Career Path and Your Parents.

Why are so many of us unhappy at work and in our careers? Why are we chasing a new career path? There are probably as many reasons as there are unhappy people, but there are a few underlying factors which influence many of us. It could all stem back to when we were at school and the career path advice you were given by your teachers, career advisors and parents. Did you find that useful?

My personal experience was a 30 minute discussion, with a teacher, not really taking into consideration the things I liked doing that would make me have an enjoyable career. I was 14 years of age. What was your experience like? However, at the same time as we get older and worldly wise, we face and experience different challenges that make us the person we are now.  So the career we are in may not fit the person we are, too much conflict.

It is not uncommon that parents often try to influence their children by addressing or rectifying career failings of their own by planning the careers of their children.  This may work if the children share their parents dreams, but that isn’t always the case. A client of mine Derek told me that he didn't really want to be a lawyer, he was maintaining a family tradition, it was not a career choice he made wholeheartedly. Another common occurrence is that when parents, want the best for their children, they often advise them to undertake a career choice that will provide financial stability, with constant demands for services.   It can be hard for some to go against their parents wishes, but you need to make the choice that is right for you. Did you feel pushed into a career by your family?

When you step back and think for a moment, how can a 14 year old, or even an 18 year old, know what career choice to make for the next 40 or so years? In fact, how can anyone know they want to follow a particular career, if they’ve never tried it? You can't be sure, so if you are contemplating a career change it is important that you try to understand all you can about your proposed career choice.

This will vary according to the career path, you are considering, however there are some fundamentals essentially for all new career paths.

There are several things you can do: first of all, read everything you can find about the line of work, including careers leaflets, books and relevant websites. If after this you are still interested, two of the most important steps you can take are: getting as close to the job as possible and talking to people already doing it.
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If time permits, in some cases volunteering, could be a good way to understand what the new job would consists of.  It would not need to be a full time commitment either. 

It will never be guaranteed that a career choice will be the one for you forever, as mentioned to you earlier, you mustn't forget that your interests will change over time. So be prepared to change careers at some stage of your professional life.  However, if you do your research thoroughly, you will have a much greater chance of finding a job that will satisfy you and enjoy.

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How to decide your Career Path

At some stage of our careers, we all pose the question to ourselves whether this is the right career for us, or if an alternative career path needs to be sought.How does one decide one's career path? This could be the best decision you have ever made or one that could be disastrous.

There are many of us who have taken a formal education route before stepping into the business world.Undertaking this route helps the individual undertstand more about their subject area and the opportunities that it can present.

In most career paths you begin your trade at the bottom,  you don't hear of many people becoming  Managing Director on the first day of their working lives. For example art is considered by many, rightly or wrongly a hobby. What you find is that not many desire from the beginning to become artists for a living. It can be a long haul struggle within art to get your work recognised and then get some value.  It is advisable that you set some expectations from the off, so that you have a general undertsanding of the trends in the profession.

You may be an individual that your career path is decided by the strong belief in your capabilities. Many entrepreuners have felt this way on gone on to build empires. We are all not this way inclined, however, some of us may have sales persons mentality and believe they can communicate and sell anything to anyone, so have no fear and a genuine like for sales. It is being corageous and having confidence like this which helps an individual to find their natural talent, they acknowledge they have a temperment for this type of work.

Time has illustrated People with determination try and succeed wonderfully in their own interest and work. Kalpana Chawla, the astrona Scientists like Einstein, Edison with their independent thinking and research reached a position which is unrivaled. Abraham Lincoln chose politics and social work as his line and after numerous failures, became one of the most revered Presidents of the US. Gandhi and Martin Luther King chose the path of social change. They pursued their hearts and achieved their goals.

The opportunity for pursuing one's natural talent always exists. Its how one recognizes the same and then pursues the instinct that decides one's fate.

Should I change my career path?

At present are you unhappy with your career?  If you are, you may have considered a different career path. If this is a topic that has been on your mind for a long time now, it may well be in your interests to continue reading.

If a decision has to be made as to whether you should consider changing your career, or indeed your job, there are a number of important factors you need to consider. These factors are crucial because no two situations are the same. Each individual has different responsibilities and accountabilities, so do not compare yourself with others.  

Assessing the points below to help you obtain some understanding of where you are at and if looking at alternative career choice is prudent at this moment.

A key consideration, the most obvious of all, is whether the new career path you decide upon will match the salary that you are presently on. Will you be able to sustain the life you presently have? Or are you not motivated by money, so this is not an issue. However, you may find you may have to work from the bottom, are you prepared to do this? Are you a person that titles and responsibility mean more to you than money?

