Are you Fighting Fred or Laid-Back Lillie when it comes to steering your career?
Fred is extremely focused and hungry for his next role and takes action to ensure he achieves his career goals.
Whilst Lillie is laissez-faire and likens her career to a ‘leaf in the wind’, accessing roles as they come her way without any real focus.
What is your approach to progressing your career? How do you make positive change happen?
I’m interested to know because I’m currently coaching a Fred and a Lillie.
They are both senior managers and have worked hard to reach the level at which they now operate.
Both now find themselves at a point where they need to move on.
Fred being Fred is no stranger to coaching. Indeed, we’ve worked together before on career development.
Lillie on the other hand has decided to take control and turned to coaching to explore what to do next.
Career Development Questions
If or when you decide it’s time for a change and not sure where to start here are a few questions to ponder upon.
What do you really enjoy?
What are your skills?
What type of environment will enable you to use your skills to the maximum effect?
Of equal importance is an awareness of what you don’t like.
You spend a considerable amount of time at work and there’s no point in being miserable and desperate for Friday to come along.
Start with the end in mind
Another way to think about a career change or progression is to work backwards.
Is there a particular role to which you aspire?
Is the aim for a better work-life balance?
Is a driver the salary that you want to achieve?
Is there an organization that you would really like to work for?
Or do you just fancy a change?
A sanity check
It’s worth checking whether it really is a career or job change that you want, or are there seemingly insurmountable challenges at work and you think it’s easier just to leave?
Ask yourself, would you really want to leave if you could change the things that are irritating you the most?
If so, perhaps you need to discuss these with your line manager.
Use your contacts
If it is time for pastures new, who in your network can help you?
Sometimes a lateral move or secondment to another part of the same business can provide you with the experience or different skills, in which case could you talk to your manager?
If you think your next move is on from your current employer, then it might be worth talking to a professional recruiter or someone who is extremely familiar with the sector that you work in or want to work in.
Mini audit
Another, helpful exercise is to look for a detailed job description that interests you.
Using a red, yellow and green highlighter, identify the skills or requirements that you do have (green) don’t have (red) and might have or have used in the past (yellow).
This mini audit will help to identify an area of focus.
Coaching to progress your career
Making your next career move can be overwhelming, especially if you’re not sure where to start, but coaching helps unravel your thoughts and guides you to the next steps.
If it’s challenges at work that’s giving you itchy feet, then coaching will help you get to the root of the problem. You may even find a way to address and resolve the issues.
Coaching will guide you through the:
- Rationale for moving
- Create a strategy and actionable plan to make the next career move happen and
- Give you the confidence (if that’s what’s needed) to go for that ‘cherry’ promotion or dream job
This is why Fred and Lillie have contacted me and that’s what we’re working on in their coaching sessions.
What’s your next career move?
Whether you’re like Fred who has a relentless focus on his next career move and wants it yesterday or whether you’re like Lillie was, waiting to see what comes along next, do take stock and if you think some career coaching might help then please get in touch.