanna "Stop being such a Pollyanna," a trusted, more experienced colleague counseled as we took the long route back to my office. He had just witnessed my project idea annihilated as co-workers eagerly argued why my idea wouldn't work, where it was flawed and why it shouldn't be funded. How To Write A Resume Cover Letter That Will Get Your Resume Read A Resume Cover Letter has only one purpose - to stimulate the recipient of your resume to review your resume. This free resume cover letter tutorial assumes that you will be sending your resume and resume cover letter by email. Job Search Campaign Tip: An Activity Diary Looking for a job involves a wide range of responsibilities: preparing a resume, looking at ads, contacting employers, calling and visiting friends and acquaintances, follow ups, interviews. While none of us ever plan to be out of work for very long, it can be very useful to immediately start documenting your activities and your feelings to provide a road map of where you have been and where you want to go. Sample Resume Objectives: Read, Dont Copy The resume objective statement is typically something that trips people up.Confronted by the silent challenge of the blank page, most folks Google for "sample resume objectives". Retirement: Is It A Career Change Option? Retirement might be the answer when you ask yourself "why do I want to make a career change" and you decide that what you actually want is not so much a career change as to stop what you've been doing altogether.This may be a good choice for some - those who can afford it - but not necessarily the right choice for all. The Best Business And Economy Solutions In todays Business and economy, starting any business service requires a good business plan. A little money wouldn't hurt either. Have You Given Up On Yourself? Have you given up on yourself? Have you decided to take the easy road and coast for the rest of your life? Have you come to the decision that you have done all you could possibly be expected to do in your life now it is someone else's turn? As you get older you may not be able to run as fast, swim as far, hit the ball as hard or even concentrate as long as you used to but is that the reason to give up? Surely your aim should be to be the best you can at whatever age you are."Navratilova wants to be as good a player as she can possibly be at the age of 47, just as she wanted to be the best she could possibly be at 19, at 25, at 35". Effective Networking Skills: The Art Of Taking Your Job Search To A Whole New Level Your network consists of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and former employers. It also consists of your dentist, your barber or hair stylist, your accountant and your local grocery store manager. Telecommuting Website (Part One) "I've heard you talk about building a website to get telecommuting jobs. Can you tell me more about this, and how I would do it?"If you all listen to WAHMTalkRadio. Playing from the Blue Tees: Women in the Federal Government Throughout the past decade, workplace diversity issues have allowed organizations to adjust their policies in response to the need for workplace equality in all aspects. As a result of the dynamic political, social and economic changes, some companies have willingly become more inclusive, integrating women, people of color, gays/lesbians, and individuals with disabilities into their workforce at all levels of their organizations. Why Become A Truck Driver? There are a great number of good reasons for someone to become a truck driver. First and foremost among those reasons would be the great pay. Find A Job In A Fast Growing Field Using Labor Market Information For Your State The question confronting most people who want to find a job is "what's a good paying job with growth potential?"At one time, the Conestoga wagon building trade boomed as people joined the wagon trains heading west.Today, the boom is long gone and those wanting to find a job with a future will most likely wish to stay away from such a field. If Youre Fired, Will Past Employers Keep Your Secret? Despite what some job seekers think, it is not illegal for former employers to tell reference checkers that you were fired. They can say anything they want as long as it's true. Employment Law: Unfair Dismissal - Employer Succeeded in Changing Terms of Employment Good News for Employers wishing to change the terms of employment of employees, however, employers must still take care.In Scott & Co v Richardson [2005], the Dependant, Mr Richardson, who worked for a Scottish firm of debt collectors, refused to accept his new terms of employment which required him to visit defaulting debtors during the evenings.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
