Archive for career ideas
4 easy ways to brainstorm career ideas
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s my latest video where I discuss the struggle of brainstorming career ideas. Career coaching clients often askme , “How do I make sure I’m covering my bases regarding brainstorming career ideas.” Here are 4 easy ways to brainstorm additional possible career paths for you in the next 2 weeks. Helpful Tools: www.mypursuit.com and www.onetcenter.org are great resources!
Boost your confidence up to re-enter the workforce!
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I was honored to be quoted in this article recently about returning to the workforce and the typical challenges people face doing so, Goldman Wants You Even If You’ve Been Unemployed Five Years. As I mention in the article, I find that lack of confidence is usually the biggest obstacle people face in re-entering the workforce.
We all discount our natural talents to a certain extent. I do this all the time. My mom has to remind me and she quotes me sometimes. I ask her who said that, and she says she got it from me! I discount my ability to make connections between career ideas that other people wouldn’t. To hear what a career coaching client isn’t saying or is afraid of, or to help them identify what’s most important to them, for example.
When we do something that comes so naturally to us, we often assume either 1) it isn’t a true talent or 2) others are as good at it as we are just because it comes so easily to us. When you’ve left the workforce, this becomes worse because you either haven’t used those talents or skills at all. Or if you have it might not be in a traditional work setting so you overlook them because you think they don’t count. You need to realize they DO count. Maybe your skills are rusty, but if they’re something that comes naturally to you, they’re not gone.
Perhaps you need to take a re-fresher course in presentation skills, Microsoft Excel or other software. But it’s like riding a bike, if you’ve done it once, you can do it again. You also need to realize that re-entering can be a chance for you to re-invent yourself as well. This might be your opportunity to enter into a new field or use your skills in another way. So think positively, and figure out how this can be an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
If you’d like more help with returning to the workforce, contact us today for a complimentary consultation.
Hallie Crawford
Job Search Coach
P.S. Be sure to check out our LinkedIn Consulting Program where you can learn how to effectively leverage your LinkedIn account for your job search and ongoing professional development.
What do you want most for your career path?
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I was working with one of my group coaching clients, Hailey, and we were talking over our online career forum. She kept mentioning over and over her passion for running and fitness. She shared how important it was to her, as well as how important it is for personal growth. I reminded her of something that I wanted to share with you as well.
What we want most for others is typically what we want most for ourselves, and vice versa.
Here is some food for thought this week to help you define possible themes for your career ideas. Think about what you feel strongly about for yourself. Is that something you want for others, so much so that you would consider pursuing that for a career path?
Hallie Crawford
Ideal Career Coach
P.S. Are you in the ideal career for you? Find out if you’re in the right career with our Ideal Career Quiz.
Are you close to retirement age but not ready yet?
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With so many employees having to remain in the workforce longer than they anticipated, it’s critical to help them find the right career fit as well. In some cases, when you’ve been in a certain industry for a long time, it can be harder to think outside the box and see yourself in a different role than you’ve been in before.
What if you didn’t like your last career very much which is part of why you’re leaving? One of the things you need to do is brainstorm with friends and family. Work with them to consider other career ideas beyond your former job using a brainstorming technique like mindmapping. You can simply take out a large sheet of paper. Write down the keywords that describe your previous job such as financial analysis, financial analyst, data management or whatever tasks you typically performed. Then write those down. Using thesaurus.com as well as just thinking out loud, write down other words that are related to this and do a quick search using those words on the job boards or on www.mypursuit.com for example. These sites can help you brainstorm ideas.
I’m thrilled to announce we also have someone to help you with your search for that second or final career path for you. Katie Weiser is a Board Certified Coach whose passion is to help clients achieve their career dreams. You can contact us to speak with Katie here.
Hallie Crawford
Job Search Coach
P.S. If you would like more help with your job search and networking, be sure to check out our Free Resources Page today!
Great inspiration for your career journey
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I received an email from a former career coaching client who is starting to live his dream. I wanted to share his story with you for inspiration and also for a few tidbits of advice. I think many people can relate to feeling this frustrated, and could learn from his career journey. Here are some tips from Braeden’s story:
1) Braeden’s career journey has taken some time. I try to remind my career coaching clients often that their dream job won’t just land in their lap. It takes time and effort to pursue and make real. It can take several steps to get there. Braeden says he’s at the beginning of what he wants to do long term – the first rung on the ladder.
2) Braeden combined several passions into one, Latin America and economics. Often my clients have career ideas and they keep them very separate, it’s this or this. Try combining your ideas. See if that improves them or allows you to develop a completely new idea.
