One of my favorite career-change sites is Careershifters. I always discover something valuable in their articles that helps a client or two of mine along the way.
I found this gem today and had to share for anyone who is thinking of changing careers or making a move to a new industry. http://tinyurl.com/k4mdkzl
Nobody likes to feel like the newbie…so don’t be one!
You’ve seen these images depicting the difference between what we are taught and the reality of success or achieving our goals. It’s the same for career evolution. For most of us, we draw squiggly career lines without even being aware of it. Squiggles happen because that’s just the way life works. They happen when we connect with a new networking contact, get laid off, agree to a new ”short-term” project, or have a conversation with a total stranger in a coffee shop.
Squiggles are the unpredictable events in a world of things that we try to predict and control.
Knowing about the squiggle phenomena isn’t enough. You could decide that since “random stuff happens” you’ll sit back and put pen to paper to connect the dots after the fact. It is true that with hindsight you can link defining events more clearly; however, you can choose a more active role if you are first open to the curves, and then mindful of things that appear to have squiggle potential. This way, you fully participate in moving the pen across the paper.
Remember these DRAWing tips when contemplating the art of your career:
While you’re DRAWing, don’t forget that:
Look back from where you are now and consider the unexpected connection or chance meeting that led you to your current position. Accept squiggly lines as career reality and you’ll be free to get out of your own way!
Still putting off the job search you vowed to begin after the holidays?
The yearly bonus is safely in the bank. The holidays are over. You’re back to the grind and already feeling drained about the idea of spending another year, let alone another week, doing what you’re doing. It’s time to start looking, but the fear of beginning your job search is paralyzing and you can’t seem to get moving.
Common among job seekers in all stages of their career, anxiety surrounds the search process. Market conditions and state of the economy aside, it feels like you’re putting yourself in a position to be judged. Somebody will judge you on everything from your resume format, to your education, to your work history, to your choice of interview attire. You put yourself in front of others, and then wait to find out if you’re “good enough”. At least that’s how it feels. Even a healthy self-esteem can find the process daunting.
1. Are you stressed because you don’t have it all figured out? You can’t “think” yourself into the perfect job. There is no way for you to be certain that you’re going like what’s next until you try it. Too much introspection breeds paralysis. Think for a little while – but then act.
2. Worried about selling yourself in an interview? Be yourself in the interview. There’s a difference.
3. Transform the “I’m not good enough” worry by remembering that the Hiring Manager is considering if you’re a right match for a position; not if you’re a good and decent human being. You’re so much more than your job title.
4. Take the “I might fail” fear and accept that you might. You can learn tons about yourself (and what you don’t want in another job) by NOT succeeding.
5. Afraid of putting your resume together? Prepare. Have someone else put their eyes on it. Get help from a pro. Same goes for interviewing. If you are rusty, or if you know you’ve bombed before, enlist the help of a mentor for some mock interview practice. Better to “bomb” in practice than in real life.
6. Eliminate some of the fear of the unknown in an interview by concentrating on things you can control: your attire, arriving on time (10 minutes early), bringing a fresh copy of your resume, eye contact, general body language, questions for the Hiring Manager, etc.
7. Set small, attainable goals. (Warning – this may mean disturbing your comfortable routine of wine and FaceBook at night.) So, do you want to make this change or not? Commit to some type of action each day (or every other day) to keep your job search moving. One phone call, one resume submission, one bullet point on your resume is a step.
Fear leads to overthinking which leads to anxiety which leads to paralysis which keeps you stuck. Action, no matter how small, can interrupt the fear and allow you to feel a sense of control over the process. Once you feel like you have some control over the stress of the search, maybe you’ll even want to consider turning any remaining fear into curiosity. And that’s when the magic really happens.