Making a fresh start – Pause for Thought

Taking stock and re-evaluating where you are in your career is not a 5-minute exercise and nor is deciding what you want to do next.

Preparation for career change is essential and there has to be a starting point. A period of reflection with or without support is essential; so Assessment4Potential has prepared some questions to help you with your initial thoughts and ideas. Don’t worry if you can’t answer each one in great detail, this is more a case for ‘write down the answer that first springs to mind’. Your gut response when you read the question will be most relevant.

Off you go.

1. In what elements of your career have you been most successful? – And least successful?

2. What aspects of your career have you enjoyed the most? And the least?

3. More specifically, which has been the most satisfying role you have undertaken to date?

4. If you had the benefit of hindsight, what different decisions or choices would you have made in your career or life?

5. How do you feel when you get up to go to work in the morning?

6. What parts of your current job do you enjoy the most? And the least?

7. How much do you enjoy working with others?

8. How do the people you work with regard you?

9. What different views do subordinates; peers and senior managers have about you? How does this make you feel?

10. What impact does your boss have on you?

11. How ambitious are you now?

12. What do you want out of the work you do? Are you getting it?

An additional idea is to make a list of limitations that might affect you and your career in the next few months / years. These might include financial responsibilities and issues, family commitments and care, qualifications, where you live and where you work, ability to be flexible about relocation and hours of work, etc. as this list grows, add notes alongside each constraint about how important it is.

You’ll probably be thinking that there are only three main options – unless you want to be self-employed, downshift or retire.

· New role in the same organisation – internal career development can be an excellent way of moving into a new field and learning new skills. Since this option involves staying in your current organisation, there is no distraction about learning or adapting to new cultures or policies and procedures. You also know who is who.

· Similar role in a new organisation – this is often the best bet, as employers tend to be fairly conservative when assessing who they want to join their company. So if you are already in finance, and your are looking for a financial role you are more likely to succeed than someone from a different discipline with a working knowledge of finances.

· New role in a new organisation – this is perhaps the hardest proposition. It is possible to change career direction and companies at the same time, but you will need to work hard at it and be very convincing and persuasive as to why you are making the move and to your ability to perform in the new role effectively.

For more information:

Lynn Tulip Career Management Consultant M. 07801 689801 E. lynn@assessment4potential.com S. margot121 W. http://www.assessment4potential.com

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