As we start the New Year, this is a time when we look for a fresh start. January is the month when most employees think about a career change, either as part of their new year resolutions or a more considered, focused activity.
Recently, a friend shared that he had been thinking of a career move at work. He is very experienced in the job and passionate about what he does. He was considering applying for a senior role as part of his career progression. When I asked him about putting a plan in place to focus his thoughts, he told me that at this point in time, he was just curious to know if he was ready to progress.
I then read an article on curiosity and how it enables one to become courageous, giving you the energy to explore options, have fun and triggers the capacity to draw inspiration from the most surprising places. That got me thinking about the role of curiosity in career management.
The first stage of career management is readiness to engage with the process. Your heart and mind (yes in that order) should connect with your actions. Your curiosity to find out if the career direction is a good one or the right one for you will help you to address some of the following questions:
• Why am I seeking this change?
• What do I want to achieve from it?
• Who will be affected by the impact it will have on my life?
• How will it fit with other parts of my life?
• What will the change require of me?
• Am I ready to take steps to achieve that change?
If you feel that you are in a rut, or that you don’t have any specific skills then it’s time to let your curiosity get the better of you and put it to the test!
6 Steps:
1. Have fun checking out some of the roles you are interested in
2. Get your support team in place (a family member, a trusted friend, a colleague or a Coach) who you could bounce ideas off and who will keep you motivated
3. Get feedback on your current performance at work (this will help to identify your strengths and raise your awareness of any gaps you need to focus on)
4. Keep focused on your learning, whether directly or indirectly related to what you might want to do
5. Take Action! Apply for the job, take a class, improve a particular set of skills or become that better person!
6. Evaluate the progress you have made
So, having done all that, you may be still unsure about how you will cope if things do not work out as you envisaged it. “What if I’m no good?” or “What if I’m taking on more than I can manage?”, I hear you say. Well, this is where your personal skills and character can help you to rise to the challenges ahead …
• You are more resilient than you think.
• You are more determined than you know.
• You have more interpersonal skills to engage with others than you may realise.
You may be a methodical or experimental learner. You may have a creative approach to problem solving or get your inspiration through your desire to innovate. We are all unique and equipped with distinct and varying abilities. The exploration of your skills and abilities will enable you venture out of your comfort zone and help you to step out of any limiting or negative self-beliefs to take those first steps towards achieving your career goals.
Procrastination is not an option! Go make those Transitions. Remember that this is YOUR goal so do it your way! Until next blog…
Denise
Career Coach
