Seven Key Steps To Making A Career Change

By: Clare Evans
Submitted: 2007-01-17 11:43:26
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

We spend approximately 50% of our waking hours at work. Doesn't it make sense to make the most of that time, otherwise what's the point? OK, it pays the bills but shouldn't it be about more than that. The happier you are at work, the happier you can be with other areas of your life.

If work's getting you down or you'd like to try something different, here are a few things to consider.

1. So, are you happy at work? If not, why not? Is it the type of work you do, the people you work with or your boss? What can you do to change your situation? How could you make it more interesting, how could you improve the relationships with the people you work with? Could you do the same thing but for a different company. Could you delegate tasks to someone else in your team?

2. Do you love what you do? What is your passion and what motivates you? What values in your life are important to you - health, money, security, family, relationships etc.. Follow these and you'll be happier in your work and in life generally.

3. What are you good at? What skills and abilities do you have? Where could you make improvements? Training for the job that you do could improve your job satisfaction and your job prospects and could enable you to take on a new role.

4. Where do you want to go? Are you looking for promotion, salary increase or a job change? Sometimes we have to start at the bottom in order to get where we want to be. Have your goal in mind so you don't lose sight of what you're doing and more importantly why!

5. Get yourself a mentor. Find someone you respect, who's where you want to be or done what you want to do. If you don't know anyone at work, is there someone outside work you could discuss your plans with and who would be prepared to give you advice and support?

6. Keep your CV up-to-date. Be ready to take advantage of any opportunity that might present itself if you're looking to change jobs. Alternatively, go out and find those opportunities - if you want to change, you need to make it happen. Opportunities will present themselves if you're looking for them.

7. Take control of your own career. There are always things we can do to change and grow. If you're looking for a new career then spend some time thinking about what you want from your work. What do you value, need, want? What does work mean to you? How important is it in your life? What are the things you're good at, what sort of work do you like to do? How could you create your perfect job?

Sometimes living from day to day is fine but it helps if you have a plan in mind. Where do you want to be a year from now, three years from now? Set a goal "Next year, I want to be doing .....". Then set some specific steps to get you there.

Clare Evans is a Personal & Business Coach. She works with busy individuals and small business owners to enable them plan and organise their time more effectively. You can read more articles on Work Life Balance here.

Receive free weekly Time Tips to show you how to manage your time more effectively when you register for her monthly newsletter at http://www.clareevans.co.uk.

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Careers Employment category

  • Planning for Tomorrow - By: James O. Armstrong
    Following is part three of an interview with Phyllis Slater, owner of Slater Solutions LLC. Ms. Slater has devoted years to providing coaching and concierge services to the working caregiver and aging parent. Visit Phyllis Slater's website simply by Googling the name Phyllis Slater.
  • 10 Powerful Tips for the Newbie Internet Business Entrepreneur - By: Gagan kainth
    Stepping out into the Internet Marketing arena can be a daunting task for the newbie internet business entrepreneur. Here we outline 10 of the most important points to remember before you begin your first campaign.
  • Answer These 10 Question and Start Your Work at Home Based Business Only Then - By: Gagan kainth
    If you believe that the internet is still in its infancy, then you have to be aware that the infancy is almost over. The internet gains its maturity faster. Everybody wants to take advantage of the internet must treat it as if it a mature entity. You've got to be serious about using internet as your business vehicle. If you still think that you can easily make fortune out of the internet, then you may miss the big picture of it unless you are aware of the things you should...
  • The Internet and Employee Productivity - By: Melville Jackson
    American employees of all ages and income brackets are growing increasingly unhappy with their jobs.
  • Tips on Becoming A Paramedic - By: Nick Redding
    Becoming a paramedic is one of the most rewarding jobs, each day is different and each day brings with it new challenges. The most rewarding part of this job is that you get to make a difference to people's lives and often save people from life threatening situations.
  • Background Screening: Gathering the Interesting Tidbits - By: Garret Lloyd
    Background screening is very important when hiring an employee or renting out an apartment. A thorough background screening can indeed dig up important bits of information about a person that he/she might never disclose voluntarily.
  • Field training opportunities when looking at jobs in pharmaceuticals - By: Seb Bult
    Shadowing an experienced member of the sales team is a great way to start your medical sales career. When I had my first job in this area, I spent the first few days with someone who also did field training two days a week.
  • The World Of Graduate Recruitment And Jobs Boards - By: John Bult
    The use of jobs boards is now very popular and offers the graduate a wealth of information and resources when looking for the ideal job.
  • Coping with student loans graduate jobs and long term debts - By: Jac Bult
    During 1989 and 1991 when I attended university the student grants were available to fund study. Shortly after this period grants were replaced by student loans so I was lucky to have fallen amongst the last of the lucky ones.
  • Making the most of job boards in graduate recruitment - By: John Bult
    Jobs boards have become more and more significant in the world of job seeking in recent years. They now offer a wide range of tools which are useful, especially in the ultra competitive world of graduate recruitment. Here is a brief outline of what you can expect from modern jobs boards.