There are always times in our careers when we feel as though we are standing still, losing momentum, or just have a sense of being stuck. Try these suggestions to help you move forward.
1. Shift your focus from where you feel stuck, to what “gets you going”.
We can all be very good at identifying what we don’t like about our work, our roles, our companies. However, to get out of a career rut, we need to reframe and think carefully about what inspires, motivates or gets us excited! When was the last time you had some fun at work? What gives you the biggest buzz in your work?
2. Identify three things that are working well in your career.
List three things where you are succeeding, and happy in work, even in small ways. Be grateful for them. Think about ways that you can grow, develop and expand these areas. Shift from trying to eliminate what you don't want, to creating more of what you do want.
3. Ask yourself what is missing from your work.
For your list of what is “missing”, we need you now to turn this into a positive list to recognise what it is you do want. Be as specific as possible and identify small actions that would improve your current working life.
4. Write a list of positive things you would do or start if you felt completely fearless.
Often we limit ourselves through fear, so bypass this fear to discover what you really want. Be honest about where you do know what you want, but you are afraid. It is powerful to know what you want, even if you experience anxiety.
5. Build a list of strategies to eliminate what might be holding you back.
Develop an attitude of fear busting - create some strategies for dealing with your fear, like action, get support, take a risk, ask for what you want. Think about what’s worked for you in the past, we have all overcome fears (big and small) previously. Identify what works for you and then do more of it. A funny thing happens to the fear when we start taking action! From a distance things can frighten us, but as we take a series of small steps those fears don’t seem half so bad as we get closer to our goals.
6. Motivate yourself by thinking of the cost of staying stuck in a rut.
How are you going to feel about yourself if you are still in this situation in another two years time? We often underestimate the risks of “standing still” in our careers – the risk of doing nothing far outweighs the risks associated with our fear-busting activities identified above.
7. Design your ideal job.
If you could do anything you wanted, without constraints, what would that ideal job look like? What would the financial rewards be? Write a list of what activities you would want in your ideal working life and of what the environment would look like. Those who commit their goals and personal vision to paper are nearly ten times more likely to achieve their goals than those who merely think about it.
8. Think long, medium and short term
Once you know where you want to head, you can work out the steps you need to take today, next week and next month.
9. Ask yourself what you are holding back?
What are you not giving? Where can you add further value in your current job? Fulfilment comes from what we give, and the more you “add value” in your current role the better that people will speak of you, and the more opportunities that will come your way.
10. Move from fantasy to action
Do some of the things you may have been avoiding. Get a friend or a career coach to make yourself accountable to, who will push you to take action and follow up to see how you get on.
For more help on moving forward with your career, contact Jo Mills at Career Analysts on 09 356 9758 or visit our website at www.careeranalysts.co.nz
Negotiating the ‘Political Minefield’
Just about every office has them. The schmoozers, the credit stealers, the do-gooders, the mud-slingers and the back-stabbers. While we generally think we would be better off without them, what would work really be without a little office politics to keep everyone on their toes?
When most people think of office politics they cringe with images of the above-mentioned stereotypes and people often put a lot of effort in to make sure they are not behaving in a way that could be seen as ‘political’ at work. However, office politics get a lot of unfair press. There is such a thing as positive politics, it’s just a case of learning how to negotiate the ‘political minefield’ effectively.
What we don’t know can hurt us
Like the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, it’s not often what we can see that’s the problem, it’s what’s below the surface that can wreak the most havoc. The best approach is to keep office politics out in the open as much as possible. While this may seem counter-intuitive to most people’s definition of ‘politics’, trying to keep your intentions underground and going behind peoples backs will just open you up to being labelled as an untrustworthy schemer and politics may turn against you in the form of gossiping and backstabbing. Engage in ‘positive politics’ in a highly visible way, such as working late to help out a colleague on a deadline, sending a special thank-you email to a colleague that gave you some useful advice or support, or eliciting one of managers or supervisors as a mentor. Don’t get caught up in ‘negative politics’ such as backstabbing, complaining about your boss, or making other people look bad in order for you to look good.
