 Deciding to take the plunge and change your career can be daunting. It means moving away from what you know and have experience in, to pursue something that has no guarantees for success. Essentially, it’s stepping out of your comfort zone, which is the only way to truly grow and develop. To prepare yourself for this big change and to make the transition easier and more enjoyable, it’s vital that you build up your confidence. Here’s a look at some practical ways that you can build your confidence to take on a change in your career. Transferable Skills  People tend to put you in a box based on the experience and skills related to your recent roles. But don’t forget about all the transferable skills you have learnt along the way that are applicable across multiple industries! Documenting these skills is often a useful exercise, whether for yourself or to show to a potential employer. Think about the soft skills that you use in your day-to-day activities; presentation, management, negotiation and sales skills for example can be extremely useful across various industries and jobs. Identify All Your Strengths  Everyone has certain strengths that are unique to them. To build your confidence it’s worth analysing what your strengths are and how these can be applied to your new career. Think beyond hard and soft skills and focus on personality traits that set you apart in the workplace. You can even ask your current colleagues their opinion, to give you another perspective. Preparation and Planning  Being prepared for something is the best way to build confidence around it. Perhaps this means coming up with a contingency plan for the worst-case scenarios, or building up savings that can serve as a safety net in the changeover period. Instead of rushing into a new career, allow yourself the time to explore your options and learn all you can about your new industry and role. Take a short course, talk to people who have made similar transitions, read articles and listen to podcasts. It won’t be long before you’re confident enough to make the big leap! One Step at a Time  Often, simply taking action, even if it’s in a small way, can help you build your confidence and keep you motivated to keep moving forward. This doesn’t mean you should make a drastic change like quitting your job or signing up for a new degree. But taking a small step, even if it’s simply sending an email, connecting with someone on LinkedIn or doing some research into your new career choice, can often leave you feeling more confident as you start moving and building momentum in the right direction. Find Your Support  Changing careers can often leave you feeling quite alone, as the people around you may not understand why you want to move in a new direction. To feel confident in your decision it’s important to find people who are supportive of you and that can help keep you motivated. Whether this support comes in the form of an online or offline community, a mentor in your career of choice, a good friend or an encouraging family member, the main thing is that you have someone you can talk to about your journey. If you are thinking about a career change and want to make sure you avoid the most commonly made mistakes? Then grab our free toolkit that also shares what you should do instead. You can download it here Have a fantastic day! Hanna
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Restarting your career after a career break can feel daunting in many aspects. You don't know where to start and questions like… “I haven’t been doing anything for the last [X] years, what skills can I offer?” or “Who would even consider me for an interview with this huge gap in my CV?”... might be spinning in your head. But the truth is that you have built a wealth of knowledge and skills during your break and many employers would be lucky to have you. Unless of course you are thinking of starting your own business. Whichever option you choose to go, here are four different ways to relaunch your career.  Go with your experience. Perhaps the easiest and safest way to relaunch a career is to focus on what you’re already good at and what you know best. Look at your professional experience and evaluate where your strengths lie and what skills set you apart. Make sure you focus on the value that you’re able to offer, and the skills you have developed during your break, as this will be your competitive edge within your market. You can do this by simply asking yourself how your expertise will allow you to help people or improve their lives? The next step is to challenge yourself to look beyond the core activities of your most recent role and see how your skills can be applied in different ways. Is there the opportunity to use these skills to become a consultant? Or if you enjoy training people, perhaps you can focus on coaching people in your field as opposed to offering these services yourself.  Follow your passion - live your purpose. To be truly successful in your work life, you need to be passionate about what you do. When especially if you are thinking of starting your own business. Ask yourself, do you have a hobby or passion that could be turned into a career? If not directly, then ask yourself why that is a passion of yours. Find the core activity and see if that could be turned into your next career. As the saying goes, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. Meet a need. Another good way to re-start your career is to identify a gap in the market, and find a way to fill it. This way you’re sure to build up a strong customer base quickly, regardless if it is within a company or starting up your own. Plus, it’s great to feel as though you are making people’s lives better with what you do. Are there no good coffee spots on peak morning traffic routes? Is there a global trend that is yet to find its way to a company you know? Whatever the need may be, if you’re able to offer a good solution, you’re next career is secured!  Follow your dream.
Do you daydream of a life you wish you had? Relaunching your career in line with achieving that dream and you’ll be sure to stay dedicated, as every step you take will be a step towards achieving your ultimate goal. If you didn’t have to deal with the limitations of money, work permits or education, what would you do? If you could choose anything in the world to be remembered for, what would it be? By connecting with this long-term vision for the future and making a solid plan for today, you’ll be able to start molding your life into exactly what you want it to be - and your career will simply be a stepping stone on the way Are you now feeling motivated to move to the next step on your career relaunch journey? If you are grab our free toolkit to help you jump over the most common mistakes and go straight for success. You can grab it here. Shine on my friend. Hanna x |
AuthorHANNA GIRLING, wife, mother, business owner, mindset coach, sport enthusiast and forever an optimist. Archives
August 2020
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