Archive for career ideas
Have you narrowed down your career ideas too much?
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I recently spoke with my career coaching client, Damon. He said something to me that I often hear as a career coach and I wanted to share it with you. He said,
“Don’t just focus on 1-2 aspects of your life or what you want in a job because that was where I went off track before. I hadn’t looked at other areas of my life to help me determine the big picture of what I wanted in a career.”
You want to narrow down your career ideas to just a few in order to help you make a decision, but be careful of narrowing down too soon. If you focus too much on 1-2 things in identifying your ideal career direction, you could be narrowing your options TOO quickly and end up with something that’s not a fit.
Try to look at the big picture as well. Consider what would be fulfilling to you, in addition to what you’re good at and the salary you want to make. You also need to consider the right work environment and your personality type. When I work with clients there are actually 8 different things I have them consider on my Ideal Career Model to define their dream job. So think outside the box and look at the big picture. Once you have done that, you can narrow down your ideas from there.
If you feel like you would benefit from career coaching, please contact us today to set up a complimentary consultation!
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach
P.S. If you are interested in furthering your career direction, be sure to check out these free tools, specially designed to help you on you career journey.
Don’t be narrow minded in your career search
Posted by: | CommentsWatch this video as I explain how you should think outside the box with your career search and your career ideas. You can’t be too narrow minded in your career search. What if there’s a job out there that’s similar to the career you’re interested in, but not exactly the same? Try to find things that are related to what you want, and what you’ve done before as well. You have to be creative.
Too many career ideas? It’s time to piece them together!
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This came up in one of my group career coaching calls – One of the participants, Bonnie, was asking about different ways to identify possible career paths that not only would she be interested in, but also qualified for.
When most people come to me they have a list of different career ideas that on the surface look completely unrelated. But, once I start working with them and asking them why they have each idea on their list, themes start to emerge. It’s really cool. You really start to see why they’re interested in each idea, and how their ideas are related to each other.
One of the ways I told Bonnie and the coaching group to find new ideas is to take out their resume, get a highlighter, and start to look for themes in their resume. What similar things have you done in the past? I can almost guarantee that you’ll be able to identify at least two themes you can run with and start piecing your ideas together.
Good luck, if you need additional help with your dream job, check out our Free Resources Page for free tools and exercises you can download right away.
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach
Check out this career tip to help you dream big!
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We all know the saying, “If you start small, you’ll get small.” I always encourage my career coaching clients to think outside the box with their career ideas and really dream big up front. My career coaching client Farah did just that when she shared on a group coaching call a great way to think creatively about alternative career ideas.
She suggested to use Thesaurus.com as a way to input keywords related to jobs that interest you and find other words that you can search by to find additional types of jobs that might be a fit for you. Plug in architecture and see what else comes up with (design, building, construction, etc.). Search for the career you’re interested in and see what alternate or related career ideas it helps you come up with.
I love this idea to utilize another great career tool. Thanks Farah for sharing!
If you need help with clarifying your career direction, feel free to download our free report, Top Three Tools to Identify Your Ideal Career.
Two heads are better than one-Brainstorm your little heart out
Posted by: | CommentsLast week while I was working with one of my evening coaching groups a client, Dave, implemented a GREAT tool for brainstorming additional career ideas. Honestly in my 9 years as a career coach, I think this is the first time someone has implemented my advice so well. Rock on Dave! (Important note: Dave is currently unemployed. He has the most positive attitude I’ve ever encountered in someone who’s unemployed. As a result, he’s had two interviews in the past week.)
This is what happened, Dave had about 5-6 of his friends over last weekend for a career brainstorming session. They sat at his dining room table with a giant piece of paper in the middle, and each person had a pen. They brainstormed possible career ideas for Dave based on what they know about his past experience, his skills and personality. It was popcorn style – anything goes. All ideas go on the paper and you remove ideas that aren’t a fit later.