Increasing your PQ
First there was IQ, then there was ‘EQ’, now PQ (‘Political Intelligence’) is becoming a legitimate competency actively sought by employers. Organisations are even beginning to introduce training programs aimed at increasing PQ within their employees. PQ is largely a combination of various social competencies, including social confidence, interpersonal skills and perceptiveness, negotiation and communication skills, behavioural adaptability and diplomacy. While some people seem to be born with political intelligence, for others it’s a skill they have to learn. Working to increase all of the above social competencies should enable you to become more ‘politically intelligent’ in the workplace. Watch those who seem to be able to ride the wave of office politics and work the system, identifying effective behaviours that you can mirror.
Form alliances
Reality series ‘Survivor’ brought alliances into the spotlight – but for all the wrong reasons. It provides a solid example of what NOT to do with alliances. Finding some common ground with others and developing solid relationships with workmates based upon mutual trust and respect will mean that someone should have your back guarded if others are trying to stab you in it. While it is important to have allies, try to avoid becoming part of a ‘clique’ as you may shut yourself out from other ‘cliques’ that could also work in your favour. Relying on one ally may result in a ‘Survivor’ situation if you are both competing for the same prize in the end. Be part of multiple networks rather than just one.
It’s better to be in the loop than outside it, but try to do more listening than talking. The ‘grapevine’ in an organisation is littered with rumours and hearsay but it is also a key mode of communication throughout the organisational hierarchy. Tune into ‘Office Politics FM’ for the latest updates and inside info.
Be visible - Play the game
While people often want to steer clear of office politics and keep a low political profile, this often does not do them any favours. A low political profile often translates to a low career profile within the company. Though it seems unfair that those who work away quietly and consistently often get overlooked for promotion or pay rises in favour of those whose efforts are more intermittent but who practically use a megaphone to advise everyone of what they have accomplished - Cest la vie. How can you really expect to be promoted on your efforts if no-one knows what you’ve been working on? Try sending your boss a weekly update ‘for his/her information’ on where you are at with certain projects or clients.
Like the old saying goes “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!”
In these times of maximum change with many of us experiencing up to five or more careers in our working life-time, it is even more important that we manage our own career. The following tips for strategic career management will ensure that you are both marketable and fulfilled in the work you do.
1. Think like a business owner – even if you work for someone else!
You can no longer count on your employer to manage your career for you – you must do it! What problems or needs can you solve? Anticipate trends and needs, and act accordingly. Think always of where you can add value to your organizations business and services. By contributing more value, more opportunities will come your way and of course you will get a great reference – which is absolutely critical for your next step.
2. Build your career capital.
Kerr Inkson of Massey University suggests we should all become “career capitalists” – creating out own career security through continual investment and development of our career capital –through building our skills, knowledge and contacts. What is your R&D strategy for future skills development?
3. Nurture your network.
Have lunch with someone you know professionally at least once a month. Keep your name on the “radar screen” so that you can immediately tap that network if you are facing redundancy or wish to change jobs – and can return the favour for them! 25% of us will change jobs each year, so it’s just a question of time when your turn is up!
4. Learn a new skill.
If you haven’t learned a new skill – job-related or not! – in the past year, it’s time. We live in an era of lifelong learning, and if you don’t keep your skills fresh you not only lose marketability – the challenge and fun of your job evaporates into the staleness of daily routine.
5. Find ways to be more valuable, even in your existing job.
Take on a new project, head a committee to plan the company picnic, or set up information-gathering meetings with people in other parts of the company to learn more about what they do.
6. Demonstrate your value proactively when annual review time comes.
Rather than relying on vague statements about feeling like you’ve improved over the past 12 months, keep a record (file, folder, or computer document) of your accomplishments during the year. You can use these both to support a request for a promotion or raise at annual review AND to keep your resume current in case a new job opportunity comes along.
7. Keep yourself current on trends in your company and industry.
Do you know the top 10 companies in your field? Where the new products or services are headed? Do you regularly read your industry publications? This knowledge will make you more valuable to your existing employer, enable you to challenge yourself with new assignments, and facilitate a transition when you need to make one.
