Career Advice

Introduction -when thinking about a career change, having a clear idea about the type of job you want, will make the job hunting process a lot simpler. Whether you are a jobseeker, or you are already gainfully employed, having a clear idea of your own career plan, is a vital first step in achieving your long-term aspirations. This article aims to help you think about your career path, by prompting you to consider your ideal job, pay and conditions, practical considerations when starting or changing jobs, as well as where to seek professional career advice...

Your Ideal Job -not many people bother to write down their detailed career plan, in terms of, medium and long-term objectives. Writing down these objectives, (in terms of your perfect ideal job) can be harder than you think. Not everyone has a clear idea what they intend to be doing in 10 years time. Academic studies at Harvard and Yale have shown that graduates who wrote down their long term life goals, were most likely to achieve them later in life, (compared to their peers who did not write their goals down). On the other hand, most of us have no difficulty in understanding how much money we need to make from our current job, in order to pay for our monthly outgoings. Seeking out the job today is usually a practical issue of earning a living. We are all so busy with today, that we devote little thought to long term career planning. Buy how do you know if your next job will be the right stepping stone, along the career path you desire? You will need to start thinking about what you really want out of a job and a career, by asking yourself some very basic questions....

• What are your main skills and interests and level of experience, compared to your ideal job?
• Are you seeking new and exciting challenges, or just want an increase in salary?
• Do you crave status and responsibility or are you content to work for less money, with less stress?
• Are you seeking to work in different types of environments or geographies?
• In order to meet your longer term career ambitions, will you need to retrain or attain further academic qualifications?

Only by being honest and self-critical about your strengths and weaknesses, can you hope to document what you hope to be in the future. A sensible first step is to work with a professional career advice counsellor, to develop your own written career plan.

Ideal Job Package -you may need to seek career advice regarding your ideal job package. In particular, what types of organisations you will be applying for work in the future...

• Are you more suited to working in a large international company, with the chance to move between roles within the organisation over time? or...
• Are you more an entrepreneurial type of person, better suited to a smaller more flexible working environment?
• Are you experienced enough to understand culture differences between companies of different sizes, private versus public ownership, and start-ups versus established organisations?
• How much scope for different types of work experience is there, and what level of training resources resources can your future employer provide?

When formulating your career plan, you will need to write down how much salary and benefits you are seeking. The levels of income and benefits may dictate your choice of career, or job. If higher paid jobs are only based in certain local geographies, such as IT or financial services, you may have to plan to move home to find a suitably paid position. When narrowing down your list of ideal jobs, try and exclude positions that do not meet your ideal working hours or conditions. More and more people are working part-time positions, due to childcare commitments, or are working flexible hours. You should attempt to narrow down your job search by working out commuting times of trains, or car journey times, from your home. If your ideal job is more likely located outside this commuting range, consider the implications in the longer term. Once you have narrowed down your ideal job, you can then begin to make a shortlist of possible companies you would like to apply to.

Local Careers Advice -there are many commercial careers advisors as well as non profit public sector organisations, ready to help you. Some will have face-to-face advisors, other have telephone advisor support. These organisations provide a broad range of services including helping individuals to:- access training and educational resources, understand the job market, find and apply for jobs, produce a compelling CV, practice interview techniques, and recommend ways to progress in a current job. The main career advice providers are as follows:-

• NextStep - nextstep is a free friendly service that offers face-to-face help and support about training, learning and the world of work. Advisers are located across hundreds of offices across the UK
• Connexions Direct - provides a really useful service for young people to access online tools and resources, as well as speak to an adviser on the telephone regarding career and life choices.
• Direct.gov - The Careers Advice Service offers free advice on career change and learning new skills. It also helps mothers returning to work, people with disabilities and unemployed people, to make the right career choices