True brainstorming requires a no-holds-barred approach, because you never know what ideas will lead to another idea that actually is a fit for you. When I was looking at possible career ideas for myself, I stayed focused on teaching as an idea, that’s how I came across coaching. I stayed the course with my ideas and was open to others. If I had shut the idea of teaching down, I would not be doing what I do today.
Dave spent about two hours with his friends, and at the end he had thirty new career ideas he wouldn’t have had before. So invite your friends over, feed them some pizza, and brainstorm. Dave’s friends enjoyed this exercise so much, that they suggested they come back again in two weeks to give them a chance to think of additional career ideas. So brainstorm your little heart out. It can be one of the BEST things you do to define your dream job.
PS. Mindmapping is a great, structured way to help you brainstorm career ideas with others or on your own. Google mindmapping and you’ll find lots of resources that explain how this works.
Finding your hidden talents and skills from others
Posted by: | CommentsI had a group coaching client recently say to me she didn’t know what her challenges were or things she had to improve. And, she wasn’t sure what her talents were either. I’ve been there, done that! Until we know what our talents are, it’s hard to define what career is right for us-and know how we stand out from the crowd.
Here are 2 great ways to get answers to these questions-by seeing ourselves through other’s eyes. This is a blurb from DailyOm on learning more about yourself: “Being with others is a wonderful way to learn more about ourselves. When we see the world through the eyes of other people we become more open to new ideas as well as differing viewpoints, since we are sometimes bound to our own opinions about how the world should be. This sense of blindness lifts when we are with other people, for the more open we are to them, the more we are able to see the various parts of ourselves that we have covered up. Others become a mirror reflecting parts of ourselves back to us and allowing us to see what is both wonderful about ourselves and what we need to improve.” DailyOm.com
Here are 2 examples of how you can effectively learn more about yourself:
1) A great way to uncover hidden skills or talents you don’t realize you have is to ask people who know you well. Ask them this week, what is my greatest strength or what do I do better than most people you know? Listen closely to what they say. Take it in and don’t argue with them.
2) Also, don’t brush off compliments. We tend to do this in an effort to be humble. Guess what-you can be humble and also graciously accept a compliment. Let it in, say thank you when someone says they’re proud of you, or when they say you have a talent for something. Smile and truly accept it.
Here’s to having a career you love!
Hallie Crawford
Career Counseling Coach
http://halliecrawford.com/careermembershipprogram.html- $1 Two Week Trial!
Do You Need a College Degree for Your Career Path?
Posted by: | Commentshttp://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0830/best-colleges-10-new-york-university-liberal-arts-higher-ed.html This is a VERY interesting article about the value of higher education. I understand their perspective. Going into debt you can’t get out of is NOT a good decision, and yes some jobs don’t require a degree. However, I think a college degree is a must. And choosing where/how to make this investment in higher education is just as important.
I was talking to one of my younger, coaching group clients this week, Brittany. She’s looking at colleges and feels that going to school will provide her the training and expertise required to get into her chosen field. In Brittany’s case, I believe a college degree is a must.
No, you do not want to go into debt you can’t get out of, but for many jobs, the degree and technical training is a requirement.
Certainly, there’s more to the college experience than purely an investment decision for future income flow. Part of the college experience is learning to live more independently, transitioning into an adult. You meet people through the college experience that can become your professional network. School is very much a gateway to many professions.
Yes, many successful people have not gone to college or finished (including Bill Gates). However, if you are able to do so, you should. I still think: No I know, a college education gives you an important leg up personally and professionally.
Tell me, what do you think?
Need help identify your ideal career path and/or if a college degree is right for you? Try this, my free Ideal Career Quiz:
Career Search: Adjust Your Resume and Cover Letter to Reflect Your New Career Path
Posted by: | CommentsI want to share with you ways to adjust your resume and cover letter to reflect your new career path. This message is the third of 5 steps to reinventing yourself for your job search or career transition. Listen to this one to help you figure out how to have an effective resume and cover letter.
