Self-development

Career Coaching is a partnership between two people:

The coachee (you) and the Coach (me)

A lot of people wonder why they would work with a Career Coach or would like to understand more about what they would get out of the partnership.

From time to time in your career you may need to seek some guidance or assistance with a career dilemma or situation that you would like an external opinion on.  Talking to a Career Coach enables you to present the situation in an environment where all the facts are taken into account and more questions asked about what you think you could do.  This new thinking will enable you to connect to an option that feels like the right thing to do.  You will also discuss what would happen if you took other routes. 

You may need some assistance with your job search, resume or interview skills.  One-off sessions are a great way to refine your skills and ensure you can prepare and practice with someone who has extensive recruitment and coaching experience.

Career Coaching Programs are also available to people who are looking for a new career and have no idea where to start.    Maybe you would like a promotion and need to work on certain areas of your skill set.  By meeting a Career Coach on a regular basis you benefit from a sounding board, someone who has a defined structure to get you closer to your goals.  You will have access to new thinking and various tools that support your plan.

We have helped a number of clients achieve their career goals.  Find out more how myambition can help you by sending an enquiry.  You never know what we may achieve together!

Looking for a new job can be hard.  As time passes and you miss out on roles or do not get calls returned it can be hard to make sure you approach every day and every job application with a positive attitude.

So how do you maintain a spring in your step when there seem to be so many hurdles to leap?

1 – Stick to your plan – keep in mind the kind of role you are looking for and remember to tailor each application accordingly

2 – Spend time researching recruiters – identify which recruiters advertise the roles you are looking for on a regular basis and then contact them – they may be a specialist in the area.  Seek advice and feedback.

3 – Be proactive – identify your network, people who work in the areas you want to get into.  Go along to networking events or lunches and proactively mingle with this crowd.  You never know who may know someone who is recruiting.

4 – Reflect and review – when you get feedback from interviews think about what went well and what you could have done better.  Think about what has worked to get you this interview.  What area of your experience sparked an interest at interview.

It can be hard to keep a positive outlook if you keep getting knock backs but what is the alternative option?

Good Luck.

Career Management means different things to different people.  To some it could be just being in a job, to others being paid well or learning new skills.

I took part in a poll recently on linked in The poll asked as business women what did we want developing or supporting most.  At this moment in time the poll’s results are fairly evenly split with 27% of respondents wanting career management developing or supporting.  (Love that 6% of the respondents were male.)

So how do we all actively manage our careers?  Can we look to our managers, expect to learn new skills with our training and development teams and as mentors or coaches can we coach this skill?

My take is career management is YOUR responsibility.  Your employer owns your contract and you own your career.  Yes… you can seek support but unless YOU have a plan how are you expected to manage it?

One of my clients I am coaching at the moment is doing just that.  Having floated from role to role, positively I should add, her path or responsibilities being laid out and presented to her by her employer she is now at the point where she feels like she should be in control of the next stage.

So here are a few tips to get you in control of your career.

The big picture:

1 – Draw your career as a map – when did it start, where are you now, when have you excelled and where did you feel like you were cruising. Expect zig zags!

2 – What patterns in your personal life may have shaped your professional life – take a look back at your map and see if there is anything that influences your career highs or lows.  More zig zags?

Analysis & Feedback

3 -Assess your skills – what do you think you are good at?  Where are your skill gaps? include both hard and soft skills

4 -  Tap into your network and ask people what they think you are good at?  What could you do better?  Where are the gaps?

Craft & Design

5 – Craft and design your plan – what do you want to get more exposure too?  What would you like to excel in?  Perhaps you want a complete change?  Draw the map of the future.  What does it look like if you are able to make decisions consciously? What personal events may be on the horizon? Wedding? Master degree planned? Overseas trip?

I have done this exercise for myself many times over and enjoy sharing the experience with my clients I coach.

Interestingly with this poll, the least important thing wanting to be developed was communication skills.  So hopefully you know how to communicate so go get what you want by asking for it!

Take hold of your career, plan your journey and enjoy the ride.

Even if it is a bit bumpy from time to time.

PS – My title is Career Manager - is yours?

The World Cup is upon us.  People are locking in the games they absolutely have to watch.  We are fiercely territorial and passionate when referring to our country’s team.

Backing your team, whoever your team is, is so important for the players in the World Cup series.  Wearing your colours with pride.  Cheering the players on.  Encouragement at its best!