3) Braeden said that he stumbled his way along. Career transition can be messy, and not go according to plan sometimes. That’s normal and does not mean you’re on the wrong path. This is part of the process. Make a plan but be flexible with it, and if things don’t go exactly according to that plan don’t read into it assuming you’re on the wrong track. Be willing for things to get a little messy along the way and try to be patient with it. Here’s an excerpt from Braeden’s email:
“…I currently work at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration as a Brazil Desk Officer covering economic and commercial relations with Brazil. I find it fascinating how a discussion four years ago on “American values” and Latin America has led me to a position shaping U.S. trade policy in Latin America. I certainly don’t have a perfect job, but this is a great start and has put me in a great place. I love my office, get along really well with my boss, and get to work on some big, meaningful issues. Moreover, my exposure to economic and other issues Latin America has grown leaps and bounds and I feel I’m just beginning to understand the region. I feel I have a lot to learn but have the ability to make a significant impact on real issues. It is no coincidence I am where I am. Hallie set me on a path to a great new start. I couldn’t have done it without her!”
If you think that career coaching can help you find your dream job, contact us for a complimentary consultation today!
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach
P.S. Get one of the most information-rich career newsletters on the web delivered straight to your email inbox! Check our our Free Newsletter to help you along your career journey today!
Your career path might be right under your nose!
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I was thrilled that our Career Intensive with the Georgia Tech Alumni Association went so well last month. Working with one of the participants reminded me that sometimes the right idea for your next career path is right under your nose. Katie was going around and around in her head with different career ideas, from being a professional organizer, to working in a theater and even thinking of continuing to work in a library as she does now.
Then one day she sent me an email and said she was poking around on Facebook and realized she should try to turn her passion about animals into some kind of career path. She talks about animals needing to be rescued all the time, and in the past didn’t think of this as being a possible career path. She’s gone from emailing me about her career ideas and feeling stuck to writing at least once a week about something new she has found as a possible job with animal rescue organizations. I am so happy for her! Look close by because sometimes your dream job is not that far off from what you are already doing.
If you’re interested in moving forward on your career path through career coaching, contact us today for a complimentary consultation.
Hallie Crawford
Ideal Career Coach
P.S. Are you in the ideal career for you? Find out if you’re in the right career with our Ideal Career Quiz.
Carve out the time for a successful career change
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When I’m working with a career coaching client, one of the very first things I ask them is how committed they are, on a scale of 1-10, to finding their dream job. When they tell me they’re anything less than a 10, we discuss why, and how we can move it up to a 10. The reason is, and I know this from experience, that if you don’t carve out the time to make this transition a priority in your life-it will never happen.
I had a group coaching client once who really started out with a bang. He was making great progress towards clarifying his career direction. He even had a list of possible career ideas he needed to research. And then he slowed down. I checked in with him and he said, “Work’s just been so busy.” I told him that I understood and asked him, in 6 months if he was still in the same job, and hadn’t made progress towards another career, how would he feel? He said he not feel very good about it. We sat down, talked about his list of career ideas and started to cut them down. We created a schedule for his research. This action step is exactly what I’m suggesting for you. Carve out the time in your schedule.
We are all busy, that’s not an excuse. You must find the time in your busy schedule to devote to this work, even if it’s just an hour or two per week. Whatever it is, make the decision and stick to it. Ask yourself what the price or cost is for not doing something about this? In 6 months if nothing has changed, how will you feel? Then look at your typical weekly schedule and figure out when you can find the time for this. Is it one evening a week after work for a few hours? Is it early Saturday morning before the kids get up? Or do you want to use some of your lunch hour for time away from the office to go to a coffee shop with your computer and do some work? Find a way that works for you with no excuses. Remember, there’s a difference between an excuse and a reason. You should know the real difference in your heart.
Hallie Crawford
Career Transition Coach
P.S. Get one of the most information-rich career newsletters on the web delivered straight to your email inbox! Check our our Free Newsletter to help you along your career journey today!
Stuck in a rut with your career ideas?
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I’ve had many people come to me for career coaching who are looking for a specific kind of job, in a certain industry, and have little luck; whether it’s due to the tough economy or something else. I want people to pursue their dream job, and go for the job they really want! But sometimes it’s not going to happen for whatever reason. Don’t give up on the dream, but adjust it.
If your industry was hit hard by the tough economy, (like construction was for example) then those jobs are just going to be harder to find in certain areas. To feel less frustrated in your search, and more in the driver’s seat, give yourself a time frame, like 3 months, to job search. If nothing is moving, start brainstorming additional ideas related to what you’re wanting. For example, if you’re a nurse who’s primarily worked in a private practice; do you need to start looking at hospitals, urgent care centers or for a government or public agency like the CDC to broaden your search? Perhaps you find a job at a university working on a research project. If your search is going no-where, start to think more creatively about what to pursue.
Sometimes we have blinders on and need to consider other career ideas related to your current ideas. Don’t give up on the dream job, but blend being practical along with it.
P.S. Is your dissatisfaction a passing phase or a sign it’s time to move on? Find out if for sure you’re in the right career with our Ideal Career Quiz.