8. If you’re seeking a new job now, don’t limit yourself to the published (or advertised) market!
Develop a network that goes outside your existing industry or profession, and don’t be afraid to ask people for help. But be specific: “Who do you know that I should be talking to? This is my goal…” is a great approach.
9. Keep your resume up to date.
See secret number 6 above for tips on this.
10. Decide where you want to be in 5 years – and start taking steps toward your goal.
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably get there,” as the saying goes. If you could create your ideal life, begin living it right now and be where you’d love to be in 5 years, where would it be?
If you would like assistance in maximising your career success, check out the Career Analysts website www.careeranalysts.co.nz or call Career Analysts on 356 9758 for an information pack on career coaching. Ordo you want to be a career coach? Join our free newsletter at www.careeranlaysts.co.nz for more information.
Do you remember dreaming about the future as a child? Perhaps you wanted to be a doctor, a movie star or a pilot? The possibilities seemed so real and achievable then, yet sometimes, the older we get the less of a reality our dreams become. A commonly held perception by my clients is that they are too old to change careers or too old to start something new. Other objections include fear of failure, worry about employability or a reduction in salary.
So how do you live your dreams without risking it all? Well if you aren’t ready to take a big leap, think about how you incorporate your passion into your current life. A slow transition to a new area can be incredibly rewarding – you can keep your day job, try out a new career, and have fun along the way.
Erin, from Hootchy Kootchy Girls (check out www.nzburlesque.co.nz for upcoming shows) has done exactly that. Erin has a full-time day job, but by night runs a classy burlesque show. Burlesque is a broad term which covers anything from the raunchy dancing style favoured by Dita von Teese to the more conservative, theatrical and slightly comedic style used by the Hootchy Kootchy Girls. It all sounds incredibly glamorous, but Erin was also quick to share the real behind the scenes action of sewing, rehearsing, booking venues and marketing. So why do it?
Erin’s second job as the Hootchy Girls Manager, is a reflection of her performance and people talents, what makes her smile and gives her joy. It has taken perseverance and discipline, but by indentifying what she is good at and developing a clear vision, Erin has created her own opportunity to live her dream “you need to go back to what speaks to –something that makes you smile, and fills you with joy and humour”.
So how can you create your own opportunities to live your dreams?
Find your passion
Think about what you love doing? What draws your attention in magazines? What is it you are doing when time seems to fly?
Create your own opportunities
Erin spotted an opportunity in the New Zealand market several years ago and decided to create a dance troupe to take advantage of this gap. Over time this may transition to a full time role, or it may just continue to add extra variety and fulfilment to her existing career.
How can you do this with your passions?
You could volunteer, take classes, start a club, work part-time, or make friends with people who have similar interests. Think about someone who always wanted to be a make-up artist, but doesn’t want to stop work to complete the training or do it full-time. Could they fulfil this passion by helping out local theatre groups with make-up? Do a part-time course? Writing articles or e-books on make-up for beginners? The opportunities are out there – you just have to take some action to get the ball rolling!
Keep exploring
Sometimes we try something and it doesn’t work, or it turns out we don’t like it as much as we expected! That is actually good news. If you always hold on to a dream but do nothing to test it, it will hold you back from forming new dreams. The more things we try, the more information we have to make great career decisions.
Don’t wait for your lucky break – start creating your own opportunities, give yourself permission to start living your dreams, and see the amazing benefits that result.
For help in finding your passion, go to www.careeranalysts.co.nz or contact Career Analysts for more information on 09 356 9758.
You might be leaving your job for lots of reasons – you have a new role, starting study, going on your OE, have had enough of your job or it may just not have worked out as you hoped.
Whatever the reason, how you exit your old job, is just as important as how you start a new job.
It is tempting to slack off and relax during you last few weeks at work, particularly if you dislike your job. But doing so can impact on your future prospects in ways you can’t predict.
Regardless of how you feel about the company, boss or colleagues you are leaving, it is in your best interest to manage your exit positively. This applies whether you are resigning or you have to leave. You can control how you behave as you exit that business. Your notice period is your time to really show your ability to be professional, impress with your work ethic and leave with the best reputation possible.
What impression do you want your manager or your colleagues to be left with of you?
