What is career planning?

Over recent weeks Sarah Berry has had numerous requests from candidates who have been asking for advice on how they could improve their current role. Some of you want more support from superiors, some of you want more financial reward and others of you simply feel that your job isn’t going anywhere. Is this you?

Sarah Berry says, ‘When you feel at a career crossroads it is important that you take your time. It is often a sign that you need to take stock and refresh your whole personal approach to your job and to job hunting. There is no point rushing into changing your job and taking any dissatisfaction into your next role. It is a good time to start to manage your career rather than just hoping for good things to happen. Could you improve the way you are building your reputation and begin to excel in your job or profession?

Are you aware of what your dissatisfaction is all about?

Dissatisfaction of any type is the result of an unfulfilled inner need or want. Are you aware of what drives you? What fulfils you as a person? How is your work satisfying your personal and professional goals? When things are going well at work, it is easy to forget the importance or significance of your own needs. And when things aren’t going to plan, it is easy to get caught up in the emotion and to blame it on tiredness, busyness or lack of time. But is this right? Is it fair that you should miss out or not get what you want?

Steps to positive change

If you feel that your career isn’t moving fast enough or giving you the level of satisfaction you want, then it is time to manage the situation differently. Listed below are a few things to help you to remove any career blocks and to help you to reach a deeper level of self-awareness and objectivity in order to help you to maximise your satisfaction at work again.

1. Having a look

When most of us think about ‘having a look’ we are not always sure what this means partly because we spend most of our lives looking outwards at others – at our colleagues and the boss. This is what work is about and so that is what we are most comfortable doing. Do you try to keep the boss happy, focus on the targets and deliver your work? The person who can get over looked in all this is YOU, the person trying to keep it all together and trying to satisfy others.However, to move on and through the situation you have to begin to look at yourself in greater depth.

Now you shouldn’t be afraid of this at all because it is one of the most rewarding things you can do. However, it is not deemed as that by many says Sarah, ‘When I work one-to-one with clients they often start by objecting to looking at themselves. They will often tell me that it is selfish to only think of ‘my’ needs’.’I don’t ask clients to think of their needs. I just invite clients to begin to look consciously and fulfil what they want. You see, waiting for a one-off compliment for an action at work won’t keep many of us motivated for a whole year, so people need to work out ways to help themselves.

Beginning by appreciating, valuing and recognising yourself is one of the most selfless things an individual can do because it helps others to recognise that they can do it too. The more people who value what they have to offer, the higher their own performance will be and the greater they will be valued by the business world’.So how do you take a positive inside view of yourself? The simplest and easiest way to do this is to fill in a profile. These profiles are positive, accurate and often put into words what people haven’t been able to express about themselves to date.

Career Success Factors

Profiles and highlighting an individual’s needs are a bit like having the map. They indicate where the person needs to start working in order to achieve personal and professional fulfilment.

2. Speak up

People tend to build up their dissatisfaction in layers with the strongest need often being left until the last. They do this because they are unused to admitting what they need. So, you will need to look at all of your needs if you want to be sure that you don’t forget any.New desires need to be treated with respect because they are like an ice berg. A lot lies below the surface. When you speak up for yourself you will need to take your time, choose a person you respect and trust and to be assertive. You want to be heard this time.Plan out what you want to say. What are you looking for from this conversation? How can this person support you? Can this person give you the vision you are looking for? Would this person be able to help you with your plan or offer you the solution?

3. Build your reputation

Try not to fall into the trap of thinking ‘I deserve a promotion so why hasn’t it happened?’ ‘A reputation has to be created and built – it doesn’t just happen on its own’ says Sarah author of ‘How to be Head-hunted’. A person who is up for promotion is developing his/her self-esteem, achieving in his/her role, and able to set and fulfil goals. Is this you or is there still some work to be done?

Sarah Berry is in a position to help you if you need any advice. If you would like to ask for Sarah’s professional advice or see the products that could help you move on in your career please click here.

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