It is important once you have made a decision on your career path, that you undertake some form of research. You will need to assess the relevant training required, qualifications, particular skills. Many individuals fail with this step and realise that they are not qualified for their dream job. If you do not have the necessary training, you may want to consider enrolling in a course to raise the skill level you require. An employer will look favourably on your application to be more of an asset.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, should you be interested in changing jobs and embarking on a new career path.  

Do not take this decision lightly, it is an important one, be thorough in your assessment of your present career and financial position.

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In Demand Career Skills

If you are embarking on a career change don't be put off thinking you do not have the necessary skills, we underestimate the amount of transferable skills we have.

The question is asked by many, what do employers want? Naturally, as you'd expect for each role, the particular answers to that question will be different. However, there are some common skills that employers look for in ALL employees, whether the employee happens to be a network engineer or a chef.

 In Demand Career Skills


PERSONAL SKILLS‚ Can the potential employee communicate well? Can they converse with clients in a constructive and informative manner? While not everyone has an outgoing  personality, sought after employees can communicate in a non confrontational way positive manner with their colleagues,  subordinates, management, and customers. This is a vital skill, that plays a huge part in an organisations success.

JOB ATTAINMENT‚ Undertaking a job search is a process that requires a great deal of focus and application to be conducted successfully. It is akin to the old adage, Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you put a limited amount of effort in, you will receive average results. An employer is looking for an employee who know how to project a positive image and display an enthusiasm that is deep within them and a genuine interest in the companies they approach. Employers are seeking employees who know how to present themselves in a positive manner and who display enthusiasm and knowledge about the companies they approach. Employers assess a candidate not only on their skills and experience, but how they approach their job search. The candidate with bundles of enthusiasm and less skills than their counterpart, has more chance of securing the role.

JOB SURVIVAL‚ In this climate, where organisations are making redundancies, it is often about numbers and profitability, but crucially about employee performance. plays a significant factor. It has been proven that employees who have regularly illustrated their worth, taken initiative, and made themselves a valuable asset to the company have less chance of  being part of the redundancy process than employees who apply mediocre or average efforts in their jobs. If you can sustain yourself within a company undertaking redundancies or even moving up the career ladder is a skill that is learned and is consciously grown among successful professionals.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT‚ To stand out from the crowd, you need to learn or burn, this is especially key when you are undertaking a career change, typically, when you feel that you are not coming from a position of strength. It is crucial the modern day employee, attains new skills, applies new concepts and keeps an urge to learn more. Updating and establishing new skills is an absolute necessity to succeed in today's work force. The successful individual is constantly attending workshops, obtaining an appreciation of new advances within the industry that will help to keep them marketable in their present or new industry.  Successful people are lifelong learners,  this is what makes them such an asset, they are prepared to work hard to undertake training to develop themselves and the business.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT‚ Career Development is a planning and goal setting process, which is crucial to your career, whether you plan to work your way up in the industry or change your career altogether. The individual that is serious about their career, will construct a career plan with noted plans for the short and long term. It is imperative to them to have guidance on moving their career from one point to the other. This type of individual knows that they are accountable and responsible for their careers, so do all they need to keep it that way, they do not blame others. .

Do you have the skills described above, are you serious about your career, what are you going to do about it?

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Preparing for a Job Loss.

Image via Wikipedia

How do you react when you feel that you could be losing your job? Is that holiday now gone? The new car that you had your heart set on what about that? Is the writing on the wall?  If you have these feelings, it is time to be proactive.  If your worst fears are realised, you need to be ahead of everyone else. This could be the perfect time to begin to change your career, pursuit other interests or go for that job you really wanted.

The first point of action is the CV. Do you have an up to date one? ? If you have not updated it in a few years, now is the time. You only get one chance to make a good impression, so go for it and put yourself forward in the best possible light.  The job search can at times be a long journey, so you need to ensure all of your particulars are in place. Whilst you are working, it may prove sensible to undertake a few courses in the area/s that you are interested in,  this shows willing to future employers.

Another crucial step is networking., ask people you know if they have any openings. This is where you could find a valuable contact to help you through. If you do get a name and number of a potential opening, contact them to see if  you can take it further. It is a;ways good to start these things soon, often its not what you know but who you know.

Put your finances together, not an easy step it needs to be done though.  If you do become unemployed you need as much funds to sustain you, whilst you are back on your feet.  Most experts recommend 3-6 months cash to meet your living needs. What if you can’t find a job for 8 months or a year? Gather all of the money you can collate so that times will be easier when you do.

Do not be daunted by this, you will get through this it is not insurmountable, keep believing in yourself and adopt the steps outlined above. This could be the best thing that has happenened to you. Everything changes as well as change itself.

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