Many people feel that if they have done a great job in the past, that they can ‘coast’ in the last few weeks they are working. Doing this can destroy your reputation very quickly, and because it is recent, your behavior during your notice period will stick in people’s minds.
A good idea is to pretend that you will be returning to that job and those people in a few months. Make sure they would welcome you back if this was true!
Plan your handover and complete tasks
What do you want to finish before you go? What do you need to handover to others? Make a list of your regular tasks and talk over with your manager how these should be handled. Figure out what you can do to make the transition of your job tasks easier and make it happen.
The easier you can make it for your boss and the person who fills your shoes, the better you will be viewed. You will also be able to leave knowing you have done what you needed to do, and can feel proud of your efforts.
Manage your networks
Decide who you want to keep in touch with and set up coffee or lunch to thank them for their support and help. Update your address book or contacts list so you can have all the numbers you need. Send emails once you start your new job, letting people know where you have gone to and organise a catch up within about 6 months to keep the relationship alive.
Make sure you keep professional at work, avoiding gossip or badmouthing people – just because you are leaving doesn’t mean you can tell people what you really think of them! You never know whether that person might be a new prospective client, a future boss or relative of your new manager. Rumours of bad behavior can also follow you to your new role and impact on the opportunities you are given there.
Leave with the best exit possible
It is up to you how you want to leave your job, but remember that this is the last impression this employer will have of you. You may need them to provide you with a reference in the future, or who knows, you may want to work for them again.
Pull out all the stops, work hard and complete what you can so you can leave with your head held high. After all, it is only for a few weeks! People will remember how you left and your reputation will be intact.
If you would like assistance in making a career change, check out the Career Analysts website www.careeranalysts.co.nz or call Career Analysts on 356 9758 for an information pack on career coaching. Or do you want to be a career coach? Join our free newsletter at www.careeranlaysts.co.nz for more information.
We talk a lot about development and growing our skills. And this is a great idea. But your current job competence and your ongoing success is going to be based on how well you leverage your strengths and talents. By planning your career around using your talents, you will be able to become an expert more quickly, perform at a higher level and get paid more!
Our talents are often based on the things we enjoy doing and it make sense to focus our attention in that way. It is so much easier to invest time and energy in learning things that we are naturally interested in.
Close your eyes for a moment and think about what you enjoy doing - the times when you feel relaxed, energised and happy - the moments at work when you are feeling 'in the zone'. You can probably identify some common themes across those different moments. For example, were you surrounded by people? helping someone? working out a problem? immersed in technology?
Thinking about those key themes, pull out the strengths that you demonstrate in those moments. Are you a great coach? able to get to the heart of a problem quickly? able to implement a process correctly? can pinpoint errors in spreadsheets?
Write down the key talents that you possess right now, and then rank them in order of enjoyment.
Using my talents in my career planning
Once you know your talents, you need to make sure that you are in a role that utilises them. Each of us have different needs for competence in a role, but most of like to know that we are doing a great job most of the time.
If your current role or business doesn't utilise your greatest talents most of the time, then you are missing out on the opportunity to be a great performer, make more money and get real satisfaction from your work. It is difficult to be great at your job if you are working in an area that you don't enjoy and that doesn't utilise your key strengths. Talk about making life difficult for yourself!
That doesn't mean we should stop learning. We should always be striving to take our talents to the next level of expertise and also adding to our skill sets.
When thinking about your career plan and your next steps, go back to your list of talents and map against the opportunities that come your way. Your talent list becomes a decision making tool that you can use to target your job search focus or to say yes or no to projects, promotions or training.
Leverage your talents
The more you demonstrate your strengths or talents, the more capable you seem overall, and the more opportunities that will come your way. You can do this by:
· Find ways to train others, lead projects, write articles or present at conferences in your area of expertise.
· Continually grow your expertise in your strength areas so you become the ‘go to’ person for any questions.
· Make sure you have a comfortable mix of tasks that you can already do well and new learning in your role.
· Try to avoid the areas that you aren’t so great at, or just dislike doing. Systemise, delegate or eliminate these from your role as much as possible.