Thinking about this in a business sense got me thinking about my own team at work.  Now I am part of a small team in my workplace but also a very important part of a bigger team.  We are all aiming for success in our own way to achieve the goals (pardon the pun) our business has set.  We need to champion each other on – support each other when the going gets tough and above all run round the pitch like crazy when we have scored a goal! 

Come on England! 

(you can take the girl out of England but not the England out of the girl!)

being mentored can be a rich experience

I was at a networking event yesterday where a panel of successful women were interviewed about their achievements.  A common thread to their success was having mentors.  Whether this was during school, uni or the work place, having someone who could support their career decisions definitely helped them get to where they are today. 

So while it is important to get one – how do you get one?  Who should they be?

My previous article on choosing a mentor covers it well.  Take a look.

During my career I have been mentored, and also offered my services as a mentor and both experiences were rich in rewards from a personal and career perspective.

Some people still have no idea that they are my mentors – it does not always have to be someone who is senior to you – it can sometimes be someone who you respect, admire, who motivates and inspires you.

Enjoy looking for yours!

I recently was asked by a group of students to give my Top 5 smart career principles.

1) Take responsibility for managing your career; you own your career your employer owns your job

It’s essential that you take responsibility for managing your own career. Most people tend to be passive and only actively consider issues when they meet an opportunity or face a hurdle. Read full article »

I had a really interesting meeting earlier this week with a senior executive in finance who was seeking my advice on changing jobs.

He has an impressive profile and works for a large listed corporate. We had not met for quite a few years and before we began the interview we indulged in some idle chatter about the start of the footy season. Read full article »

I was meeting with an executive last week to discuss her career and we started with some small talk on the current strength of the aussie dollar and her and her family’’s options for overseas holidays this year. It was clear that she had spent quite some time researching the options thoroughly.

On turning to the topic of her career it was clear she wasn’’t half as well informed or organised. She’s not unusual either; –most people would be in the same situation. It’s ironic when it’’s the success of their career that affords them the opportunity to go on holiday.

Taking responsibility for your career and managing it as closely as you do your holidays or your finances will substantially increase your chances of short and long term satisfaction and success.

You can stay in control of ensuring your skills and experience remain in demand and of value as the economy changes. You can mastermind your career success by making the right decisions at the right times in your training and education, moving jobs and moving organisations.

I suggest you conduct a Career Audit once a year when you fully review your current career status and plan for the future.

It does take some time and thought –and often guidance, – but it’’s a few hours or a day at most every year and like a good holiday its fun and its certainly rewarding.

Enjoy your planning …….for your holiday and your career!

From time to time we need to have a conversation with someone  at work that makes us feel uncomfortable.  Vunerable.  Ill.  Perhaps so far as saying you would rather eat worms than approach the dilemma head on with a conversation!

Courageous conversations are just that.  You have to muster up the courage to  take on whatever it is that is worrying/gnawing/hurting/angering* you in the workplace. Read full article »

I was preparing for my Monday afternoon radio interview this week and thinking about work place friendships.  I have been working for 15 years now and in that time have made some great friends and also had a few ‘run ins’ too! 

In the early stage of our careers I think we all like to be liked and do our best to fit in to the culture that we work in.  However, as we mature, and as our career develops we become more influential and certainly more aware of who we do and do not get on with.

People clash.  Personalities clash.  So what can you do about it?

On my career journey I have been on many different courses whether they were management courses or personal development days the first thing I learnt was more about myself.  Remember those personality profiles you complete, the negative framed questions and questions that seem to ask the same thing over and over?  At the end when you read what type of person you are and (reluctantly) say ‘gee, that’s got me worked out!’.

So to start learning about how to work with others better you need to first take a look at yourself.  If you research DISC profiling you can place your work personality  into one of 4 boxes. 

You can then look around you and start to find out more about what type of personality your colleagues are.  Particularly that guy in accounts that you just never seem to be able to communicate with, without them getting defensive.*

So I was amazed that I could change the dynamic of the relationships I had by identifying more about them.

Whilst I am considered to be an Influencer, I found it hard to get along with the Dominant category.  So by changing my approach, thinking more about how they might like to interact I started to make progress in changing the dynamic of our relationship.  They became a project for me, without knowing it! 

It took a few months but I managed to smooth over the bumps.  When asked in subsequent job interviews about communication challenges or issues this was a great example to use and in turn demonstrated my ability to reflect on myself as well as others.

…and guess what..my personality clash – well we will never be best buddies but at work at least we still get along!

*example has been changed to protect identity!!