Make this Week Matter – with less than six weeks to go until 2018 (part 3)
If you have got this far then you have taken the decision to be Career Conscious in 2018 you have got out of your own way and put some time aside to really focus on where you want to go next. You have begun your research and you are already aware of the market place and what it has to offer you. Your job search planner is completed so you have a step by step breakdown on how you are going to achieve your goal. Your special and different examples are shaped and rehearsed.
Stay accountable to yourself
Seven is being accountable – this is you being in control of shaping your future, keep the vision clear. I am a big fan of the Time Hop app, I love looking back at all of the things I have done but something alerted me to the fact that I have not always loved my job! Nine years ago my facebook was awash with comments about “Thanking Crunchie it was Friday!”, “Looking forward to the weekend”, and “Another bad day at the office type statements.” It has been so long since I felt that way that I had forgotten! I was once again grateful for the fact that I no longer feel that way, it also reminded me that it took a lot of hard work to get to my happy place. This is a big part of the reason I do what I do – I want everyone to find the job they deserve.
Expect the roller coaster
The job search journey can feel like a roller coaster rise, you will feel different from day to day. If this process has been activated by redundancy or a compromise agreement you will have to go through the grief process. Grief? Yes you can grieve for a job, for the company that once was, for the halcyon days before all the changes or the buy out! I often liken it to the breakdown of a relationship; you will feel every emotion going, betrayed by the company, let down by your boss. There are some people who even feel embarrassed by redundancy. I promise at some point all of these negatives will become positive- it will be the best thing that ever happened to you. Redundancy can be the Universe giving you a kick in the right direction.
Be prepared to Cha Cha!
A career journey may feel like one step forward and two steps back or one step forward and a couple of steps sideways. It is becoming normal for people to have two or three distinct careers during their working life. Always ensure that you are putting time aside to check that you are on track, it wont always be plain sailing it may be a bumpy ride. Every position you hold can add experience of different roles and sectors- it’s just understanding the value you have added to each organisation. This experience can be from your volunteer experience as much as any paid work.
Stay positive – Be Kind to your Mind
The last chapter of my book is called Be Kind to your Mind – all too often the job search is a tale of not being good enough, someone else being a better fit for the role. You only need one job; you are the perfect fit for the job you deserve. This process is a two way street – they have to be the right fit for you as well as them. Keep the image of what you want life to look like clear in your head. You can do this!
- Seven – Stay accountable to yourself
- Eight– Expect the roller coaster
- Nine– Be prepared to Cha Cha!
- Ten – Stay positive – Be Kind to your Mind