For a quick, online way to get a list of your talents, go to www.careeranalysts.co.nz and click on the Online Career Tools tab to sign up for our leading edge assessment tools.
We change and grow through the things we read (or watch) and the people we spend time with. Who are you allowing to influence you?
I share my car journey to work with mentors from all over the world. I listen and learn from people in my field, motivational speakers, specialists in business growth and anyone else who has a great message. Through my CD player, I have built a morning MasterMind Group who inspire me to make the most of the day.
I also go to conferences, read books and spend time with people I admire. I know these people all shape my thinking, so I am very careful about who I listen to.
Successful people surround themselves with people they can learn from. If you want to be successful in your chosen field, you need coaches and mentors to help you get there.
Build your MasterMind group:
- Get CDs, Audios etc of international gurus that you admire. Pick one guru from each of the areas you want to learn more from and get lots of their material - focusing on that guru for a set period of time (e.g. Dan Kennedy for direct marketing or Tony Robbins for personal development), and then once you have absorbed their material, move onto another guru in that field to get another perspective.
- Read autobiographies of those people to figure out their success secrets
- Join networking groups where you will find people that have succeeded in your chosen field
- Create your own monthly or quarterly group of people where you set goals, discuss strategies to reach them, and celebrate action and progress
- Be careful about who you accept advice from. We all have lots of people in our lives who love to give us advice. And sometimes those people are right, but they also often have their own agenda. They may love you, but they may not have the right answer for you. Ask yourself - are they successful in the area they are giving you advice on? Weigh up the advice that you get, and only act on what will take you closer to your goals.
- Pick a mentor who is successful in your area, and take them out for lunch or coffee quarterly. Get their ideas and thoughts on your career goals - and try their advice. There is no point in asking for advice, if you don’t give it a go.
Constant learning is a key career success strategy. By not doing this, we don't just stand still, we go backwards. Keep the momentum going in your career - open your mind to new possibilities and proactively source new learning and watch how this will help you succeed.
If you want our assistance to maximising your career success visit our online career centre at www.careeranalysts.co.nz or contact us at jo@careeranalysts.co.nz- we’d love to help!
The nature work is changing and this change is accelerating all the time. We can no longer expect "the job for life" that previous generations experienced.
The concept of career entrepreneurship is that each of us is responsible for our own careers – we need to read the market, anticipate trends, innovate, do things differently and as discussed in previous blogs, build our own personal brand.
In the old world, we could leave responsibility for our career growth with our employers, these days no-one but you should be taking responsibility for your career. Careers are no longer linear, and are far more like a lattice or a "snakes and ladders’ board where we are moving sideways, down, and across every bit as much as up. Those entering the workforce today are more likely to change jobs, and even careers, far more frequently than generations before us.
It is therefore essential that all of us be able to anticipate change, to be innovative in our approach, to think ahead what our "customers" want and to be able to deliver it with speed and quality.
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Career entrepreneurs own their career and build it with vision and imagination. No-one has your unique set of talents and skills. While that vision of the future may be hazy, the career entrepreneur moves ahead regardless. The end of a working relationship with a company is not seen as cataclysmic, rather it is seen as part of a natural progression towards a new and more interesting opportunity.
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As an entrepreneur does, you can also benefit from a board of advisors. Who would you like as part of your Board of Directors? Who can you learn from? Choose people with specific expertise, knowledge or contacts to help you. Include dreamers and efficiency experts and those who will help you keep on track as you build your career.
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Think carefully about building your own brand identity. What do you want to be known for at your place of employment and with those you deal with beyond the organization. Do you want people to think of you as the person "who delivers ahead of promise and with a smile everytime"? or perhaps "Bring it to me if you want it done!".
We have seen many people offered exciting opportunities by their suppliers and customers once their commitment, attitude and quality of work is perceived by others.
Thinking like an entrepreneur means you need to view your career as your own business, build a vision, be prepared to adapt, move fast on your feet and also reap the rewards of daring to be unique.
If you want our assistance to become a career entrepreneur and build your own brand visit our online career centre at www.careeranalysts.co.nz or contact us at jo@careeranalysts.co.nz- we’d love to help!
A core career success strategy is getting yourself organised.
