|
Comment from Heather Wilkinson, coach and founder of Figuring Out and Striding Out.
You may be trying to decide what to do with your career. You might be afraid to make a change or wondering whether the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence. The question is, how can you test the water and experience the opportunities that: • would give you the confidence to make a decision about your new career move or change? Part of the problem in taking the steps into a new career is knowing what you really want to do, whether you’d really like doing it and whether it’s really going to make you happier. It’s sometimes a big risk to take. So, how can you try before you make that very important decision? First steps One of the first steps is tapping into the assistance of a career coach. They can provide a supportive framework to help you figure out what the necessary components of a new career would need to include. This will help make you feel satisfied, confident and happy. The next step is to then tap into some relevant work experience. Work experience placements give you the opportunity to: • establish or develop a track record in a new career area If you could meet, talk and work with businesses in your desired career on a temporary or part-time basis then it can help you to make a decision. It will enable you to try before you commit. That’s why we set up Figuring Out. Figuring Out Figuring Out helps to broker work experience opportunities for our coaching clients. It’s a sister company to Striding Out, a network of businesses across the UK. Our business owners are always looking for talented, enthusiastic, skilled individuals who are keen to work with them. Work experience is often focused on students or graduates. But individuals already on their career path, whether you are in your 20s or 50s, can also try new experiences, change their direction, and step into a new career. Here’s what 30-year-old Simon, one of our clients, says. What triggered you to take up career coaching? I had gradually and slowly become dissatisfied with my career in IT. I felt that I had learnt as much as I could and needed new challenges. I was, frankly, bored! I tried to find ways of making my current career more interesting within the existing companies and doing the same kind of work in different companies. Neither of these strategies worked so it was time to get some advice and input from another person and to make a change, so I took up career coaching with Figuring Out. What type of work experience did you try out? With the help of the coaching sessions and my homework to undertake associated research, I identified some key areas of interest. Figuring Out connected me to organisations that fitted the bill and after revising my CV, I went to meet them to discuss work placements. I decided I wanted three positions in different areas to experience different career options These were fantastic opportunities, which included working with Polecat, co-owned by the former head of innovation at Microsoft UK, and working on a piece of government research for Freshminds. How has the overall experience helped you to figure out your next step? The Figuring Out programme has helped me identify those parts of a job that I do and don’t enjoy and use this knowledge to determine the most suitable career for me. In addition the process of research really gave me a valuable background of information which allowed me to see the “wood for the trees” and gain a clearer view of the paths my career could take. The contacts and network that I have built up in the process have been invaluable for finding interesting and relevant job positions. As a result of my experience and contribution to the companies I was placed with, I was able to secure ongoing work and earn a steady income. If you want to change your career and try a career before you buy into it, then tap into our career coaching and work experience brokerage service. Find out more at www.figuringout.co.uk
Striding Out Polecat Freshminds
© Copyright ngo.media ltd. |
