Career change- Where do I start?
Do you dread Monday mornings? Do you question your career
path and choices on a regular basis? Well you are not alone according to a
study from Gallup researchers. Figures from a study taken
from over 148 countries show that only 13% of people asked felt engaged within
their job. A whacking 63% claimed not
being engaged and the remaining 24% admitting to being actively disengaged. This
alarming high percentage of workers not being engaged within their jobs is
certainly a cause for concern.
If you find yourself in the “not engaged” or the “actively
disengaged” percentage you should probably consider action.
Joel Garfinkle, who is an American life coach has identified
10 barriers that are potentially limiting you from your dream job. He states “whenever you find yourself resisting
anything during the dream job process, know that it is fear that is talking”.
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Joel’s
10 Barriers;
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Time
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Fear of failure
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Fear of change and success
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Isolation and lack of support
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Should’s from family and friends
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Comparing and despairing
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Self doubt
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Not knowing what you love to do
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Fear of making wrong decision
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Financial obligations and fear of poverty
More details on Joel’s tips can be found on his website dreamjobcoaching.com
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If you are not really in the market for a full time life
coach, which let’s be honest not many of us are, we have put together some
pointers that can help you progress in your career. As Richard Branson quoted “Every
risk is worth taking as long as it’s for a good cause and contributes to a good
life” and he seems to have done ok for himself to say the least. Now how does one go about taking a step towards a
career change? Here are some pointers that will assist.
Seek help
Career shifters is an organisation which is run by people
that themselves have made various career changes. They believe that “if you are going to spend 75% of your
waking life doing something, it had better be something you love” and “more and more people are proving that your
career doesn’t have to hold you hostage”.
They offer workshops in London that gives you the chance to
understand which environment
works for you and how to get past mental blocks.
With a number of success stories, notably one gentleman went from finance
worker to his dream job as a yacht skipper as well as high earning barrister
turned garden designer. You may get new ideas on what you want to do and how to
go about achieving this. You would also meet people who are in a similar
situation to you.
Why not look within your current
company?
It may be in fact that your true calling is closer to home
than you think. Depending on the size of the company you work for, why not look
at other departments? Derek Murphy, CEO of the booth company (TBC) encourages
companies to look at their current talent pool and provide current employees
with development opportunities. Former director of Thomas travel plc Jim Riley
states: internal recruitment is cheaper
and quicker for companies to fill the roles and current employees who are
familiar with the business and how it operates. So why not speak to your boss and let them
know you think you are due a change? The chances are they will respect you more
for being honest and may even actively assist in looking at other areas.
Take a break?
It may be
easier said than done but this could be an option within your company. For
example Ebay offer 1 month paid sabbatical for employees that have worked for
the company for 5 years. Taking a sabbatical may give you time to work out what
you really want long term. It may give you the chance to do that volunteering project
in Europe you always wanted to do or do that cookery course that you’re
interested in. Yoursabbatical.com offer sabbatical services to companies to
assist with programmes on offer. They believe it is a great tool for companies
to retain valued employees, attract top talent and most importantly revitalise
their workforce. To have any chance of being successful with getting a
sabbatical you would have had to be with a company for at least two years. It
may sound like an unrealistic option but why not explore the idea.
Study and work
You may think that your current qualifications are holding
you back and stopping you from doing your dream job. In these current times, there are many options
to study and get qualifications as well as continue to do your full time job. The Open University offer courses on up to 9
different areas such as: business and law, languages, computing, social
sciences and social care. They currently have 190,000 students. They also offer
flexible start dates as well as home study at your own pace so it can all work
around your commitments. By taking a course it can give you a new lease of life
by working towards something you really want to do in life.
Sean Russell who has been a director of careers departments
for 2 universities highlights the importance of having an “action plan with
dates and realistic goals”. This may include things such as: “spend time on my
CV, attend an employer’s fair or make a list of things you enjoy at work and
some you may not”.
Now is the time to stop thinking about the change and do
something about it. Take those steps towards what could be a great new career
and life for you.