Have you ever worked with someone who always looked like they were stressed out? They may have piles of paper everywhere, messy personal presentation or that look of panic in their eyes. If this sounds like you, then you are not alone. Most of us can relate to feeling overwhelmed - like it is all too much.
But, if left unmanaged, this can be a serious career derailer.
You want to present an air of competence, calm and self-assurance - not complete chaos! If you seem disorganised, then people are less likely to trust you with important tasks, listen to your ideas, or invite you to meetings or conferences. You are also less likely to be invited to join other career building projects or initiatives.
Immediate Action - Look the Part:
- Spend 10 minutes before each meeting pulling together your thoughts and notes. Make sure you appear professional (check your hair, teeth, clothes) and spend one minute relaxing before the meeting so you are calm when you walk in that door.
- Always get places early - leave 10 minutes earlier than you think you need to be there. Take a notebook with you so you can always use extra time to plan or think through business problems.
- Speak slowly and calmly. Don't rush your speech and use a low tone. It will convey calmness.
- Walk purposefully but calmly - stop rushing.
- Clear your desk. Put your paper in files, a drawer, in your briefcase, anywhere that people can't see it. Only have out you are working on that moment.
- Make sure your Meeting folder (compendium or briefcase) is new looking, tidy and has a zip so your papers don’t spill everywhere. Take out anything that looks messy.
Remember appearances count. Even if you are not organised, you should at least look like you are.
Further Action:
- Figure out what are the real 'fires' that you have to fight. Write down the urgent tasks that perpetually come out and figure out if you can manage them differently. If not, leave time in your schedule each day to manage them.
- Leave space to do nothing in your diary. Our best ideas often come from ‘downtime’.
- Get some help with organising your filing and desk - make it easy to use and to remember.
- Spend 10 minutes each day sorting your paper and filing or binning. Don't let it build up.
- Add a decent time buffer to projects wherever possible to account for emergencies.
- Read First Things First by Stephen Covey and get your priorities in order.
- Ask yourself how you could do certain tasks more efficiently (e.g. sign up on Internet banking, create automatic payments, order some of your groceries over the net and have them delivered, hire a student to clean your house… )
- Cross out things that you don’t need to do (Say NO).
- Focus on what is important. When you are considering an additional commitment don’t say yes right away. Consider how it fits in with your bigger goals and the way you want your life to be.
- Delegate as much as you can (Can you share duties with other family members? Anyone else going to the post office? – can they post it for you? etc…)
As with all changes and improvements, learning to manage your time is a skill you can consistently improve on leading ultimately to a more balanced life, more career success and better stress management.
What will you do today to help improve your management of time?
At this time of the year, we often have customers who have decided that this year they want a new job. They have a clear goal of finding a new employer or job and moving away from their current environment.
This blog entry is not for those people. It is for those of you who have decided to stay in your current role for a bit longer and have returned to work after a holiday. It is easy to get back into the standard routine of things, but if you really want to maximise your career success, you need to be thinking smarter than that.
Like your physical health, fitness or relationships, you need to continue to invest time and energy to maintain or exceed your current level of satisfaction.
Ask yourself these questions. At the end of this year:
- What do you want to have achieved at work?
- What skills will you have developed?
- What 'wins' do you want to add to your CV?
- Who will notice your work this year?
- What relationships will you have built or improved?
- How will you be better positioned for a promotion?
- What will you do better?
- What kind of reference would you receive if you needed one?
I encourage my clients to set an imaginary exit date from their current job. It might be 12 months, 2 years or 5 years for example. With that exit date in mind, what should they be doing right now to achieve what they need to in their role? Although the exit date is imaginary, it puts a time constraint around their achievement in that role. This helps to take action to make most of this time.
Set yourself some career objectives today for this year based on your answers to the above questions. Think about 12 months from now and what will be different. Create a plan on how you will achieve your goals, and take one step towards them today.
Be proactive, planned and energetic and achieve your career goals for 2008 and watch your success soar.
If you want help with creating a Career Strategy or maximising your current success, visit our website at www.careeranalysts.co.nz or call Jo Mills on 09 353 0957 at Career Analysts for a confidential chat.
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