ACCESSIBLE CAREER CHANGE COACHING
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ACCESSIBLE CAREER CHANGE COACHING
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It's not always easy to know what career is right for you. In fact, many people go through their entire lives without finding the right fit. If you're feeling lost and don't know what to do next, don't worry – you're not alone.
As a career change coach I see this all the time. I've also seen how coaching steps work wonders for a career search.
The good news is that there are some steps you can take to uncover what career is right for you. In this guide, we will discuss 10 easy steps that will help get you closer to finding the answer!
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1) Identify what's not working for you today
2) List your minimum requirements
3) Identify your core values
4) Note your personal interests
5) Pick out your transferable skills
6) Define your optimal working environment
7) Prioritise your requirements
8) Brainstorm any career possibilities
9) Research industries using your filters
10) Talk with people to learn more
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A great first step is to write down what is definitely not working for you in your job and career today. This could be anything from the company culture to your daily tasks. Once you have a good understanding of what isn't working, it will be easier to discover what is best suited to your needs!
Listing what's not working for you is a helpful way to explore what you might want in a future career. It can also help you eliminate options that definitely wouldn't be a good fit.
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Now that you have a picture of what doesn't work, you should find it much easier to write down your non-negotiable needs from your job and career. These could be things like salary, location, or company culture etc. It's important to determine what would lead to your satisfaction based on an honest and complete assessment of your situation today.
Your minimum requirements will help you filter out any jobs or careers that wouldn't be a good fit for your search or working style. That way, you can focus your energy on finding the right option for you!
By taking the time to list what is and isn't working for you in your career, as well as your minimum requirements, you're already one step closer to uncovering what might be a good fit for you.
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Your core values are the things that matter to you most in life. When you're making a decision, your core values should always be taken into consideration.
Some examples of core values could be:
If you're not sure what your core values are, take some time to think about what is most important to you. Once you have a good understanding of your core values, you can use them to help guide your career decisions.
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This exercise is fairly obvious, you should take into account if any personal interests would actually suit you as a long term career. If you're not sure what your interests are, make a list of things you enjoy doing in your spare time.
Once you have a good understanding of what your personal interests are, there are endless possibilities when it comes to matching them with a potential career.
This does not mean you must match your personal interests with your career. It's common for people to find their work interests are different, and that pursuing them separately provides a nice balance. There is no single answer for everyone, you need to decide for yourself.
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Transferable skills are the skills that you've acquired through your experiences and can apply to other situations. For example, if you're a great communicator, that's a transferable skill that would be valuable in any job.
Some examples of transferable skills are:
If you're not sure what your transferable skills are, take some time to think about what strengths you bring to any situation. Chances are, you have more transferable skills than you realise!
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Think about the type of working environment that would be most ideal for you. Do you prefer a fast-paced or slow-paced environment? Do you like working independently or as part of a team? Do you prefer working remotely or in an office?
Some people prefer a more traditional working environment, while others prefer a more creative one. There is no right or wrong answer – it's all about what works best for you. Once you have a good understanding of your ideal working environment, you can use it to help guide your career decisions.
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Now that you have a good understanding of what you're looking for in a career, it's time to prioritise your requirements. What are the must-haves and nice-to-haves? For example, if you're looking for a creative job, is it more important to you that the job is creative or that it pays well?
Once you've prioritised your requirements, you can start brainstorming any career possibilities that fit your criteria.
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This is where the fun begins! Start brainstorming any and all career possibilities that fit your criteria. Don't worry about whether or not they're realistic – at this stage, anything is possible!
In fact, I recommend thinking of extreme ideas using the following four buckets:
Stepping stone jobs are the jobs you could walk into today if you needed to, the ones that on the same experience level or perhaps a little lower. They might be in the same industry or field as your current job, or they could be something completely different.
Aspirational jobs are ones that you could do with a bit more training or experience. They might be in a similar field to what you're doing now but at a higher level, or they could be something entirely different.
Dream jobs are the ones that you might not be able to do today, or even in the next five years. But they're the jobs you really want to do, the ones that excite and inspire you.
Crazy jobs are just that - crazy ideas that might not be possible or realistic but that you love anyway. They're the ones that make you think "what if... ?"
This is the best way to get as many ideas together as possible for you to narrow down later.
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Now that you have a list of potential careers, it's time to start researching industries. This will help you narrow down your options and figure out which industries are a good fit for you.
To research industries, you can use websites like Indeed, Opportunity Desk or Glassdoor. You can also read articles or books about different industries. If you know someone who works in an industry that interests you, ask them if they're willing to chat with you about their experiences.
As you're researching industries, make sure to keep your filters in mind. Does the industry fit with your values? Are there opportunities for growth? What is the work/life balance like? Is it a stable industry?
You should also think about whether or not you would be happy working in that industry long-term. For example, if you're interested in the fashion industry, is it something you could see yourself doing for the next 20 years?
If an industry doesn't fit with your filters or you don't think you would be happy working in it long-term, cross it off your list.
By the end of this process, you should have a much shorter list of potential careers.
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The final step is to use your narrowed list and research to inform your first conversations with relevant people.
You can talk with family and friends, reach out to people you know in the industry, or connect with experts on LinkedIn. Asking questions will help you learn more about what it's like to work in a certain career, what the day-to-day looks like, what the long-term prospects are, and whether or not it's a good fit for you.
By talking with people, you'll be able to get a realistic sense of what each career is like and whether or not it's something you would be interested in pursuing. You may find that some careers are not what you expected, while others are even better than you thought they would be!
This is an important step in the process, so make sure to take the time to talk with as many people as you can.
Uncover how to change your career today with our quick assessment quiz even if you don't know where to start - TRY PATHFINDER NOW
So there you have it – the ten easy steps to uncover what career is right for you! I hope this guide has been helpful and that you're feeling more confident about your future prospects.
If you'd like to engage with me personally on this, then check out our coaching enquiry page to learn more!