In anticipation of the upcoming 4th of July Holiday weekend, I was thinking about the best way to teach people how to navigate their careers and make a job change. As an avid boater, there are many instruments used to help one navigate on the water. The same is true for careers!
Before one can make any type of job change you first need to expand your view of the world of work so you can identify all the types of opportunities that might be available. This requires starting with an open mind and broad vision and then narrowing down to some specific industries, jobs or roles.
At the same time, you need to do some self-assessment to get in touch with your core work values. What is important to you in your 20's will vary from your 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Often it is our values that change and that is what motivates us to make adjustments in our careers. A good career counselor will encourage you to take assessments to help you identify your values so you can target your search in an area that is congruent with what is really important to you at this stage of your life. Additional assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Personality Test (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory and other instruments are also helpful to take. A career counselor can guide you through this process.
In the photo above, my adorable niece, Avery Messerley, is demonstrating the use of a nautical spotting scope. At the same time, you need to do some self-assessment to get in touch with your core work values. What is important to you in your 20's will vary from your 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Often it is our values that change and that is what motivates us to make adjustments in our careers. A good career counselor will encourage you to take assessments to help you identify your values so you can target your search in an area that is congruent with what is really important to you at this stage of your life. Additional assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Personality Test (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory and other instruments are also helpful to take. A career counselor can guide you through this process.
Again, it is not always clear cut. Sometimes you have to try things out or really do some research in advance before you can actually launch a search to move forward in a new direction. And, it isn’t always smooth sailing…In fact, you will face some new challenges and will probably have to make adjustments as you navigate your new course. One of the things I love the most about being a counselor is to help others figure all of it out. It helps to have numerous sessions with somebody who is knowledgeable about the world of work, human resources/recruiters, career tools and so on.
There are so many new websites and tools out there that it is easy to get overwhelmed and not to know what to do first. Plotting a course and figuring out a good job search strategy is the key! It helps to have some trustworthy first mates with you. However, always remember that YOU are the Captain of your own vessel...but it helps to have support during the journey!
After one does some exploration, you have to determine your new direction. There are so many new websites and tools out there that it is easy to get overwhelmed and not to know what to do first. Plotting a course and figuring out a good job search strategy is the key! It helps to have some trustworthy first mates with you. However, always remember that YOU are the Captain of your own vessel...but it helps to have support during the journey!
Just know that every day there are new opportunities that appear on the horizon. I know it may be frustrating and you might even experience fear of the unknown but that is completely natural. Just stay the course and you will arrive at an exciting, new destination of YOUR choice!
So, have a great 4th of July weekend!