Contemplating a Career Change? -if you are contemplating a career move and you have been working for the same employer from long period of time, doing the same thing, day in, day out, you may need professional career advice. You may be fed up with playing the office politics games, or you're not getting on with your boss or your colleagues, or being rewarded for your hard work. The first step is to consider what you've achieved in your current position, compared to where you want to be in a few years time. Be honest with yourself when asking yourself difficult questions, such as:-

• What obstacles stand in your way from achieving your desired goals?
• Are you only motivated by money or are there other factors which drive you towards seeking alternative employment?
• What do you like and dislike about your current position?
• What else can you help to achieve by moving to a new company?
• Are you primarily motivated by moving away from your current employment, or towards new opportunities elsewhere? (the grass may not always be as green as you think)
• What external factors outside of your control, are currently damaging your career prospects?

By using a career adviser as and impartial sounding board, the answers to some of these questions may become more obvious to you. If you are sure now is the right time for a career change, searching through job listings can prove a delicate and time-consuming task. If you have already accepted a job offer from an alternative employer, it is important to receive it writing, before you announce to your current employer you are leaving. Simply resigning your current position at the wrong time, without a job offer in the bag, may prove a costly mistake, (and may make you ineligible for some unemployment benefits). Make sure you use up any leftover holiday, and check the terms of your employment contract regarding notice periods. It is probable you will need a reference from your current employer, and they will expect you to do some kind of formal handover. Therefore, take a mature and reasonable approach and be professional in the manner in which you hand in your notice. This will involve meeting with your manager to explain your situation and the reasons why you are handing in your notice. You may find your boss wants you to stay, and offers you a promotion and pay rise to achieve it. Try and co-operate as much as possible to ensure a smooth handover, (while they recruit an alternative candidate for your current position). The more professional you are at the stage, the more glowing reference your boss is likely to provide. Lastly, consider the impact of your departure on the credibility and reputation of your current employer, in the eyes of strategic suppliers or customers. Once you have formerly agreed how you will work out your notice period, arrange meetings with suppliers and customers. It will be essential to introduce your replacement as well as explain the reasons for your sudden departure. If you simply vanished, customers may perceive there is something wrong with the company and withdraw valuable business accordingly.

Starting a New Job - now you have secured a position you are seeking on your career path, it is important to start off on the right foot. The first day in your new job is all-important, in presenting yourself to your new team-mates and boss in the best possible light. Meet everyone confidently and shake hands and introduce yourself. Take an interest in your fellow team-mates and undertake or whatever familiarisation tasks are set, with enthusiasm and vigour. Always be courteous and positive on your first day, and avoid being sceptical or negative when discussing your previous employer. Concentrate on the positive reasons why you left your old job and chose to seek out a position in the new company. It is possible that your new team-mates personal connections with your previous employer, so avoid being seen as someone who is indiscreet, negative and cynical. During the first few weeks in your new career, carefully consider your behaviour and actions towards other team members - you are not part of the inner circle until you have earn their trust and respect. For instance, take a genuine interest in what's important to your team-mates and volunteer to help where ever you can. Discreetly find out about the office politics, to understand what sort of culture exists in the hierarchy you now find yourself. For example, it may be frowned upon for employees to accept personal phone calls, or go home before 5.30, or use work computers to browse the Internet for personal use. Try joining in wherever possible in out of work activities - but remember there is always a group of workers in any company who enjoy one too many drinks at lunchtime. This may reflect badly on you if your work suffers. During the first few weeks of your new job, it is likely that your new manager or boss should meet with you to discuss your performance targets. Most jobs have performance related indicators and associated with an individuals remuneration package or company bonuses. It is imperative you fully understand implications of signing anything, stating that you accept the targets you were given. Job-related goals that are documented and specific, achievable and measurable will be more easy to discuss, (than and unwritten, vague discussion regarding what your boss expect from you in the future). Accepting unrealistic targets may incorrectly provide ammunition for a company to remove an employee, (or put them through some kind of disciplinary process in the future), if those targets are subsequently not met. View targets as a positive method of giving you direction, and the basis for help and support from your colleagues and manager.